The latest Texas Senate news from The Texas Tribune.
It’s both unofficial and traditional to call Labor Day the beginning of the intense action in a general election year, and it still carries a shred of truth. The slates are set. Summer vacations are over. This election is on. Full Story
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That big political race on the surface hides a very quiet state ballot down below. In fact, a surprising number of the members of the Legislature and of the Texas delegation to Congress face no major-party opposition in November. Full Story
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State Rep. Borris Miles of Houston has captured the Democratic nomination to replace state Sen. Rodney Ellis, putting him on track to win the seat in November. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers want to get a leash on property taxes, which requires them to restrain local governments. The local governments point to expensive state government mandates that drive up their costs. It's hard to fix blame, or credit. Full Story
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State lawmakers are poised to discuss ride-hailing for the second time in two weeks on Thursday, attention many expect to carry into the upcoming legislative session as some legislators attempt to wrest regulatory power from cities. Full Story
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Less than a month after Uber and Lyft left Austin over the city's regulations, at least six new companies offering similar services have launched in the city and are fighting for market share. Full Story
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Texas' top Senate Republicans on Monday upped the urgency on federal policymakers to do something about the Zika virus. Full Story
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Declaring that "this fight is just beginning," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tuesday escalated his battle against guidelines in Texas and across the country that allow students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Full Story
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Two new Republicans are poised to claim seats in the Texas Senate: Travis County eye surgeon Dawn Buckingham and state Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola. Full Story
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Throughout Tuesday night, Tribune reporters will keep you updated on the results of Texas' Republican and Democratic primary runoffs, from the first early voting totals through the last ballots counted. Full Story
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Members of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday vowed to "tighten it up" when it comes to granting emergency leave to state employees. Full Story
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A mere 13 votes allowed state Rep. David Simpson to sneak into a runoff in the Republican primary campaign to fill Sen. Kevin Eltife's open seat. Now, he must try to catch fellow state Rep. Bryan Hughes. Full Story
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Two state representatives are set to face off for an open position in the Texas senate after the third place candidate said Monday he will not request a recount. Full Story
Perhaps it’s not in the best interests of the people now in office in Texas — whatever their party labels — to change the electoral setup that put them in office. Full Story
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After questions about a special Senate committee hearing in San Antonio, and the appearance there of a challenger to House Speaker Joe Straus, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt makes a fairly strong case that there’s nothing to see here. Full Story
Endorsements seem harmless enough, but several state senators will have to eat some crow to get their legislation passed next year. They endorsed challengers to fellow legislators — and lost. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus spent $307 for every vote he got in Tuesday's primary election, leading the pack of state candidates. Here's a table detailing how much money selected state candidates spent for each vote they got. Full Story
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For all of the talk and bluster about replacing the people in government with new folks, Texas voters on Tuesday were remarkably gentle with incumbents, giving nearly all of them a ticket to the general election in November. Full Story
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Throughout the night, Tribune reporters will keep you updated on the results of Texas' Republican and Democratic primary battles, from the first early voting totals through the last ballots counted. Full Story
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A slew of open seats in the Legislature means there will be at least 18 freshman lawmakers in the Capitol come January. Two thirds of the open seats are currently held by a Republican. Full Story
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