Life of a Texas Lawmaker: Lousy Pay, Great Benefits
The pay for Texas lawmakers is low, but the pension benefits are sweet. Some say, though, that lawmakers who break the law should have to forfeit their pensions. Full Story
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Guest Column: How Conservative is David Dewhurst?
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst appears to be in the middle of the Republican pack in the Texas Senate, where he presides, according to an analysis of senators' votes by Rice University political scientist Mark P. Jones. Full Story
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Credit: Tommy LaVergne of Rice University -
First Ad from Ames Jones: Jobs
In her first TV commercials — running during college basketball games this weekend and then in broader rotation in Austin and San Antonio starting next week — Texas Senate candidate Elizabeth Ames Jones says she'll create jobs and fight "Obama bureaucrats." Full Story
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Who Will Lead the Senate Education Committee?
Sen. Florence Shapiro’s departure means the end of a nearly two-decade-long tenure in the state Senate — and an opening in the top position on the Senate Education Committee for the first time since 2003. Full Story
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Hegar Exploring 2014 Run for Comptroller
State Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, is exploring a 2014 run for comptroller — an office that would open up if Susan Combs decides to move on, perhaps to run for lieutenant governor. Full Story
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Senate Committee Tackles Rural Child Welfare
Child Protective Services officials got an earful on Wednesday at a Senate hearing on improving the caseworker retention rates in rural communities. And they got a minor scolding from Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville. Full Story
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Updated: Mentally Ill Man Faces Arson Charge in Attack on Davis' Office
A mentally unstable man has been charged with throwing a bag filled with six Molotov cocktails at the door of the Fort Worth office of state Sen. Wendy Davis. Full Story
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Texas Gets a D+ in Public Integrity Study
Texas has scored a 68 out of 100, placing 27th in a national state integrity study. The state got high marks for auditing and for monitoring pension funds, but not as high for accountability of the governor and legislators. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
The Conservative Core and the 2012 Primary Elections
The February 2012 University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows a riptide of very conservative opinion is exerting a strong pull on state politics. Full Story
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Billionaire's PAC Admits Contribution Error, Seeks Refunds
The political action committee of Dallas billionaire waste magnate Harold Simmons is asking 18 lawmakers to return about $65,000 in contributions after admitting that an oversight led to illegal campaign contributions. Full Story
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Campaign Roundup: The Week's Political News
Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones is making a run for a state Senate seat. But her opponent in the GOP primary, state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, is challenging her on residency. That dispute is among this week's top political news items. Full Story
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Interactive: What's My District Now?
Pending any legal intervention, the three court-issued redistricting maps (House, Senate and Congress) and the State Board of Education map drawn up by the 82nd Legislature are now in effect. Use our interactive to see which district you live in now and who represents you. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Ryan Murphy -
Interactive: Texas Senators' 2011 Spending
Texas senators cut their expenses by just 1 percent from August 2010 to 2011 — a total of $101,000. That’s not much compared to more than $1 million they saved in 2010. Use our interactive to find details on senators' 2011 spending. Full Story
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A Wobbly Starting Position for Texas Elections
Monday's the day candidates can begin filing for office, and after a flurry of legal activity over the holidays, they now know what districts they're seeking to represent. Probably. Full Story
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Campaign Roundup: The Week's Political News
State campaign news, candidate announcements, retirements and rumors from the past week. Full Story
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Not Every Race Will Be a Contest — by Design
Federal judges proposed new political maps for the state late Thursday and hope to have new congressional and legislative maps in place for Texas on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Full Story
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Judicial Cartography
A panel of federal judges in San Antonio proposed new redistricting maps for the Texas Senate and the Texas House late Thursday, asking for comments by noon on Friday. They're trying to finish maps before candidates start filing on November 28 — a date set by the court. Full Story
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Federal Judges Propose Maps for Texas Legislative Races
A panel of federal judges in San Antonio proposed new redistricting maps for the Texas Senate and the Texas House late this afternoon. Full Story
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Federal Judges Will Draw New Political Maps for Texas
Next year's congressional and legislative elections in Texas will probably be conducted using political maps drawn by federal judges instead of those drawn by lawmakers. Full Story
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Updated: Ames Jones to Challenge Wentworth
Railroad Commission Chairwoman Elizabeth Ames Jones will end her campaign for the U.S. Senate to run instead for the Texas Senate against incumbent Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio. Full Story
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