Top Texas donor slams Speaker Burrows, House members after legislative setbacks
Texans for Lawsuit Reform is threatening to primary House members who helped kill their major legislative priorities. Full Story
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![After coming up empty in the Texas Legislature this year, the state's biggest political donor, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, put out a blistering statement blaming House members for stifling its agenda. The letter blamed a slew of House members, including Houston Speaker Dustin Burrows, top, and freshman Rep. Mitch Little.]()
Credit: Susan Barber, Houston Chronicle -
Speaker Dustin Burrows, once tagged as “liberal,” kept skeptics at bay by leaning into a conservative agenda
At the same time, some Democrats acknowledged the Lubbock Republican let them leave their mark on some of the GOP bills they disagreed with. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, gavels out the 89th Texas Legislature at the Texas Capitol on Sine Die, Monday, June 2, 2025]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
After years of tension, Texas House emerges as cooperative partner for Dan Patrick and his conservative agenda
A 2024 war among Republicans tilted the House to the right. Now more closely aligned with the Senate, Speaker Dustin Burrows has accelerated action on bail, school vouchers and social issues. Full Story
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![Lt. Governor Dan Patrick speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Eviction bill now focuses on squatters in Texas House rewrite
The chamber jettisoned a provision tenants’ advocates warned would make it easier for Texas landlords to evict renters. Full Story
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![A tenant walks her puppies outside of an apartment where the tenants were evicted and the apartment emptied at the Life at Jackson Square apartments in Houston on April 11, 2023.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Water bills face deadline threat as Texas lawmakers negotiate spending priorities
Gov. Greg Abbott and other leaders have called for a major investment to save the state’s water supply. How to spend the money has caused friction at the Capitol. Full Story
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![Workers conduct maintenance on the Fred Hervey Water Reclamation Plant El Paso, Texas on March 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Texas megadonor Alex Fairly joined forces with the GOP’s ultraconservative wing. He didn’t like what he saw.
Fairly, an Amarillo businessman, backed many candidates aligned with conservative West Texas billionaire Tim Dunn’s political operation in 2024. Now he’s disavowing what he says are dishonest and aggressive campaign tactics while pondering his path forward. Full Story
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![Alex Fairly speaks to Amarillo residents during a Conservative Patriots 4 Texas meeting on Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Amarillo.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
Amid housing affordability crisis, Texas House votes to take some power from NIMBYs
Texas lawmakers have sought to make it easier to build more homes — and harder for neighbors to block projects. Full Story
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![Newly developed apartments sit next to older homes in Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood on July 11, 2024.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribune -
In Texas, private firms cash in on property tax late fees, piling debt onto struggling homeowners
Texans who fall behind on their property taxes face one of the most punitive systems in the nation, where private collection companies can tack up to 20% onto their bill. Full Story
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![Sarah Rojo disscuses hardships of being delinquent property taxpayers on Febuary, 23 2025 in Gardendale, Texas.]()
Credit: Callie Cummings for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House unveils plan to cut property taxes, setting up fight with Senate
Lawmakers will debate how to spend $3.5 billion in proposed tax cuts, a legislative priority for Republican leaders. Full Story
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![Newly developed apartments sit next to older homes in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas on July 11, 2024.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribune -
How a multi-year legal battle by allies of a billionaire megadonor set off this year’s explosive House Speaker race
A pair of lawsuits filed by allies of West Texas megadonor Tim Dunn shut down laws that banned outside spending in the House leadership race, allowing for more political mudslinging and raising questions about ethics rules. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, addresses the House after being sworn in as House Speaker, on the first day of the 89th Texas Legislative Session at the capitol in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans want more property tax cuts. Here’s how they may do it.
Gov. Greg Abbott said cutting taxes is a top priority, however, state lawmakers don’t have as much money to plug into tax cuts as they did two years ago. Full Story
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![A residential neighborhood seen Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Midland.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Lubbock celebrates native Dustin Burrows’ rise to Texas House speaker
Meanwhile in the Panhandle, Republicans were less excited that Burrows won the speaker contest thanks largely to Democrats. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, addresses the House after being sworn in as House speaker, on the first day of the 89th Texas Legislative Session at the capitol in Austin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Winners and losers from the Texas House speaker’s race
The new speaker’s power over the budget and committee assignments is expected to bolster established Republican leaders and some Democrats who supported the winner. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, shakes hands with state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, after winning the vote for the next House speaker on the first day of the 2025 Texas Legislature in Austin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
See how Texas House members voted in the speaker race
The race pitted state Reps. David Cook and Dustin Burrows against each other. Here’s how each representative voted. Full Story
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![A vote of 85 in favor of State Rep. Dustin Burrows decides the next Speaker of the Texas House Of Representatives on the first day of the 2025 Texas Legislature in Austin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Rep. Dustin Burrows voted Texas House speaker in blow to insurgent GOP movement
Burrows defeated Rep. David Cook with a coalition of Republican and Democratic votes. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) shakes hands with Rep. Jeff Leach, R- Plano, during opening day ceremonies on the House floor on Tuesday, Jan. 14th, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Republican infighting flares after Burrows elected speaker
The Texas House kicked off the 2025 session by electing an establishment Republican to lead the chamber, drawing criticism from within the GOP. Full Story
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![Republican Party of Texas Chair Abraham George speaks to the press on the steps of the state Capitol following the vote for House speaker on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. Looking on are Republican freshman state Reps. Wes Virdell, David Lowe, Andy Hopper and Brent Money.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House to pick new speaker, concluding brutal proxy war
The new speaker will have a dramatic impact on the direction of this year’s lawmaking — and potentially the future of the Legislature. Full Story
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![The House Chamber on June 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmaker accuses state GOP chair of ethics violation over threats in House speaker race
Rep. Cody Harris filed a complaint against Texas GOP Chair Abraham George for sending mailers and censuring lawmakers who support Rep. Dustin Burrows as House speaker. Full Story
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![Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George addresses the crowd during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton kicks off tour to pressure Republicans to support David Cook for House speaker
Paxton’s latest tour is the continuation of his efforts in the past year to get political revenge on House Republicans who supported his impeachment. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribune -
Texas GOP threatens House members who support Dustin Burrows in speaker race with attack mailers
This is the latest example of the Republican Party of Texas spending its resources attacking its own members. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, holds a press conference in the Speaker's Committee Room, on Dec. 7, 2024, announcing he has the votes to become Speaker of the House in the upcoming legislative session.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune