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 -
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 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 -
Dustin Burrows walks a tightrope seeking Republican and Democratic support for Texas House speaker bid
Five years after weathering a major Republican House leadership controversy, Burrows finds himself at the center of another skirmish — this time as he seeks the speaker’s gavel himself. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, holds a press conference in the Speaker's Committee Room saying he has the votes to become speaker of the House in the upcoming legislative session.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
A new Texas GOP rule could alter the House speaker’s race — and ban some Republicans from appearing in primaries
Republicans who vote against party leaders’ preferred candidate could be barred from running in primaries. Lawsuits could follow. Full Story
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![Delegates wait to hand in their ballots after voting on platform priorities on the last day of the Texas GOP Convention in San Antonio on Saturday, May 25, 2024.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Dustin Burrows on bipartisanship, school vouchers and why he still thinks he’ll be Texas House speaker
In a Q&A, Burrows said he’s still confident he’ll win. But he says the leadership race is bigger than any one person and his supporters are trying to protect the integrity of the House. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, holds a press conference in the Speaker's Committee Room saying he has the votes to become Speaker of the House in the upcoming legislative session, on Dec. 7, 2024.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott signals support for David Cook over Dustin Burrows in GOP fight for House speaker
Days after the Texas House GOP caucus backed Cook, Abbott made clear that he expects Republican representatives to do the same. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to DPS Troopers and National Guard troops at a Thanksgiving dinner event in Edinburg on Nov. 26, 2024.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Dustin Burrows says he has votes to be Texas House speaker after David Cook wins GOP caucus vote
Burrows claims the support of a coalition of Republicans and Democrats, while Cook has the endorsement of the GOP caucus. 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, saying he has the votes to become Speaker of the House in the upcoming legislative session.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
The Texas House speaker race isn’t over. Here’s where it stands.
With Speaker Dade Phelan out of the race, Republican state Reps. David Cook and Dustin Burrows will now face off. Full Story
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![The Texas House floor on Aug. 31, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Legalized marijuana supporters hope voters in this Texas city will send a message to state lawmakers
There is no process in Texas for a voter-driven statewide referendum. So, supporters are going city by city to build statewide momentum. Full Story
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![A shirt promotes the legalization of marijuana in Lubbock at the South Plains Fair in Lubbock on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Public blasts Texas agencies, regulators for poor communication and oversight at wildfire hearings
Thursday’s hearing marked the end of the Legislature’s three-day marathon of public hearings. Full Story
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![Craig Cowden gives testimony to the house committee investigating the Panhandle wildfires Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Pampa.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Texas legislative committee to investigate cause of Panhandle wildfires
The panel of three lawmakers and two residents will also look at disaster preparedness. Full Story
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![Charred ground left by the Smokehouse Creek fire after the fire burned through Currie Smith’s ranch Sunday, March. 3, 2024, in Hemphill County, Texas.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Do Texans have the “right to farm?” Voters will decide with Proposition 1.
Supporters of the amendment say it will protect farmers as the state’s largest cities continue to grow. Opponents suggest the amendment is too broad and ambiguous. Full Story
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![Plants and vegetables are seen in the community garden at the Catholic Charities Guadalupe Community Center in San Antonio, Texas on February 25, 2021.]()
Credit: Christopher Lee for The Texas Tribune -
Primary threats loom over House Republicans as lawmakers again consider school vouchers
Gov. Greg Abbott promised that if House Republicans block school choice again, he’d go after them in the primaries Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during an event held by the Parent Empowerment Coalition at Annapolis Christian Academy on Jan. 31, 2023, in Corpus Christi.]()
Credit: Angela Piazza/Corpus Christi Caller-Times via REUTERS -
Texas Republicans ended a patchwork of local rules they say hurt business. They also eroded powers of city councils.
Lawmakers delivered Gov. Greg Abbott a long-sought bill to stop local governments from enacting local laws that exceed state law on a number of fronts. Full Story
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![An aerial view of homes near Interstate 45 in Houston, on Sept. 16, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes school safety bill that would require districts to bolster their active-shooter plans
Both chambers have said school safety is a priority this session after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at a Uvalde elementary school last year. Full Story
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![A police officer monitors Maplewood Elementary School in Austin a week following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune. -
Texas GOP’s broadest attempt yet to erode blue cities’ power gets one step closer to becoming law
Gov. Greg Abbott and other supporters of the bill have long sought legislation to push back against local regulations that they say hamper business owners and harm the state’s economy. Full Story
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![The Austin skyline on July 13, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House votes to require panic buttons in every classroom and armed guards in every school
Lawmakers have said school safety is a priority this session, but it is still unclear whether they’ll listen to Uvalde families who want to raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21. Full Story
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![Law enforcement officers patrol outside the library of Akins Early College High School in Austin on Sept. 15, 2022. The school was put on "hold" — a step below a lockdown — after a threat on social media was reported.]()
Credit: Roberto Ramirez for The Texas Tribune