Analysis: At the top of Texas government, three-part harmony
The state's top leaders have been saying for weeks that they are in sync, and here's the surprise: Their initial proposals look like they are actually in sync. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen at a joint press conference held at the Governor's Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./ The Texas Tribune -
At inauguration, Gov. Greg Abbott promises "we are going to get this done" on school finance and property taxes
The two top statewide elected officials were sworn in Tuesday to second terms at the helm of Texas government. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott addresses attendees at the Oath of Office Ceremony on the state Capitol grounds on Jan. 15, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Watch Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick take the oath of office
After winning re-election in November, both Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are embarking on their second, four-year term. Watch their swearings-in and inaugural speeches here. Full Story
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![The Texas state Capitol on the first day of the 86th legislative session on Jan. 8, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
First day of 86th session is "launching pad" for new and veteran members
There's a lot of work that goes on at the State Capitol even before lawmakers gavel in. This "Under the Dome" episode takes you through the behind-the-scenes start of the 86th Texas Legislature. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Big things can happen in Texas without court orders, sometimes
It usually takes a court order to move Texas lawmakers to make big changes to major programs like school finance. But it's possible, if top leaders are united, to go big without a judicial push. Full Story
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Texas officials vote to remove Confederate plaque that says Civil War wasn’t over slavery
State Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, has led a crusade to get rid of the plaque, which asserts the Civil War was “not a rebellion, nor was its underlying cause to sustain slavery." Full Story
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![The "Children of the Confederacy Creed" plaque has drawn controversy for its denial that preserving slavery was an underlying cause of the Civil War. Dec. 5, 2018.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune. -
Analysis: For Dan Patrick, something new — the passenger’s seat
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been the biggest agenda-setter in state leadership in recent legislative sessions. With a narrower majority in the Senate, a closer result in his last election and a new House speaker in place, he's a bit quieter. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Parliamentarian Karina Davis on the Senate floor on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune. -
Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and Dennis Bonnen promise unity in 2019 legislative session
Texas' top three leaders are eager to show they're on the same page as the 86th legislative session begins. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen hold a joint press conference on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
On first day of session, Gov. Greg Abbott talks priorities and politics
Abbott discussed his agenda for the 86th legislative session during an interview Tuesday with The Texas Tribune. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott in the Governor’s mansion. Jan. 8, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune. -
Everything you need to know about the first day of the Texas Legislature
The 140-day sprint to the finish line will finally begin today, when state lawmakers convene in Austin for the Texas Legislature's 86th regular session. Full Story
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Abbott calls Feb. 12 special election to replace Justin Rodriguez in Texas House
Rodriguez gave up the San Antonio seat after being appointed Bexar County commissioner last week. Full Story
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![State Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, during a hearing held by the Interim Committee on Higher Education Formula Funding in Austin on Feb. 21, 2018.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Two years ago, the Texas Legislature started with a bang. This year, it's quieter.
Lawmakers have coalesced behind school finance and property taxes as top priorities, a stark contrast with the hot-button social legislation that headlined the 85th Legislature in 2017. Full Story
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![Left to right: Outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus, presumptive House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at a Legislative Budget Board meeting in Austin on Nov. 16, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott advocates for state takeover of Houston ISD’s school board in scathing tweet
Abbott criticized the district's leadership as a "disaster." Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at the Resurgent Gathering of conservative party activists in Austin on August 3, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Mike Collier lost, but outdid Beto O'Rourke in most Texas counties
Beto O'Rourke, the Texas Democrat who got most of the attention in this year's general election, got more votes than any other Democrat on the statewide ticket. But one of them out-performed O'Rourke in 171 counties. Full Story
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![Mike Collier, then-Democratic nominee for Texas comptroller, at the state Democratic convention in Dallas on June 27, 2014. Collier is running for lieutenant governor in 2018.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott selects deputy chief of staff as new secretary of state
David Whitley was named Texas' top election official on Monday, years after he started working for Abbott when the governor served as the state's attorney general. Full Story
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![David Whitley was appointed as Secretary of State of Texas.]()
Credit: Image via Governor Greg Abbott's -
Analysis: You can't fix Texas school finance until you agree on the meaning of "fix"
Changing the way public schools are funded is hard even when everyone agrees on the problem. But Texas lawmakers will first have to figure out if they're aiming to lower property taxes, increase spending on public education — or just change how the money is distributed. Full Story
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![Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott Brister, chairman of the Texas Commission on Public School Finance, listens to a commission member at the panel's second meeting on Feb. 8, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Rebuilding commission calls Hurricane Harvey a "wakeup call" for Texas
A report by the Commission to Rebuild Texas says there is an urgent need to "future-proof" the Gulf Coast. Full Story
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![Evacuees flee flooding in a boat with a nearly submerged Houston sign behind them, on Aug, 29, 2017.]()
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Apple announces $1 billion expansion in Austin
The company will reportedly receive as much as $25 million from a state job-creation fund. Full Story
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![Apple's existing campus in Austin. The tech giant announced a $1 billion expansion Thursday.]()
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Analysis: You can debunk this Confederate plaque in minutes. What’s taking Texas so long?
Everybody in the Texas Capitol has known about a factually impaired Confederate memorial plaque for more than a year. So why is it still on the wall? Full Story
![The "Children of the Confederacy Creed" plaque has drawn controversy for its denial that preserving slavery was an underlying cause of the Civil War. Dec. 5, 2018.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune. -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott closes state agencies Wednesday to mourn George H.W. Bush
In his order, Abbott encouraged Texans to gather and pay their respects to the 41st president. Full Story
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![President George H.W. Bush at the White House after he addressed U.S. troops defending Saudi Arabia, on August 29, 1990.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo
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