Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election for open state Senate seat
The contest coincides with the state’s November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to decide local offices and ballot measures. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presides over the Senate on July 14, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Nate Schatzline drops Texas Senate bid, endorses conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss
The North Texas district opened up last week when Republican Kelly Hancock resigned from the upper chamber to take over as the state’s acting comptroller. Full Story
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![State Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth,
addresses the crowd during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on Jan. 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribune -
Former Texas state Sen. Kelly Hancock to become acting comptroller, run for permanent job
Hancock, a North Richland Hills Republican, announced his candidacy shortly after being sworn in as chief clerk at the comptroller’s office. Full Story
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![Sen. KELLY HANCOCK, R-North Richland Hills, on the Senate floor on May 12, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
GOP senators, open to Paxton conviction, flipped when they realized they were still short the votes
“I feel there were six senators who were ready to be the 21st vote,” said Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas. “But they didn’t want to be the 20th vote.” Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, center, bows his head in prayer as state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, leads the Senate in prayer during the fifth day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial in the Senate chamber at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. Brian Birdwell was in the Pentagon when American Airlines flight 77 struck.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/Pool via The Dallas Morning News -
These 2 senators were the only Republicans to vote for Paxton impeachment articles
Kelly Hancock and Robert Nichols broke from the rest of their party, but longtime observers said they weren’t surprised. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Senate Republicans say House managers failed to meet high burden of proof
Democrats, however, said their GOP colleagues “caved” to outside pressure in voting to acquit and return Ken Paxton to his job as attorney general. Full Story
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![State senators file into the Texas Senate to cast their votes on the articles of impeachment on Sept. 16, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Sen. Kelly Hancock opens up about rare kidney disease, as he advocates for Texas bill to increase living organ donors
Hancock, a North Richland Hills Republican, was diagnosed at age 27 with a rare genetic kidney disease that occurs when the immunoglobulin A antibody builds up in the kidneys. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, reads his resolution that would have the Texas Legislation recognize March 9 as World Kidney Day, on the Senate floor at the state Capitol in Austin on March 14, 2023. As a young adult, Sen. Hancock was diagnosed with a rare genetic kidney disease and received a live kidney donation in July of 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Three Texas counties are suing the attorney general to get clarity on when the public can access post-election ballots
For decades, the attorney general’s office advised counties to keep ballots for 22 months after an election. Then Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an opinion saying they could be quickly released to anyone who requested them. Full Story
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![Election workers sort provisional ballots and forms from the polling centers at the Tarrant County Election Administration building in Fort Worth on November 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers deplore mistreatment of National Guardsmen sent to border duty
Legislative leaders overseeing the Texas Military Department say they are looking into reports of suicides, habitual pay problems and poor working conditions on Gov. Greg Abbott's highly touted border mission. Full Story
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![Members of the Texas National Guard, seen here on Dec. 8, work 12- to 13-hour shifts guarding the Texas border wall, construction crews and materials near Del Rio. Thousands of National Guard troops were deployed to Del Rio after an increase in migration at the southern border.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott pushes Legislature to protect businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, unsuccessfully pushed for similar federal legislation. Abbott's support comes as Texas intensive care units are filling up with coronavirus patients. Full Story
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![Elia Montoya serves breakfast dishes to U.S. Representative Chip Roy and his family at Juan In A Million, located in East Austin, on May 1, 2020. This was the first phase of Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to gradually reopen Texas businesses during the coronavirus outbreak.]()
Credit: Bronte Wittpenn/Austin American-Statesman via USA TODAY NETWORK/REUTERS -
A Texas lawmaker worked with the state restaurant association to draft an alcohol-to-go bill. His wife lobbies for the group.
State Rep. Charlie Geren filed legislation that would let restaurants battered by the coronavirus pandemic permanently sell alcohol to go. The measure already has backing from top state officials. Full Story
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![A Waterloo Margarita DIY Cocktail Kit and two margaritas to-go from Waterloo Icehouse on June 30, 2020 in Austin.]()
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Advocates say lawmakers largely exempted themselves from Texas' public records law, prompting calls for a veto
Critics say a bill awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott's signature would mark an expansion of lawmakers’ ability to wall off their records from public scrutiny. Full Story
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![State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, works from his desk on the House floor as the House debates the budget on April 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: A rumor of a game of succession in the Texas Senate
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has done his best to knock down rumors he might take a job with the Trump administration. That hasn't stopped talk about what might happen if he leaves his current job. Full Story
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![Senator Kirk Watson, who was recently elected Senate President Pro Tempore, receives a senate gavel from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
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Texas Senate removes exception that allows abortion after 20 weeks if the pregnancy is unviable
The bill would also prevent what abortion opponents call "discriminatory abortions" — where a woman or a doctor pursues an abortion on the basis of the fetus' sex, race or disability. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, during a February 21, 2018 Interim Committee on Higher Education Formula Funding.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes legislation to prevent surprise medical bills with arbitration, mediation
Surprise medical bills happen when out-of-network health care providers and insurance companies can’t agree on the price of a medical treatment, leaving the patient to pick up the amount insurance won’t pay. Full Story
![State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, during a February 21, 2018 Interim Committee on Higher Education Formula Funding.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Sweeping legislation takes aim at shock emergency room bills in Texas
Committee chairs from both chambers unveiled the proposal on Thursday. Full Story
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![A trauma crash room at the Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas. The driver responsibility program funds most of trauma care in Texas.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
New law seeks to prevent surprise medical bills from freestanding ERs
A new law requires Texas' freestanding emergency rooms to more clearly communicate what health insurance networks they're in, if any. Full Story
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![A freestanding emergency room provides 24-hour acute care in the Mueller neighborhood of Austin on July 10, 2017. As of Sept. 1, 2017, facilities like this one are required to post a notice of which health insurance networks they participate in, if any.]()
Credit: Austin Price / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate approves ban on straight-ticket voting
The Texas Senate gave initial approval Wednesday to legislation that would eliminate straight-ticket voting in all elections. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-Richland Hills, debates Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, on the merits of House Bill 25, which would eliminate straight-party voting in Texas. Garcia argued that the measure would result in discrimination and in even lower voter turnout.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate sends bill to governor discouraging weather-related lawsuits
A tort-reform bill that would discourage property owners from suing insurers over weather-related claims tentatively passed the Texas Senate on Tuesday. Full Story
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Warren Buffett visits Capitol and "Buffett Bill" is born
The Texas Senate could soon debate the "Buffett Bill," a special interest carve-out aimed at giving billionaire Warren Buffett a little relief from protectionist state laws. And the bill that would help electric car maker Tesla Motors? Stalled. Full Story
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![Warren Buffett in 2010.]()
Credit: White House