Here are some of the Texas Democrats eyeing statewide runs in 2026
Democrats will need to sort through a pileup of potential candidates who see an opportunity to harness backlash to the Trump administration in next year’s midterms. Full Story
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![Beto O’Rourke speaks at the Texas Democratic Convention Reception Kick-Off in El Paso, Texas on June 6, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
It’s “Texas Time”: Legislature OKs permanent daylight saving time, but Congress must also act
Federal action would be needed to make the change legal. Lawmakers at both the state and federal levels have debated the question for decades. Full Story
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![Sunrise over the historic Alamo in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
Why Texas Republicans are trying to rein in high home prices and rents
There’s political urgency for Republicans to deal with housing affordability, especially as surveys find most Texans say housing costs are a top concern. Full Story
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![The Mueller neighborhood in East Austin on Oct. 7, 2023.]()
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Telehealth for pets? It’s the cat’s meow, a Texas lawmaker says.
Animal health care experts raised concern that telehealth would lead to misdiagnosis and erode what little care already exists in rural Texas. Full Story
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![Genna Deleon, 32, vet technician, holds Roco, an 11-year-old Silky Terrier, during a wellness visit at the Spay Neuter Network Crandall clinic in Crandall on Sept. 27, 2024.]()
Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune -
Watch a conversation between two Dallas-area lawmakers
Two state lawmakers discuss bipartisanship and other issues that matter to their Dallas-area constituents. Full Story
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State Sen. Nathan Johnson victorious after surprise challenge from Rep. Victoria Neave Criado
Johnson is virtually assured to have won the seat, because there is no Republican challenger in November. Full Story
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![Texas Senate Democratic Caucus Press Conference on April 17, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado challenges fellow Dallas Democrat Sen. Nathan Johnson
Neave Craido revealed her decision to the Dallas Morning News in an interview published Monday, saying Johnson has not fought hard enough to push back against the Republican agenda. Full Story
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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 -
Texas Senate passes new economic incentive program to lure businesses to the state
Lawmakers hope to hammer out a program to replace the embattled Chapter 313 program before the legislative session ends Monday. Full Story
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![An oilfield scene from Pecos County on Feb. 4, 2023.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang/The Texas Tribune -
Transgender Texans of all ages could lose access to transition-related care under Senate bill
The Senate advanced a bill that could create such high financial risks for doctors and health insurers that they’d stop providing or covering gender-affirming care — even for adults. Full Story
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![Demonstrators march for Trans Day of Visibility in San Antonio on March 31, 2023.]()
Credit: Blaine Young for 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 hope to exclude places of worship from emergency closures after COVID-19 pandemic shuttered doors
Even some religious groups are opposed to Texas legislation that would bar government officials from closing places of worship in any situation — even during a pandemic. Full Story
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![The interior of St. Mary Cathedral in downtown Austin on Jan. 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Despite natural gas failures during winter storm, Texas lawmakers target renewable energy in the aftermath
As lawmakers advance bills targeting renewable energy sources, experts call the efforts “discriminatory” and “politically motivated.” Full Story
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![Wind turbines operated at sunrise in the Permian Basin, an area of oil and natural gas production, in Big Spring in 2019.]()
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How hard should creating a Texas income tax be? Voters will decide with Proposition 4
Supporters want to send a clear message about Texas' business-friendly environment. Others think it's already hard enough to get such a tax passed, and future generations should be able to decide for themselves. Full Story
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![Texas State Capitol, June 12, 2017. State Capitol in the late afternoon on June 12, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Dallas and the 86th Legislature
Check out our morning conversation in Dallas with four Dallas-area legislators: state Sen. Nathan Johnson and state Reps. Angie Chen Button, Jessica González and Morgan Meyer. Full Story
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In wake of Houston-area chemical fires, Texas Senate panel weighs input on stronger storage tank regulations
The Senate Committee on Water and Rural Affairs took public testimony on a bill that would strengthen state oversight of above-ground tanks that hold hazardous hydrocarbons. Full Story
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![An aerial photograph of the Stolthaven Oil Tanking facility along the Houston Ship Channel on Nov. 10, 2015. Shell's Deer Park facility can be seen in the upper right.]()
Credit: Edmund D. Fountain/ProPublica/Texas Tribune -
Watch: A conversation with four new members of the Texas Senate
Meet the 86th: Watch our interview with new state Sens. Carol Alvarado, Pete Flores, Nathan Johnson and Beverly Powell, moderated by Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith. Full Story
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