Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unveils committee assignments with one Democratic chair
Conservative activists have pushed for legislative leaders to ban Democrats from leading committees. Full Story
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![State. Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, listens to State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, filibuster against Senate Bill 1 on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Maps bolster Republicans in the Texas Senate, especially the top one
The new political maps drawn by the Texas Senate don't just favor Republicans; that much was expected from a Republican majority. The maps help Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pick which Republicans he wants in the Senate. Full Story
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![State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speak at a press conference held regarding Democrats breaking quorum and voting legislature at the Texas Capitol on July 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
GOP state Rep. Phil King announces he'll run for new Republican-friendly Senate seat held by Democrat Beverly Powell
Within half an hour of declaring his bid, King got the endorsement of the Senate's presiding officer, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Full Story
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![State Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, questions a fellow lawmaker regarding a proposed amendment to HB 10 on March 30, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas lawmakers would prioritize workers in 2021. But advocates say the working class was largely left behind.
After Texas workers were praised during the pandemic, many thought lawmakers would increase protections or benefits. But advocacy groups say they spent a lot of time playing defense on bills that could hurt workers. Full Story
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![Construction in downtown Austin's warehouse district on May 2, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: When mapmaking Texas politicians are smiling and quiet, pay attention
Remaking the state’s political maps — redistricting — is important. One way to tell is that the lawmakers making the maps do their dead-level best to avoid saying anything that might signal their intent. Full Story
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![The House floor during the 86th legislative session. Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas narrows law barring contractors from boycotting Israel
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill weeks after a federal judge blocked the existing state law in response to a lawsuit. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott and House at a press conference regarding property taxes on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Audit questions how DPS verifies eligibility when issuing Texas driver's licenses
The audit says the Texas Department of Public Safety lacks the controls to ensure necessary documents are collected and retained. Full Story
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State Rep. Dennis Bonnen gains momentum as four Texas House speaker candidates drop out
The Angleton Republican called a press conference for Monday afternoon to discuss the race. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, sits alone before discussion of the property tax bill on August 14, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Santa Fe shooter used his father’s guns. But his parents aren’t liable under Texas law.
The 17-year-old shooter who killed 10 people at Santa Fe High School last week used his father's guns. But his family would not be liable under Texas' safe storage law, since the law only applies to children under 17. Full Story
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![Deputies from the Harris County Sheriff's Office on the scene of Santa Fe High School, where a shooting occurred Friday morning.]()
Credit: Harris County Sheriff's Office -
Analysis: Choosing the next Texas House speaker is a game played by very fuzzy rules
Texas has four official candidates for speaker of the Texas House and a small herd of unofficial ones. The law that requires candidates to make it official allows contenders some serious wiggle room. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Analysis: There are 4 official candidates to be the next Texas House speaker. The real field is much bigger.
Only four members of the Texas House have filed papers declaring their candidacies for speaker. But the election isn't until January, and many more candidates are lurking in the shadows. Full Story
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![A view above the Texas House Speaker's dais on during the 2015 legislative session.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Here's a look at who's interested in replacing Straus as House speaker
Despite all the focus on November, many in Texas politics are keeping a close eye on January. That's when the 150-member Texas House will pick its new House speaker. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Analysis: In the Texas House, winning eclipses party
Voting as a partisan bloc might let a majority party pick the next Texas Speaker of the House, but something like it has been tried before. It didn't work. Full Story
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![House Speaker Joe Straus emerges from a House Republican caucus meeting at the Reagan building in Austin on Aug. 15, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Phil King declares candidacy for Texas House speaker
State Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, announced Friday that he has filed paperwork to run to be the next speaker of the Texas House. Full Story
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![State Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, brings up Senate Bill 5 — the voter ID bill, declared an emergency item by Gov. Abbott — on May 23, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: April 22, 2015
A shift in the public debate over the relationship between oil and gas production and earthquakes happened Tuesday with a new study in Texas and a turnabout by the Oklahoma government on the issue. Full Story
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The Brief: April 21, 2015
The House gave the OK on Monday to legislation overhauling the way public corruption cases are handled in the state, but not before criticism that the new mechanism creates "a new protected class" of elected officials. Full Story
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Politicians Pick New Way to Get Prosecuted
State politicians, high court judges and top bureaucrats would get public corruption cases against them moved to their home counties under a controversial bill that cleared the Texas House on Monday. Full Story
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A Debate Over Fracking and Local Control
After Denton voters decided to ban fracking, other Texas cities could weigh similar moves. Legislators are expected to look at ways to avoid a city-by-city fight over drilling regulations. This is the fourth video in our eight-part State of Mind series. Full Story
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The Brief: Sept. 24, 2014
The special prosecutor overseeing the criminal case against Gov. Rick Perry let his frustration be known on a request by Perry's attorneys to excuse him from appearing at an Oct. 13 pre-trial hearing. Full Story
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![Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who leads Gov. Rick Perry's legal team, explains the felony indictments on August 18, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Analysis: The Hunt for a Different Spot to House Political Watchdog
Lots of people want to take prosecutions of state officials away from the Travis County district attorney's office. But agreeing on a place to put it is not going to be easy. Full Story
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![Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas.]()
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