Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that a second round of legislative overtime would begin Saturday, the Democrats who relocated to Washington, D.C., to prevent the House from having enough members to conduct business indicated they are still discussing what they’ll do now.
Texas Legislature 2021
The 87th Texas Legislature approved hundreds of new laws during its regular session that ended in May 2021, including a near-total ban on abortions. Lawmakers then returned to Austin for three special sessions aimed at passing additional conservative priorities. Although House Democrats fled the state for weeks, lawmakers eventually passed new voting restrictions. They also approved new political maps and a proposed constitutional amendment that could lower property tax bills.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Gov. Greg Abbott announces special legislative session starting Saturday, covering elections, federal COVID-19 funding, quorum rules
The governor said Thursday the second special session will get underway at noon Saturday, with a 17-item agenda.
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Coronavirus in Texas
State Rep. Travis Clardy tests positive for COVID-19, is quarantining in district
Clardy, who has been fully vaccinated since earlier this year, tested positive last Friday.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Two House Democrats who broke quorum missing from Washington, D.C., reportedly vacationing in Portugal
Their vacation does not affect the lack of quorum that the House has in Austin that prevents the chamber from passing an elections bill. But it is at odds with Democrats’ insistence that they would use their time away to advocate for federal voting rights legislation in the nation’s capital.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Energy industry showers Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas politicians with campaign cash after they passed power grid bills
For some energy experts, the increase in donations for the officials at the close of the session looks like a reward for not passing more stringent regulations and raises questions about whether lawmakers let the oil, gas and the broader energy industry off easy for its massive failures.
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Texas Legislature 2021
With special session’s end looming, Texas Democrats and Republicans mull their next moves
Abbott has promised to call a second special session to pass the GOP’s priority voting bill, but the exact timing is uncertain. And House Democrats have not yet revealed what they have planned after the session ends this week.
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Graphics and data reporting
Texas teachers say GOP’s new social studies law will hinder how an entire generation understands race, history and current events
Educators who spoke to The Texas Tribune overwhelmingly denounced the new social studies law going into effect Sept. 1. These are the provisions they say could cause problems for them — and Texas students.
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Texas Legislature 2021
With time running out, Texas Legislature still at impasse on GOP elections bill
Republicans believe they have already compromised enough on the legislation, while Democrats are distrustful of both the policy driving the bill and their GOP colleagues after seeing how they have managed the process around the proposal so far.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: Texas government has to put Humpty Dumpty together again
A partial shutdown of state government wouldn’t do anyone in state politics any good. Lawmakers still have time to erase the governor’s veto of the Legislature’s budget — but not a lot of time.
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Texas Legislature 2021
A tale of two capital cities: Texas Democrats continue fight for voting rights in Washington as Republicans push them to return
Both Republicans in Austin and Democrats in D.C. have engaged in the political drama over the past two weeks, with the two camps battling it out on cable news interviews and social media over the quorum bust and who is to blame for it.
