With Speaker Dade Phelan out of the race, Republican state Reps. David Cook and Dustin Burrows will now face off.
Texas Legislature 2025
Texas lawmakers are in Austin for the 89th Texas Legislature’s second, 30-day special session. They are redrawing the state’s congressional map, considering limits on consumable THC products and pushing flood preparedness measures. A first special session ended without successful legislation after House Democrats fled the state to block Republicans’ proposed congressional redistricting map. The regular session ran from January to June and resulted in a new school voucher program, a ban on DEI initiatives in public schools and proposals to increase the state’s water supply.
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Texas Legislature 2025
What does the Texas House speaker do and why are Republicans fighting?
Texas Republicans are poised to pick the statehouse lower chamber’s next leader this weekend.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Speaker Dade Phelan abandons bid for third term amid bruising leadership battle
Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, had previously insisted he had enough votes to thwart a challenge from the right led by state Rep. David Cook of Mansfield.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas lawmakers are scrutinizing university professors’ influence. Here’s how faculty shape their universities.
Faculty senates have long played a key role in developing curriculum and protecting open inquiry. State leaders have also accused them of liberal indoctrination.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Houston Rep. Gene Wu to lead Texas House Democrats through GOP-dominated legislative session
Wu defeated incumbent Trey Martinez Fischer on Thursday to become the next chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Senate to pursue ban on THC products next year, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says
Patrick contends retailers have exploited a law passed in 2019 to sell unregulated and potentially harmful consumable tetrahydrocannabinol products.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas conservatives plan to further restrict trans lives this legislative session
Emboldened by the recent election, some Texas lawmakers are already filing bills that would dictate bathroom use, limit gender identity markers on documents and restrict funding for surgeries.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Rural providers, advocates push Texas Legislature to “rescue” maternal health care system
Almost half of Texas counties have nowhere to get prenatal care, let alone deliver a baby. This plan offers legislative proposals to shore up what’s left.
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Texas Legislature 2025
How David Cook went from Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan’s ally to lead the movement to replace him
The two-term Republican caught many Capitol observers off guard when he emerged as the standard-bearer for a coalition that wants to depose Phelan and reshape how the House operates.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas ballot secrecy issue draws attention in Legislature, courts
One bill has been filed so far, while a pair of lawsuits focus attention on the issue.