House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has at least one opponent in his bid for a third term in that job, but the circumstances that undid his predecessors in the post don’t exist now.
Texas House of Representatives
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State Government
Lawmakers’ Bills Target Perceived Overreach by Federal Government
Two bills filed by lawmakers recently seek to restrict the actions of federal agencies in Texas. Lawmakers say the bills are meant to stand up for Texans’ freedom, but federal agencies say practices targeted by the bills keep people safe.
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State Government
Simpson, Tea Party Favorite, Considers Challenge to Speaker
State Rep. David Simpson of Longview, a Republican who rode to office with heavy Tea Party support two years ago, is considering a run for Texas House speaker against incumbent Republican Joe Straus of San Antonio.
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State Government
TribLive: A Conversation with Three New House Members
Full video of my 11/19 TribLive conversation with three incoming state representatives: Republicans Cecil Bell Jr. and Giovanni Capriglione and Democrat Mary Gonzalez.
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Public Education
TribLive: New State Reps. on Public Education
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, incoming state Reps. Cecil Bell Jr., Giovanni Capriglione and Mary Gonzalez talked about school finance, standardized testing and the prospect of school choice legislation in the 83rd Session.
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State Government
Guest Column: The Case for Joe Straus
Larson: The conservative House has a conservative speaker, and there’s no reason to change leaders.
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State Government
You’ve Got Mail, Mr. Speaker
The letters dribbling into House Speaker Joe Straus’ mailbox raise questions about the House’s redistricting last session, but that’s just a way for his rivals to raise questions about his leadership.
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State Government
Republican Says Straus Should Explain Redistricting Tactics
Speaker Joe Straus defended the House’s redistricting work and said they’ll continue their legal fight after a second Republican — Bill Zedler of Arlington — joined Democratic inquiries about how Straus’ staff handled those political maps in 2011.
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State Government
Bobby Guerra: The TT Interview
The new state representative for the Rio Grande Valley’s House District 41 on his unusual path to office, what he hopes to accomplish before his re-election bid in November and how he’s approaching the general election.
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State Government
Providers Seek More State Funds for Homeless Services
Leaders of homeless service programs on Monday addressed a joint hearing of a House appropriations subcommittee and the Urban Affairs Committee, saying any funding cuts would hinder their ability to provide services.
