Tuesday’s contentious debate on the state Senate floor over a proposed congressional redistricting map, which passed on a party line vote, was just a hint of why graduate students at Texas A&M University — and even some lawmakers — are studying alternative ways to handle the process.
Texas Senate
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Criminal Justice
20 Weeks in Which the Budget Held Sway
The 82nd Texas Legislature’s regular session ends as it started, with lawmakers arguing about a shrunken state budget and redistricting.
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Demographics
TribLive: Three GOP Veterans on the 82nd Session
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands — about how they and their GOP colleagues fared this session.
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Demographics
TribLive: Williams on Sanctuary Cities
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, I asked Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, if sanctuary cities legislation could still be approved in the 82nd Legislative Session.
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Demographics
AUDIO: Crownover, Taylor and Williams at TribLive
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands — about how they and their Republican colleagues fared this session.
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Demographics
Video: Crownover, Taylor and Williams at TribLive
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands — about how they and their Republican colleagues fared this session.
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State Government
Dan Patrick for U.S. Senate? Stay Tuned, He Says
State Sen. Dan Patrick, a radio talk show host who has been courting Tea Party activists, is promising to tell reporters Friday whether or not he will try to make a jump to the U.S Senate to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
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State Government
Radio Host Storms Capitol Over TSA “Groping” Bill
Notorious radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones led a raucous protest at the Capitol over the Legislature’s failure to criminalize invasive airport pat downs. “Every one of [those senators] is an enemy of the Republic and the Republic of Texas!” he bellowed.
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Demographics
TribLive: Three Veteran Democrats on the 82nd Session
At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, and state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio — about how they and their Democratic colleagues fared this session.
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Demographics
TribLive: Ellis and Van de Putte on Sanctuary Cities
At last Thursday’s TribLive conversation, state Sens. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, explained why controversial sanctuary cities legislation may not make it out of the Texas Senate.
