Voters sent a conservative pack of lawmakers to Austin and got conservative results. But it’s more complicated than that.
Texas Senate
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Politics
Patrick: I’m Not Running Against Abbott in 2018
Immediately after wrapping up the legislative session Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that he would never run against Greg Abbott for governor. “This will be my last position,” the lieutenant governor said.
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State Government
Storify: The Last Day of the 84th Legislative Session
The 84th Legislative Session is wrapping up today. Here’s a selection of what journalists, lawmakers and others shared on social media, along with the Tribune’s on-the-ground reporting.
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State Government
Analysis: Small Visions, Small Results in Session
Texas lawmakers started the legislative session without a list of big problems to solve or election mandates to fulfill. And they are ending it without the kinds of results that fill the history books.
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Politics
Analysis: Disarming a Dangerous Coalition
An end-of-session deal on open carry of handguns and limits on police in Texas rescued Gov. Greg Abbott from political crossfire between law enforcement officials and an unusual coalition of liberal and conservative lawmakers.
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Politics
Open Carry Faces Filibuster Threat in Senate
State Sen. José Rodríguez said Thursday that if the opportunity arises, he plans to filibuster a bill allowing the open carry of handguns in Texas.
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State Government
Analysis: Votes Count, but the Rules Can Count More
At the end of the legislative session, votes still count and majorities are important. But the rules come into play as well, and so do the political minorities.
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Higher Education
Hopes Fading for New Limits for Tuition Growth
With the death of all legislation specifically aiming to re-regulate tuition costs at Texas’ public universities, proponents of the idea see few avenues for implementing the idea this year.
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State Government
Analysis: A Short List With Some Explosive Issues
It’s not the end of the session, but Tuesday marks the end of the line for a lot of legislation. And the fates of the items at the bottom of the House’s list could be determined by long debates on ethics, guns, abortion and state spending limits.
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Politics
Proposal Targets Residency Requirement for Statewide Elected Officials
Statewide elected officials would no longer be required to live in Austin under a constitutional amendment that could be headed to voters on a general election ballot. The House tentatively backed the measure on Monday.
