The beginning, at least for the Texas Senate, came to an end this week.
Texas Senate
Posted inState Government
Interactive Map: Senate Committees by Districts of Sitting Members
The members of the Texas Senate have been placed in their committees, but where in the state do the committee members come from? Use this interactive to explore the geographic distribution of committee members in the Senate.
Posted in
Energy
Perry Talks Water, Tax Relief in State of the State
In his seventh State of the State address, Gov. Rick Perry ignored controversial issues and urged state lawmakers to do the nitty gritty work of government: fund water projects, build more roads and improve education.
Posted in
Guides
Texplainer: What is the Blocker Bill?
The blocker bill, a tradition of the Texas Senate, gives the minority party power, because it requires that two-thirds of the Senate must agree before a bill is heard on the floor.
Posted in
Politics
Race for SD-6 Seat Heads Toward Final Stretch
Slightly more than 8,200 voters cast their ballots during the early voting period in the special election to replace the late state Sen. Mario Gallegos. Election day is Saturday in the race, which is likely to head to a runoff.
Posted inState Government
Senators Draw Lots to Determine Terms
The Texas Senate relied on chance Wednesday to determine which of them would serve for four years and which would serve for two years. For some legislators, the luck of the draw could have bigger political implications.
Posted in
State Government
Lost in Translation: From Legislature to English
The Legislature has its own jargon, and it sometimes feels like members are speaking a different language. Blocker bills? WADA? Chubbing? LARS? Here’s a guide — in the form of a multiple-choice quiz — to what they’re saying.
Posted in
State Government
Dewhurst Appoints Senate Committees
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst filled out his committee assignments late Friday afternoon, supplementing the chairmanship shuffle he announced late last year.
Posted in
Bidness As Usual
Slideshow: Sen. John Whitmire Through the Years
Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, served 10 years in the Texas House before becoming the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate. Here’s a photographic look back at the dean of the Senate’s 40 years in elected office in Texas.
Posted in
Economy
Budget Plans Target Incentives and Testing
The budget proposals released by lawmakers this week show an interest in revamping school testing and the state’s economic incentive programs.
