The latest unemployment rate will be a crucial data point for the Texas Legislature, which will convene in January.
Congress
Read the latest Texas Tribune coverage of Congress, from the state’s lawmakers in Washington to key legislation and political debates shaping Texas and the nation.
Posted in
Demographics
Beth Van Duyne could be the GOP’s antidote to high-profile progressives when she joins Congress
The former Housing and Urban Development official will be part of the largest group of House Republican women ever elected to Congress in the same year. Van Duyne’s supporters expect she’ll bring her brand of outspoken conservative fire with her to the Capitol.
Posted in
Politics
Texas politicians flock to Georgia to aid in fight for U.S. Senate majority
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz; Texas GOP Chairman Allen West; U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston; and former presidential candidate Julián Castro have all traveled to the state — or plan to soon — to campaign in the Jan. 5 runoffs.
Posted in
Politics
Defense spending bill named after Texas congressman passes in U.S. House despite Trump’s veto threat
The legislation is named in honor of retiring U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, who is the top Republican of the House Armed Services Committee.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Fourteen U.S. Army leaders fired or suspended at Fort Hood
The shake-ups come in response to an independent review of the base’s command climate and are an effort to correct a yearslong culture of sexual assault and a pattern of violence at the base.
Posted in
Texas 2020 Elections
Republicans kept their grip on Texas government in 2020. In 2021, they’ll be able to tighten it.
Because Republicans in the state House and Senate held onto their 20-year majority, they are positioned to further entrench their power until the next redistricting rolls around in 2031.
Posted in
Demographics
U.S. Supreme Court leery of Trump’s bid to exclude undocumented immigrants from congressional reapportionment
Outgoing President Donald Trump’s administration wants to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count that determines how many congressional seats each state gets. Texas could lose at least one congressional district under the plan, according to a study.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
These Texans were rescued by the U.S. government after getting stranded in Peru. Now, the bills are arriving.
The U.S. State Department has sent letters to Americans rescued abroad during the pandemic asking for repayment for the repatriation flights and threatening to withhold tax refunds or social security payments if the debt goes unpaid for months.
Posted in
Texas 2020 Elections
A handful of battleground races in Texas remain unsettled days after Election Day
Candidates have not yet conceded in at least three contests for state House, saying they want to see more ballots come in.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
What to expect as Texas heads to the U.S. Supreme Court in bid to overturn the Affordable Care Act
On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a Texas-led challenge to the landmark health law.
