The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Ryan Vassar, who had served as the deputy attorney general for legal counsel, was one of eight senior aides who told authorities they believed Paxton was breaking the law — a report that has sparked an FBI investigation. Full Story
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Phelan was a prominent lieutenant of current House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, whose handling of the 2019 legislative session was popular before scandal brought him down. Full Story
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Two questions could shape Texas politics in the coming years: Who will challenge Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022? And will Abbott — and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz — run for president in 2024? Full Story
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El Paso is far from the only predominantly Hispanic area that has been ravaged by the virus. Hidalgo and Cameron counties, both along the state’s southern border, have seen death tolls that rival larger and more urban parts of the state. Full Story
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The border city recently resorted to using inmates from the county jail to move bodies. At the request of county officials, the state is sending assistance. Full Story
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Granger is a prominent member of the Texas congressional delegation who received an endorsement from Trump in a heated 2020 primary. Full Story
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The request comes as the county has used low-level offenders from the county jail to help transport bodies and as officials await a response from the Texas National Guard. Full Story
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The senior senator from Texas suggested this week that he expects Joe Biden will be inaugurated in January and expressed disapproval with two national security moves by the current president. Full Story
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El Paso is one of several Texas cities facing budget shortfalls because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately affected the border area. The president’s team still owes the city a 2-year-old debt of more than half a million dollars. Full Story
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The state has yet to decide how the STAAR exam will be administered and used to rate school districts as the pandemic continues. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the TribCast, Emma talks to Ross, Edgar and Patrick about the challenges of vaccine distribution in rural Texas, the latest in the allegations against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the controversial new head of the state GOP. Full Story
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The bureau is probing allegations that Paxton broke the law by using the attorney general's office to serve the interests of a political donor, two unnamed sources told the Associated Press. Full Story
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West has protested outside the Governor's Mansion and called the likely next speaker of the Texas House a "political traitor." The upcoming legislative session will put his influence within the party to the test. Full Story
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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. Full Story
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Texas Republicans managed to avoid net losses in the state and U.S. House this election cycle in part because voters in key districts showed a willingness to vote Democratic at the top of the ballot and Republican lower down. Full Story
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The lawsuit paints the clearest picture yet about what motivated the whistleblowers to come forward against Paxton, the state’s top legal authority, and the retribution they say they experienced after they made that report. Full Story
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Voters in the historically Democratic stronghold of South Texas are left wondering whether this was simply a strange election during an unusual year or a sign of a profound political realignment in the region. Full Story
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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. Full Story
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State lawmakers argue that the tax revenue and jobs created by a retail market for cannabis could help the state devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Matthew talks with Ross, Abby and Emma about the Texas GOP's response to the presidential election, the Affordable Care Act before the U.S. Supreme Court and the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
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