The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
North Texas remains a focus of the investigation into the Capitol insurrection after 19 local residents have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, according to federal authorities. That's one of the largest numbers in any place in the country. Full Story
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Vela was first elected in 2012 and represents much of the South Texas Gulf Coast. Full Story
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Democrats moved to delay committee hearings that were set for today on the first major bill in a push by Republican lawmakers to further tighten the state's already restrictive voting rules and raise new barriers for some voters. Full Story
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Ricardo Ramos, Ramon Fuentes III and Andres Arguelles were all 45. Loving husbands. Strangers who died with the coronavirus in neighboring South Texas cities. They left behind young widows who found each other in Facebook groups and bonded over the similarities in their stories. Full Story
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Fixing immigration and ending hate crimes was hard enough without elected policymakers in Austin and Washington D.C., stoking nativist and racial fears. Full Story
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It is unclear who would be helped or hurt — and by how much — if lawmakers try to revise electricity market prices charged during the winter storm. Full Story
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A bill to stop cities from banning natural gas as a fuel source for heating homes and other buildings is being advanced as priority storm-response legislation following the February power outages. Full Story
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The bills, which include mandating weatherization of power plants, reforming the ERCOT board and creating a state emergency communications system, are “a work in progress.” Full Story
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The U.S. House Judiciary Committee held the hearing to discuss discrimination just two days after police say a white man went on a shooting rampage targeting Asian women in Atlanta. Full Story
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The actor hasn't voted in a primary since at least 2012 and has never donated to a Texas or federal campaign. Full Story
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Speculation that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick might want to be governor someday underestimates his current advantages over the current occupant of that office, Gov. Greg Abbott. Full Story
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The provisions are packaged in one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority measures, dubbed the “heartbeat bill.” Senate Bill 8 would ban abortions as early as six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant. Full Story
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U.S. Reps. Michael Cloud of Victoria, Louie Gohmert of Tyler and Lance Gooden of Terrell voted against the resolution. Gohmert reportedly took issue with the characterization of the attack in the resolution as an "insurrection." Full Story
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On this week's episode, Patrick speaks with Ross, Cassi and Alexa about state leaders' disagreements over electricity repricing after the winter weather crisis. Full Story
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The governor asked the federal government to let Texas law enforcement interview migrant children in FEMA shelters to investigate human trafficking. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the House "stood for big business" after Speaker Dade Phelan signaled skepticism about reversing billions of dollars in charges for wholesale electricity during last month’s winter storm. Full Story
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The legislative session that began in January has been driven by the coronavirus pandemic and the response to last month’s power crisis. But abortion-related measures dominated a Senate State Affairs committee hearing Monday, and lawmakers advanced all of the proposals. Full Story
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As the Legislature grapples with a struggling pandemic economy and the impact of an unprecedented winter storm, higher education advocates are vying for lawmakers’ attention, trying to make the case for more investment in colleges and universities. Full Story
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Texas has some of the strictest voting rules, but Republican lawmakers are now hoping to outlaw efforts by local officials in places like Harris County intended to widen access for voters, including drive-thru voting and extended early voting hours. Full Story
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Senate Bill 2142, sponsored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, had not even been filed when the day started Monday, but lawmakers suspended their rules to hastily push it through the Senate. Full Story
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