The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
MJ Hegar has long been the favorite in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, but state Sen. Royce West says the "stars have aligned" for him in recent weeks. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law Monday that would have curtailed access to abortions in the state. It was nearly identical to a measure the court overturned in Texas in 2016. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott is allowing limits on outdoor crowds — but not indoor gatherings. His party's convention — with an expected attendance of 6,000 — so far will not require attendees to wear face masks. Full Story
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Bars had to shut down by noon Friday after a statewide surge in coronavirus infections that officials said was largely driven by activities like congregating in close spaces. There’s no immediate plan for when they’ll be able to reopen. Full Story
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The vice president was already scheduled to speak Sunday at First Baptist Dallas, though his trip is taking on a more somber tone as the state scrambles to respond to what Gov. Greg Abbott has described as a "massive outbreak" of coronavirus cases. Full Story
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Texans will be voting in the middle of a pandemic on congressional, legislative and state board seats. Full Story
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“The setting will be similar to a Medical-Surgical Unit with a capability of treating critical care patients," reads a description for a 100-bed site in Austin, according to an email obtained by The Texas Tribune. Full Story
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Paxton, a Republican, was indicted in 2015 on felony securities fraud charges, but the case has yet to go to trial as side battles persist over the venue where he will be tried and the amount the special prosecutors will be paid. Full Story
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“We can protect Texans’ lives while also restoring their livelihoods,” Abbott said this week. As cases surge, the question has become: How many Texans’ lives? Full Story
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For a second time since the start of the pandemic, Abbott banned elective surgeries to preserve bed space for coronavirus patients. But this time the hold on the nonessential procedures is only in effect for Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties. Full Story
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Siding with the state, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo found that Democrats lacked standing to overturn Texas Republicans’ decision to kill straight-ticket voting ahead of the November general election. Full Story
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Regionally, some hospital officials are reporting that intensive care units are near or over capacity, and local leaders have warned that hospitals could get overwhelmed if the number of infections keeps climbing. Full Story
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Three Texas doctors didn’t know about the coronavirus when they filed to run for Congress this year, but now the pandemic has upended their professional and political lives. Full Story
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During an interview with The Texas Tribune, Escobar, D-El Paso, said the state's leadership missed an opportunity to implement robust testing when an emergency was declared. Full Story
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When Gov. Greg Abbott let businesses start reopening, he pointed to two metrics as encouraging signs: the hospitalization rate and the infection rate. Both of those metrics are on the rise in Texas. Full Story
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The release last week of audio of two Empower Texans staffers disparaging Gov. Greg Abbott with profanity and jokes about his disability became nearly instant fodder in the fast-approaching runoffs. Full Story
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State Rep. Tan Parker said he will file a bill in the upcoming legislative session to extend to-go alcohol sales past the coronavirus pandemic. The Texas Restaurant Association also has asked Abbott to expand the waiver to allow mixed drinks with liquor to be prepared, resealed and sold. Full Story
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State and local officials disagree on whether mandating businesses to require employees and customers to wear face masks is a small burden or a threat to their freedom. Full Story
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During a Houston policing roundtable organized by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, several local leaders emphasized the need for social services funding. Full Story
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Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick both denounced the recording, which also includes the staff members using multiple profanities in describing Abbott. Full Story
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