Border Surge Could Continue Through August
The surge of state law enforcement on Texas’ southern border will continue through August if an $86 million request made by the state’s top leaders is approved next month by budget writers. Full Story
The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
The surge of state law enforcement on Texas’ southern border will continue through August if an $86 million request made by the state’s top leaders is approved next month by budget writers. Full Story
Chip Roy, a longtime GOP adviser who most recently worked for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, will serve as first assistant to Attorney General-elect Ken Paxton, his campaign announced Tuesday. Full Story
Twelve more Republican House members publicly pledged their support for House Speaker Joe Straus on Tuesday, making the path to victory for challenger Scott Turner exceedingly difficult. Full Story
California has stopped letting companies pay consultants a commission based on the size of tax cut and incentive packages they help land. Texas has no such restriction. Full Story
A new controversy could crop up this week as the State Board of Education is expected to adopt new social studies textbooks. Full Story
Legislation reviving the fight over "sanctuary cities" was filed Monday by Lubbock Republican Sen. Charles Perry. Full Story
As authorities arrive in LaPorte to find what caused the methyl mercaptan gas leak that killed four DuPont plant workers on Saturday, information is emerging about the safety record of the plant. Full Story
State Sen. Glenn Hegar sent a letter to Gov. Rick Perry Friday resigning his Senate seat as of Dec. 5. The Katy Republican will be sworn in as comptroller in January. A Dec. 6 special election for his seat was announced later Friday. Full Story
This week in the Texas Political Roundup: Could state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte be eyeing a run for San Antonio mayor? Gov. Gov. Rick Perry's attorneys ask a judge to dismiss his charges. And state lawmakers have begun filing bills ahead of the coming legislative session. Full Story
Seeking to quell a revolt before it has time to develop, allies of House Speaker Joe Straus late on Thursday night claimed to have the backing of an overwhelming majority of House GOP members. Full Story
Seven Republican members of the Texas House issued a joint statement late Thursday claiming Speaker Joe Straus has the support of nearly the entire Republican caucus for the next legislative session. Full Story
Federal requests to hold undocumented immigrants in Texas jails longer so they can possibly be deported have dropped by the thousands, according to report released Wednesday. Full Story
A special election has yet to be called for the vacant House District 123 seat, but two San Antonio Democrats are already lining up to replace state Rep. Mike Villarreal, who stepped down to run for mayor of the city. Full Story
Gov.-elect Greg Abbott’s pick for Texas secretary of state voted for a local resolution last year endorsing the expansion of Medicaid — a central tenet of the federal Affordable Care Act that Abbott fiercely campaigned against. Full Story
Wendy Davis' rout was foretold by a couple of Democratic strategists who despaired nearly a year ago over the direction in which the Democratic gubernatorial candidate was taking her campaign. Full Story
Consultants for Democrat Wendy Davis warned her campaign months ago that the Fort Worth senator was headed for a humiliating defeat in the Texas governor’s race unless she adopted a more centrist message and put a stop to staggering dysfunction. Full Story
Scott Turner, the freshman state representative challenging Joe Straus for House speaker, affirmed on Tuesday that he will insist on a floor vote the first day of session, come what may. Full Story
In his bid to unseat House Speaker Joe Straus, Frisco state Rep. Scott Turner is making it clear that he plans to force a vote on the first day of the legislative session. Full Story
Next session, lawmakers will have 29 billion reasons to reconsider Medicaid expansion. That's how many federal dollars the Obama administration could hold hostage in exchange for some solution for 1 million uninsured Texans. Full Story
Lawmakers filed 365 bills and joint resolutions on Monday, the first day they could pre-file legislation for the upcoming legislative session. Full Story