Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick picks former Houston judge as adviser during Ken Paxton impeachment trial
Patrick, who will preside over the trial, will rely on former state appeals court Judge Marc Brown for advice during the proceedings. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presides over on the Senate floor during the first day of the second special session at the state Capitol in Austin on June 28, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton’s former personal assistant and “second son” a star witness in impeachment probe
Drew Wicker testified that he ferried documents to Nate Paul on behalf of his boss and witnessed conversations that suggested Paul was paying for the attorney general’s home renovations. Full Story
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![State Attorney General Ken Paxton, right, talks with staff members before a press conference at the Houston Recovery Center on October 26, 2021.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton’s team said there was no evidence to support impeachment. The House published nearly 4,000 pages.
The Senate, which is conducting the trial, published the exhibits Thursday night. House impeachment managers say Paxton abused his office to help friend and political donor Nate Paul. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at a news conference at the William P. Clements State Office Building on a pilot program to dispose of medications, especially opioids on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2022 in Austin, TX. Paxton was joined by a group of former athletes and coaches to make the announcement. (Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune)of former athletes and coaches to make the announcement.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
The national debate over books has come to West Texas. And librarians are stuck in the middle.
West Texas residents are organizing over their love — or concern — for books. Meanwhile, from Lubbock to Midland and Odessa, librarians are trying to reaffirm libraries’ role as community hubs. Full Story
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![Library clerk Cencee Gordon returns a children's book to its proper location on a shelf in the children section of the Ector County Library in Odessa on Aug. 14, 2023.]()
Credit: Jacob Ford for The Texas Tribune -
Smaller Texas counties could face a poll worker shortage due to new state requirements
A law that will give voters more time to vote across the state means election offices have to find more workers. That isn’t an easy task in rural Texas. Full Story
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![Voters walk up to the New Berlin City Hall voting center to cast their vote on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in New Berlin, Texas.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
New allegations against Ken Paxton raise stakes for early votes in impeachment trial
Before 30 senators take on their role as impeachment trial jurors, they face a series of momentous decisions on whether to dismiss the charges as requested by the attorney general. Full Story
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![Rep. Andrew Murr delivers the Articles of Impeachment to Secretary of the Senate Patsy Spaw on May 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
New accusations: Ken Paxton used burner phone, secret email account, fake Uber name to hide ties to Nate Paul
After Paxton’s lawyers sought to dismiss articles of impeachment as unsubstantiated, House managers responded by accusing the suspended attorney general of going to great lengths to cover up his relationship to the real estate investor. Full Story
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![House General Investigating Committee impeachment managers led by Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, answer questions at a press conference on May 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Kyle Rittenhouse launches nonprofit with far-right Texans as he ramps up political engagement in the state
The activist known for shooting Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020 has created the Rittenhouse Foundation, which promises to fight for gun rights and includes leaders who have close ties to ultraconservative megadonors from West Texas. Full Story
Credit: Nick King/Lansing State Journal via REUTERS -
T-Squared: Texas Tribune wins two national Edward R. Murrow Awards
We were recognized for breaking news coverage of the Uvalde school shooting and for overall excellence among large digital news organizations. Full Story
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Harris County’s election chief remains in legal limbo after judge rules that lawmakers can’t dissolve the position
Republican lawmakers targeted the Harris County elections department during this year’s regular session after numerous issues arose out of the 2022 election. Full Story
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![Harris County Elections Staff members sort ballot bags at the Elections Technology Center in northwest Houston on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Bodycam video shows confrontation between U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson and law enforcement
The footage shows Jackson being tackled to the ground and placed in handcuffs, with the Amarillo Republican directing a profanity-laced tirade toward a trooper. His office has said Jackson, a physician, was trying to help with a medical emergency. Full Story
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![Police bodycam footage shows confrontation between U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, and law enforcement officers at a rodeo in Carson County on July 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Public Safety -
State Rep. Matt Schaefer will not seek reelection
The deeply conservative leader said he is looking forward to spending time with his family, church and business — but added that a return to politics is possible if a Texas Senate seat opens up. Full Story
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![State Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, with his family on the House floor on opening day of the 88th Texas Legislature at the Texas Capitol on Jan. 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Gen Z influencers, quietly recruited by a company with deep GOP ties, rally to impeached Ken Paxton’s aid
After a June gathering in Fort Worth sponsored by a new company, Influenceable, social media leaders began backing the suspended Texas attorney general and a controversial human trafficking film. Those who favor transparency in political advocacy are concerned. Full Story
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![Trump supporters greeted campaign surrogates — former campaign manager Brad Parscale, senior adviser Katrina Pierson and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — during a bus tour stop on Sept. 3, 2020 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Christopher Lee for The Texas Tribune -
Motivated by grieving parents, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has made fentanyl crisis a priority
The Republican from Texas has combined attention to border issues with efforts to address deadly overdoses, including ideas that are opposed by some in his party, such as decriminalizing test strips. Full Story
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Department of Education reaffirms Baylor’s religious exemption in response to sexual harassment complaints
The university had asked the federal agency to dismiss sexual harassment complaints by LGBTQ+ students, arguing that the claims infringed on the school’s religious tenets. Full Story
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![The Old Main building behind the Burleson Quadrangle at Baylor University in Waco on Dec. 23, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Sheriff says U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson cursed at officers, threatened his job in rodeo altercation
The Amarillo Republican was briefly detained in the incident as he was trying to help a teenager suffering from a seizure. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, listens to speakers during a press conference on border security with other House Republicans, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2023.]()
Credit: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Texas House committee report outlines possible path forward for school vouchers
The House blocked school vouchers during this year’s regular lawmaking session, but a report released Friday shows some members might be willing to approve a scaled-back version of the program that doesn’t compete with public schools for funds. Full Story
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![Cactus Elementary School in Cactus on Jan. 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Ousted Rep. Bryan Slaton’s tarnished legacy looms over special election to replace him
Candidates are promising to restore integrity to the district, including one Republican who has welcomed endorsements from some of Slaton’s leading supporters. Full Story
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![State Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, waits to ask a question on the House floor during session at the state Capitol in Austin on April 25, 2023.]()
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Federal grand jury reportedly calls witnesses related to Ken Paxton
The Austin American-Statesman reported that the grand jury has been convened in San Antonio. The identities of the witnesses and the focus of the inquiry remain unclear. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton attends a campaign event during a Bulverde Spring Branch Conservative Republicans meeting in Bulverde on May 16, 2022. Paxton criticized President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, championed voter fraud in Texas and praised the leaked SCOTUS draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
After property-tax deal, Speaker Dade Phelan weighs in on leadership relations, next special session, reelection
Rapport among the state’s top three Republicans has greatly improved, the House leader said, but another relationship-testing special session awaits on contentious education issues. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan gavels in the session on May 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune
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