6 Texas AG employees take leave of absence to defend Ken Paxton at impeachment trial
The defense team includes the agency’s chief appellate lawyer and head of its general litigation division. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement to the press May 26, 2023 a day before a scheduled impeachment vote in the Texas House in a long-running ethics complaint.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
14 U.S. House Republicans from Texas vote against raising the debt limit
Joined in opposition by four Texas Democrats, the “no” votes weren’t enough to sink the proposal, which next heads to the U.S. Senate. Full Story
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![US Representative Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, speaks during a press conference alongside other members of the House Freedom Caucus outside of the US Capitol building on May 30, 2023 in Washington, D.C. Congress begins to examine the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 which would eliminate the debt limit for two years alongside other stipulations that Speaker McCarthy and President Biden have reached an agreement on.]()
Credit: Samuel Corum/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect -
Abbott backs Phelan’s property tax cut plan, spurring ire from Patrick
The House passed a bill without Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s preferred increase to homestead exemptions — then abruptly adjourned for the special session. That basically tells the Senate to take the House bill Gov. Greg Abbott backs or leave it. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recaps the 88th Legislative Session with Sherry Sylvester, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, at TPPF Headquarters in downtown Austin, on May 30, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Special election to replace expelled Bryan Slaton in Texas House set for Nov. 7
At least five candidates have already announced their intention to run in the solidly Republican North Texas district. Full Story
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![The Sergeant at Arms of the Texas House removes state Rep. Brian Slaton's name card from the House voting board after the House voted to expel Slaton at the state Capitol in Austin on May 9, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Watch a Texas Tribune conversation on the 2023 regular legislative session
In a live edition of TribCast, the Tribune’s weekly podcast, we discussed the outcomes of the regular session, what’s happening in the current special session and more. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott calls immediate special session to address property taxes and border issues
Abbott noted many bills that were passed during the regular session, which ended around 6 p.m. Monday, but he added that “many critical items remain” and will require multiple special sessions. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbot gives remarks during a United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Corpus Christi on April 3, 2023.]()
Credit: Blaine Young for The Texas Tribune -
The regular Texas legislative session started with a record budget surplus and ended with an impeached attorney general
The 2023 legislative session started with a $32.7 billion surplus. It was mired in Republican infighting and multiple scandals. Then, the House impeached the state’s attorney general. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan gavels out the 88th session Sine Die on May 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers fail to reach last-minute deal to cut property taxes
After negotiations that became tense and public, the House and Senate fell short of delivering on one of the biggest legislative priorities for Republicans in the regular legislative session. Full Story
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![An East Austin neighborhood.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House names Ken Paxton impeachment managers; Senate trial will start by Aug. 28
Seven Republicans and five Democrats make up the board of managers who will handle the prosecution in the trial. In the Senate, a committee will recommend rules of procedure on June 20. 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: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
The first time Texas Senate convicted a state official, the chaotic trial lasted three weeks
In 1917, lawmakers debated the extent of their constitutional authority before they convicted Gov. James “Pa” Ferguson and removed him from office. Full Story
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![Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, who served as the 29th and 32nd Governor of Texas, and her husband James "Pa" Ferguson, who was the 26th governor, his term cut short after he was impeached and removed from office.]()
Credit: Texas State Library and Archives Commission -
Lawyer currently leading Texas attorney general’s office has been swept up in Ken Paxton’s legal challenges
Brent Webster came to the Texas attorney general’s office in 2020. His work as Ken Paxton’s top aide was quickly mired in controversy. Full Story
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![First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster speaks during a press conference in the William Clements Building in Austin on June 9, 2022.]()
Credit: Kylie Cooper/The Texas Tribune -
Late deal sends new economic incentives for businesses to governor
After the previous, widely criticized program expired in December, lawmakers worked hard to craft a plan that won overwhelming support in both chambers. Full Story
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![Dozens of stacked oil drilling rigs sit in a yard just north of Interstate 20 between Midland and Odessa, March 18, 2016.]()
Credit: Jerod Foster for The Texas Tribune -
Lawmakers approve school safety bill that would require an armed person at every Texas campus
The bill comes in response to the Uvalde school shooting last year that left 19 children and two adults dead. Full Story
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![On The Mark Enhanced Tactical Training CEO Ray Dunn inside the Harrold ISD K-12 school where he teaches a gun training class for educators. The North Texas ISD was the first in the nation to arm teachers for safety in 2007.]()
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Texas Legislature passes bill reining in “rogue” prosecutors
The GOP priority legislation could remove prosecutors from office if they don’t pursue certain crimes. The bill gained traction after some Democratic district attorneys said they would not prosecute abortion-related crimes. Full Story
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![Hurricane Harvey severely damaged Houston's 20-story Criminal Justice Center, taking out dozens of courtrooms, countless offices and enough holding cells to accommodate 900 inmates.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Final approval given to bill allocating $1.5 billion to broadband expansion in Texas
Voters will be asked to approve a state constitutional amendment to create the Broadband Infrastructure Fund. Full Story
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![An aerial view of power lines March 20, 2023, in Nogalus Prairie, Texas.]()
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Bill restricting sexually explicit performances in front of children heads to the governor
Originally pitched as an effort to restrict children from seeing certain drag shows, the House and Senate agreed on a version of the bill that could still ensnare LGBTQ performers. Full Story
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![The Texas State Capitol on June 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Kylie Cooper/The Texas Tribune -
After historic drought, lawmakers agree on billion-dollar plan to expand water supplies, fix infrastructure
Following one of the hottest summers on record, lawmakers have set an ambitious target: By 2033, they want to bump up the state’s water supply by an amount equal to three of the largest reservoirs in the state. Full Story
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![One of the city's water towers stands in Wolfforth, on April 26, 2023.]()
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Ken Paxton impeachment fight exposes deep fissures among Texas Republicans
As the 88th Legislative Session came to a close, longstanding divisions between traditional conservatives and party’s far right came into focus. Full Story
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![From left: State Reps. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, Eddie Morales, Jr., D-Eagle Pass, and Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, wait as Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, speaks at the back mike as the impeachment proceedings against Ken Paxton are debated on May 27, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Republican priorities on school choice, border fail, but late-night compromises resurrect others
Rushed agreements and suspended rules rescue legislation on the electric grid and economic incentives for companies, and work is still being done on a property tax proposal. Full Story
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![The state Capitol in Austin is seen behind parking garage lights on the evening of April 18, 2023.]()
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All eyes on Sen. Angela Paxton as Texas Senate takes up her husband’s removal
Ken Paxton helped elect his wife, Angela, to the state Senate. That chamber will now consider whether to remove him from the attorney general’s office. She has not said whether she will recuse herself. Full Story
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![Texas State Senator, Angela Paxton, speaks during a press conference outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 1, 2021.]()
Credit: Eric Lee for The Texas Tribune