So far there has been an average of six boil-water notices a day across Texas in 2023.
Politics
Stay informed with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth political coverage, including Texas elections, state government, policy debates, and the leaders shaping the future of the state.
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T-Squared
T-Squared: Renzo Downey will write the Tribune’s politics newsletter
Downey, who currently reports on Florida politics, covered the Texas Legislature’s 2019 session for the Austin American-Statesman.
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Criminal Justice
The fringe ideology of “constitutional sheriffs” is attracting believers within Texas law enforcement
Some 50 Texas sheriffs and numerous elected officials have attended trainings on the unsupported notion that sheriffs can single-handedly overrule state and federal law. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which offered state peace officers credit for the seminars, is now investigating.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Ken Paxton wants more power to prosecute election crimes. These bills in the Texas Legislature would give it to him.
Although no evidence of widespread voter fraud has been found, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been actively pursuing election-related crimes since he took office in 2015.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
Texas House speaker addresses prospects of anti-LGBTQ bills, gun legislation and casinos
At the start of his second term leading the lower chamber, Dade Phelan talked to reporters about several legislative issues that will be decided this year.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas senators draw lots to determine how long their terms will be
After redistricting, the state constitution requires senators to draw lots to determine which half of the chamber will have four-year terms and which will have two-year terms. This keeps Senate district elections staggered every two years for the rest of the decade.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Effort to ban Democratic chairs fails in Texas House, but rule passes to penalize future quorum-breakers
House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, snuffed out a monthslong push Wednesday to end the chamber’s longtime tradition of having committee chairs from both parties.
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Politics
Republican Texas House candidate’s election complaint tossed after he fails to pay fee
Mike May was one of more than 20 losing candidates in Harris County who filed election contests, citing reports of Election Day issues.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Oaths, M&Ms and a historic Quran: Texas’ freshman lawmakers begin their inaugural legislative session
New Texas House members were sworn into office Tuesday, including some who have already made history.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate votes to take up redistricting again
The redistricting process this year is mostly procedural and is not expected to produce very different results from the most recent process completed in 2021.