Texas lawmakers filed thousands of bills during the 2021 legislative session. Here are the big bills that passed โ and the ones that failed.
Politics
Stay informed with The Texas Tribuneโs in-depth political coverage, including Texas elections, state government, policy debates, and the leaders shaping the future of the state.
Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller running for reelection, instead of challenging Gov. Greg Abbott
Miller was seen as a potential challenger to Abbott because of his vocal criticism of the governor’s restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19 last year.
Eva Guzman, former Texas Supreme Court justice, officially starts campaign for attorney general
The Republican made her bid official Monday, touting her experience and integrity. She’ll face incumbent Ken Paxton and Land Commissioner George P. Bush in the primary.
Analysis: Texas issues that play on the national stage
The issues getting attention from Gov. Greg Abbott are doing double-duty: They’re attractive to Republican voters in Texas โย and beyond.
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes funding for Texas Legislature and its staff as punishment for Democratsโ walkout on elections bill
The governorโs move comes after Democrats walked out of the House in the final days of the regular legislative session to block passage of Senate Bill 7, Abbottโs priority elections bill that would have overhauled voting rights in the state.
Business leaders on Texas-Mexico border say state politicians ignore community needs while calling for a wall
Many local officials and business leaders along the border say that the rhetoric is misplaced and that the broader needs of their communities can often get lost.
Beto OโRourke tours Texas again to rally Congress to take action on voting rights legislation
O’Rourke has visited at least 19 cities this month and plans to hold a final rally Sunday at the Texas Capitol in Austin.
Why we joined the SAM Party of Texas
Candidates in the two incumbent parties have been reduced to pursuing extreme policies and pandering to their ideological bases. Both benefit from political theatre and polarization.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick waffles over whether he still supports stronger gun background checks
In September 2019, he said he was “willing to take an arrow” and go against the National Rifle Association by pushing for Texas to extend background checks to gun sales between strangers. On Thursday, he sat next to NRA leader Wayne LaPierre as an expansion of gun rights became law.
TribCast: Assessing Texas’ power grid and its plans to build a border wall
On this week’s TribCast, Matthew speaks with James, Alexa and Erin about Gov. Greg Abbott’s border wall plans, the state power grid and Democrats pushing for voting legislation in Washington.


