House Bill 26 advanced out of the Texas Legislature on Aug. 27, two days after being added to the second special session’s agenda.
Politics
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Politics
News organizations fight to unseal Attorney General Ken Paxton’s divorce records
The Texas Tribune, Texas Newsroom and ProPublica are among a group of media outlets arguing the records should be made public because the Paxtons are elected officials subject to scrutiny.
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2026 Texas Elections
Tejano star Bobby Pulido launches South Texas congressional run
The musician and Democrat is looking to flip Texas’ 15th Congressional District, which voted for President Donald Trump by 18% in 2024.
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Politics
Ken Paxton’s legal crusade against Beto O’Rourke is faltering before an all-Republican appeals court
The court, appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, recently allowed O’Rourke to continue raising and dispersing donations, and cast doubt on Paxton’s main arguments.
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Redistricting Texas 2025
Texas GOP may be banking on low Hispanic turnout in new map
Republicans note that some of the districts they intend to flip were redrawn to become majority-Hispanic. Democrats say the GOP made sure to add Hispanic Texans who are unlikely to vote.
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Politics
Tarrant County’s Democratic commissioners skip meeting to prevent vote on tax rate cut
Republican county commissioners retaliated and voted to slash the Democrats’ office budget and eliminate road and bridge crew jobs.
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TribCast
TribCast: Texas A&M firing reignites campus free speech battles
After a firing at Texas A&M and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, free speech on-campus is back in the spotlight.
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Higher Education
Texas State fires professor accused of trying to incite political violence in video
Thomas Alter’s lawyer said the professor would seek legal action for being fired after allegedly violating university policy in a video posted on social media.
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2026 Texas Elections
Lina Hidalgo, Harris County chief executive, won’t seek reelection
The progressive Democrat’s upset win at the age of 27 established her as a rising star. But her ascent was stunted in recent years amid clashes with fellow Democrats and unwavering GOP scrutiny.
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2026 Texas Elections
James Talarico’s progressive take on Christianity made him an online sensation. Will it translate to his Texas Senate bid?
The Austin lawmaker says his faith fuels his vision of a Democratic Party that “fights back” against billionaires. Republican critics say his stances are at odds with Scripture.