The Texas Senate and House have different rules for their members. But both require members to wear masks, though there are exceptions to when their faces must be covered.
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.
Posted in
Winter Storm 2021
Analysis: One way or another, Texans will get the bill for fixing the electric grid
It’s going to be expensive to make sure the state’s electricity stays on during winter storms like the one that blacked out most of Texas last month, and the money will come, one way or another, from average Texans.
Posted in
Politics
Gov. Greg Abbott appointee to a river authority steps down after contentious confirmation hearing over inflammatory tweets
The Brazos River Authority appointee, Darren Yancy, faced questions from Democratic senators Monday about his social media activity targeting President Joe Biden and former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Texas lawmakers plan slate of bills in response to power outages, but experts skeptical there will be meaningful change
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday also said he wants lawmakers to prioritize correcting any ERCOT-related billing errors, including inaccurately high electricity charges. That came after the Public Utility Commission said it will not fix ERCOT’s $16 billion power billing mistake.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Proposal in Texas House would give special committee oversight of governor’s pandemic orders
The provision is expected to be added to a bill addressing the governor’s pandemic powers that has been denoted as a priority by House Speaker Dade Phelan, according to a draft obtained by The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Another Texas GOP lawmaker is attempting to make abortion punishable by the death penalty
Similar bills filed in the Texas Legislature in previous years have failed.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Millions of Texans still don’t have broadband access. Some lawmakers are trying to change that.
Although much of the attention is focused in the lack of infrastructure in rural areas, large numbers of urban residents also don’t have broadband subscriptions.
Posted in
Politics
Cat Parks paves own path as Texas GOP vice chair under bombastic Allen West
Parks has risen quickly in Texas GOP politics since being tapped to run a small county party a few years ago.
Posted in
Winter Storm 2021
Analysis: After the blackouts, a whiff of the 2022 elections in Texas
A proposed remodeling of the state’s electricity grid from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller might be more than it seems. It reads like a campaign’s position paper.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texas businesses must decide whether to require face masks. Some worry they could lose customers either way.
A day after Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans to fully reopen businesses and end the state’s mask mandate, small business owners across Texas found themselves struggling to decide what to do next.