There are a total of 181 legislators in the Capitol, but the influence is not evenly distributed. Due to the lawmakers’ positions, ideology and tenure, some will have a much bigger say on the biggest issues this session.
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
Politics
U.S. Rep. Ron Wright dies weeks after testing positive for coronavirus
Wright, a Republican from Arlington, had been living with cancer for years. He was hospitalized for COVID-19 about two weeks ago.
Posted in
Health care
Texas Congressional Democrats urge Gov. Greg Abbott to let Planned Parenthood stay on Medicaid
Their plea comes just days after a state district judge temporarily stopped the state from excluding Planned Parenthood from Medicaid, a government health insurance program for the poor. A hearing is scheduled for later this month.
Posted in
Politics
Texans in Congress vote along party lines as U.S. House punishes Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for incendiary, racist statements
The U.S. House voted 230-199 to remove Greene from the House Budget and Labor and Education committees. Eleven House Republicans joined with Democrats in the vote, but no Texas GOP members crossed party lines.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Republican who helped Trump campaign challenge Joe Biden’s win will lead election work in Texas House
State Rep. Briscoe Cain was named chair of the House Elections Committee months after traveling to Pennsylvania to help the Trump campaign challenge the results of the 2020 election.
Posted in
Politics
Gov. Greg Abbott sets Feb. 23 special election runoff date for race to succeed Drew Springer in Texas House
The race for the solidly red seat in Northwest Texas pits David Spiller against fellow Republican Craig Carter.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
After El Paso massacre, Gov. Greg Abbott signaled openness to gun control. Now, some worry he’s moved on.
The absence of any mention of the mass shootings rankled gun control advocates and state lawmakers from El Paso, who see this legislative session as their best chance to advance the very measures Abbott expressed support for in 2019.
Posted in
TribCast
TribCast: Assessing Gov. Greg Abbott’s legislative priorities
In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Patrick, Ross and Alexa about Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State speech and the delays in the 2021 redistricting process.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Four years in, the Freedom Caucus finds a less contentious role in the Texas House
The group of hardline conservatives made waves in 2017 by sparring with House leadership and fellow Republicans. Now members say relationships with the broader chamber have improved.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Texas lawmakers reformed key sexual assault laws in 2019. Advocates hope the progress continues this session despite the pandemic.
Lawmakers and advocates are pushing for statutory changes and budget allocations to combat sexual assault in Texas. These include expanding the definition of sexual assault and processing a backlog of rape kits.