Longtime state Sen. Larry Taylor, best known for his work on education issues, says he won't run for reelection
Taylor was a key player in the 2019 school finance overhaul that lawmakers passed. Full Story
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![State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, addresses Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso, on the Senate floor on May 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
A growing number of Texas Republicans want a fourth special session to pass COVID-19 vaccine mandate ban
It remains unclear whether Gov. Greg Abbott — the only official with the power to convene special sessions — will order state lawmakers back to Austin, or what issues he would include on the agenda. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan speaks with legislators on the opening day of the special session at the Texas Capitol on July 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
The Supreme Court appears open to rolling back abortion rights. Here's what that means for Texas.
Texas has passed legislation that ensures abortion would be made a felony if Roe v. Wade is overturned “wholly or partly,” as the court considers Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban. Full Story
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![Barriers surrounded the Supreme Court ahead of planned demonstrations regarding abortion in Texas in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 1, 2021.]()
Credit: Eric Lee for The Texas Tribune -
“People should probably be worried”: Texas hasn’t done enough to prevent another winter blackout, experts say
Natural gas powers the majority of electricity in Texas, especially during winter. Some power companies say the state’s gas system is not ready for another deep freeze. Full Story
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![Vistra Corp.’s Midlothian Power Plant opened its doors to media on October 15, 2021 to show the plant’s weatherization process. The Midlothian plant managed to avoid freezing during the Winter Storm Uri in February, and Vistra’s plants provided 25-30% of electricity on the grid during the storm despite its approximately 18% share of generation capacity in ERCOT.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Republican state Rep. Matt Krause drops out of attorney general’s race to run for Tarrant County district attorney
Krause had been among the primary challengers to Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose legal problems have made him a target for both parties next year. Full Story
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![State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, on the House floor on Aug. 9, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
UT-Austin professors criticize university for halting antiracism study with preschoolers
The decision to halt the study comes after a University of Michigan-Flint professor filed an Office for Civil Rights complaint against the study, arguing it discriminates against children of color. But professors said pausing the study sets a negative precedent that could impact academic freedom. Full Story
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![The statue of George Washington outside the University of Texas at Austin Main Building on July 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune -
Congressional gerrymandering by Texas Republicans cut out the heart of Houston’s Asian community
Asian and Pacific Islander populations surged in Texas over the past decade, but their political power is weakened under new congressional maps. A northwest Houston neighborhood offers a case study in how that was done. Full Story
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![Hyunja Norman poses for a portrait at the Korean Community Center in Spring Branch on Oct. 21, 2021. Norman passionately seeks representation for the Korean community in Houston by voting, education and raising awareness. She believes, “ if we work here, we can do anything or become someone to make American better for all Americans.”]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: A swelling Texas treasury gives 2022 hopefuls room for big ideas
As the political season starts, the contestants got an unexpected bit of good news: The state comptroller says the next Legislature will start with almost $25 billion in the state treasury. Expensive campaign promises just got a lot easier to make. Full Story
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![Legislators on the opening day of the special session at the Texas Capitol on July 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Texas grid vulnerable to blackouts during severe winter weather, even with new preparations, ERCOT estimates show
The most severe scenario considered by ERCOT for this winter — very high demand for power, extensive fossil fuel outages, and low renewable power production — does not capture the amount of power lost during February. Full Story
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![Snow surrounds an Austin Energy station in Austin on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Dallas health care program for transgender kids formally dissolved after becoming target of conservative criticism
Hospital officials cited privacy for children as a reason behind the decision and said patients will still receive care through other departments. Full Story
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![Protestors participate in a rally against Anti-Trans legislation at the southern steps of the state capitol on April 28, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott, GOP leaders allocate $4 million to fund county-level election audits
A new state law requires the secretary of state's office to audit results in four randomly selected counties every two years. Full Story
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![People wait in line to vote at Audelia Road Branch Library on the first day of early voting in Dallas on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Austin and Travis County leaders weigh in on tangling with Gov. Greg Abbott, COVID-19 response and police reform
“I think housing affordability and housing supply is the now existential issue,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith, who interviewed Adler and Travis County Judge Andy Brown. Full Story
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State Board of Education approves one sex ed textbook for Texas middle school students
Last November, the board expanded curriculum standards to include birth control in addition to abstinence education. Full Story
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![State Board of Education members meet in Austin on Jan. 29, 2019.]()
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Analysis: 2022 primary elections in Texas merit a severe weather alert
Next year’s primary elections start a year after a winter storm knocked out power across Texas — and the government response to that disaster could be on voters’ minds. Full Story
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![The Blanco Vista neighborhood of San Marcos is blanketed with several inches of snow as a massive winter weather system causes power outages across Texas on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
State Sen. John Whitmire announces he will run for Houston mayor in 2023
Whitmire, the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate, will first run for reelection to the chamber in 2022 before his mayoral run the following year. Full Story
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![State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, speaks at a press conference held by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus regarding Democrats breaking quorum and voting legislature at the Texas Capitol on July 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Longtime Houston Democrat Garnet Coleman to retire from Texas Legislature
The lawmaker has represented parts of central and southeast Houston in state House District 147 since 1991. Full Story
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![State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, on the House floor on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
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Jay Kleberg, King Ranch scion and conservationist, to run for land commissioner as a Democrat
At least three other Democrats and four Republicans are vying for the office that GOP incumbent George P. Bush is leaving to run for attorney general. Full Story
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![Jay Kleberg.]()
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State Rep. Alex Dominguez will run to replace retiring state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. in high-stakes Democratic primary
Lucio is retiring from the Rio Grande Valley seat, and Dominguez wants to continue his legacy of focusing on education in the region. But he suggested he would take a different approach to at least a couple issues, including abortion. Full Story
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![State Rep. Alex Dominguez, D-Brownsville, hears public testimonies during the House Natural Resources Committee meeting on March 19, 2019.]()
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Analysis: Different year, different race, different Beto
Sneaking up on a bruised Ted Cruz and almost winning the 2018 U.S. Senate race made Beto O’Rourke a big political name. But after that loss and a poor showing in the 2020 Democratic primary for president, the El Pasoan’s challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott is a different kind of contest. Full Story
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![Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a campagin rally in San Antonio on November 16, 2021.]()
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Among El Pasoans, Beto O’Rourke’s gubernatorial run excites loyal fans and revives longtime grudges
El Pasoans who have followed O’Rourke’s political career are excited about his run for governor. But his critics still remember his support of a development plan that could have displaced Mexican American residents from one of the city’s oldest barrios. Full Story
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![Beto O'Rourke's early voting rally in San Jacinto Plaza and walking through downtown to vote at the County Court House.Friday, March 2, 2018, in El Paso, Texas. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for the Sun