The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
A majority of Democrats in the Texas House left for Washington, D.C., Monday afternoon in a bid to again deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass new voting restrictions with 26 days left in a special legislative session called largely for that purpose. Full Story
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Attorneys in the lawsuit, which was filed in April, argued that being blocked from viewing Paxton’s tweets limited the rights of people to access statements made by the public official, therefore violating the First Amendment. Full Story
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The former state Supreme Court justice is one of two Republican primary challengers to Attorney General Ken Paxton, the other being Land Commissioner George P. Bush. Full Story
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With a big endorsement and a record-setting fundraising period behind him, Texas' governor is in a political sweet spot. Full Story
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The State Republican Executive Committee met Sunday to pick a successor for Allen West, the chairman who resigned last month after a drama-filled tenure and is now running for governor. Full Story
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Members of the public arrived at the Texas Capitol as early as 6 a.m. to sign up to speak before lawmakers considering the legislation. In the House, public testimony wouldn't begin until early the next morning. Full Story
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More than a year later, Rogers was arrested on charges that he voted in last year’s Democratic primary while on parole. Under Texas law, it is illegal for a felon to “knowingly” vote while still serving a sentence, including parole. Full Story
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Legislators in the House and Senate filed matching bills to change state bail practices earlier this week, echoing legislation that failed to pass in the regular session. On Saturday, committees in both chambers approved the bills. Full Story
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Authors of the legislation are moving to ban drive-thru and 24-hour voting options, enhance access for partisan poll watchers and prohibit local election officials from proactively distributing applications to request mail-in ballots. Both bills also include language to further restrict the state’s voting-by-mail rules, including new ID requirements for absentee voters. Full Story
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Texas teacher Juan Carmona says it’s important to talk about the experiences of marginalized groups with students of color because they should see themselves represented in history books. Full Story
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The bill would also remove a requirement to teach that white supremacy is "morally wrong." One Democratic lawmaker said the bill’s attempts could lead to a “frightening dystopian future.” Full Story
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The House Appropriations Committee voted on Friday 21-0 to move forward a bill that would reinstate the funding after Abbott vetoed it to punish House Democrats who broke quorum in the final days of the session to kill two of his priority bills. Full Story
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The lower chamber, led by House Speaker Dade Phelan, is trying to start off on a new foot with a controversial election bill that blew up during the regular session. Full Story
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We asked our readers for their questions about the special legislative session that starts Thursday in Texas. These are the answers. Full Story
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The agenda for the special session that begins today previews some of the issues you're likely to hear about during the 2022 election cycle. Full Story
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With only days before he steps down from the helm of the state GOP, West is embroiled in a fight with his vice chair and under attack by county GOP chairs. Full Story
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In this week's episode, Cassi speaks with Alexa and James about the upcoming special legislative session that starts July 8 in Austin. Full Story
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Abbott also put border security and restoring funding to the Legislative branch — which he vetoed last month — on the special session agenda. Full Story
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The governor did not include many specifics about how regulators should carry out his requests to improve the state's main power grid. Full Story
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In a new court filing, the attorney general's office said the governor properly used his veto power when he nixed funding for the Legislature in response to House Democrats walkout over a Republican priority bill on elections. Full Story
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