Texas lawmakers punt on setting a spending cap for 2019 session
House Speaker Joe Straus said the unusual decision was meant to ensure lawmakers didn't rush to a decision they might "regret." Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton (left), and outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, at a Legislative Budget Board meeting in Austin on Friday, Nov. 16, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Straight-ticket voting ends in 2020. For some down-ballot Republicans, that wasn't soon enough.
The Legislature voted last year to end straight-party voting for the 2020 elections. After a tough night for some down-ballot Republicans, some are wishing they'd done it sooner. Full Story
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![Voting inside a Fiesta grocery story in Houston on Tuesday Nov. 6, 2018.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: What does a Dennis Bonnen speakership look like?
On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Ross, Matthew and Cassi about the likely next speaker of the Texas House, the start of bill filing for the 2019 legislative session and an incoming Texas congressman's stint on Saturday Night Live. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, just before a press conference to announce he has the necessary support to be the next speaker of the Texas House of representatives, on Monday, Nov. 12, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Electricity complaints filed by Texans reach three-year high, report says
Despite showing an uptick in electricity complaints this year, a report released by the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power also shows that complaints and inquiries have generally decreased over the past decade. Full Story
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![Electricity transmission lines in Houston.]()
Credit: Dave Fehling NPR StateImpact / KUHF Houston Public Radio -
Amazon picks Crystal City and New York for HQ2, snubbing Texas
The long-awaited decision comes more than a year after Amazon announced the public bidding war in September 2017. Full Story
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After a tough election night, “a wakeup call” for the Texas GOP’s hard right
Some favorite candidates of hardline conservatives lost their seats, while others won closer-than-expected races. Full Story
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![Texas Tax Day Tea Party Rally at the Texas Capitol on April 15th, 2015]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
How election night may have shifted the Texas House speaker's race
Democrats, who picked up 12 state House seats, are more confident they’ll have a stronger hand in electing the next leader — an outlook that even some Republicans privately agree with. Full Story
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![The House Chamber at the Texas Capitol on August 16, 2017, the morning after the end of the special session.]()
Credit: Austin Price / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court Justice Phil Johnson to retire effective Dec. 31
The timing allows Gov. Greg Abbott to appoint a replacement for the remainder of his term. Full Story
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![Texas Supreme Court Justice Phil Johnson on Jan. 10, 2018.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats’ biggest win on election night may have been the courts
Democrats flipped four major state appeals courts, toppling 19 incumbent Republican appellate judges. Full Story
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![The Texas 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin on Oct. 17, 2018.]()
Credit: Rachel Zein for The Texas Tribune -
2018 was the year of the woman in Texas. Candidates say it's "not a one-time deal."
Texas women were poised for potential wins after multiple upsets in March primaries. On Tuesday, in race after race, Texas women won up and down the ballot including races for Congress and the Texas House. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus: "He's not much of a Republican."
In a wide-ranging interview Wednesday night, Patrick sounded off about Straus, the midterm elections and U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke: "It scares me what he stands for." Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at a get-out-the-vote rally held by the NE Tarrant Tea Party in Grapevine on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2018.]()
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson for The Texas Tribune -
In Texas, the "rainbow wave" outpaces the blue one
Fourteen of 35 LGBTQ candidates won their races Tuesday night, and activists say the 2018 election will carve a path for a future "rainbow wave" in Texas. Full Story
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![Left to right: State Reps.-elect Erin Zwiener, HD-45, Jessica González, HD-104, and Julie Johnson, HD-115.]()
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Gerrymandering backfired for Texas Republicans in Dallas County in 2018
Republicans hoped to keep a majority Texas House seats from Dallas County when they redrew district boundaries in 2011. Seven years later, they've only held onto two of 14. Full Story
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![Downtown Dallas in January 2018.]()
Credit: Brandon Formby / The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus: Texas and the Republican Party are “moving in opposite directions”
In a wide-ranging conversation with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith, Straus launched jabs at two fellow Republicans: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and President Donald Trump. He declined to weigh in on who should succeed him as the leader of the lower chamber. Full Story
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![Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith records an interview for a Texas Tribune podcast with Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, in the Speaker's office at the State Capitol in Austin on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018.]()
Credit: Rodolfo Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Point of Order: Joe Straus on the midterms, Donald Trump’s tweets and the next speaker of the Texas House
In the pilot episode of his new podcast, Point of Order, Evan Smith sits down with Speaker Straus the morning after the midterms to talk everything from the balance of power in the Texas House to President Trump's tweets. Full Story
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Four top takeaways from the 2018 Texas midterm elections
Historic turnout, unusually tight races and a "blue wave" that didn't quite break. Full Story
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![Voters cast their ballots in midterm elections in Houston, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats were aiming for historic wins in 2018. What they got instead was hope for 2020.
Republicans won every statewide office in Texas, as they have in every election for the past 20 years. But Democrats are taking heart in their narrow losing margins. Full Story
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![Beto O'Rourke speaks to his supporters after losing to Ted Cruz in the 2018 midterm elections, in El Paso on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Democratic women lead biggest shift in Texas House since 2010 midterms
Led by female candidates, Texas Democrats picked up 12 Texas House seats from Republicans, mostly in North Texas. But Republicans still have the edge in the lower chamber. Full Story
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![State Rep. Rodney Anderson, R-Grand Prairie, and his Democratic opponent Terry Meza,]()
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Democrats Nathan Johnson and Beverly Powell defeat state Sens. Don Huffines and Konni Burton in Texas midterm
Burton and Huffines were two of three Republican senators in districts where more voters backed Democrat Hillary Clinton over Republican Donald Trump in 2016 or where the president had a narrow winning margin. Full Story
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![State Sens. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, Don Huffines, R-Dallas, and Joan Huffman, R-Houston.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott clinches second term as GOP wins closest statewide races in 20 years
Abbott easily bested his Democratic opponent, Lupe Valdez. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller faced rare single-digit contests before eventually besting Democratic challengers. Full Story
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![Texas Governor Greg Abbott smiles before a gubernatorial debate against his Democratic challenger Lupe Valdez at the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas, on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018.]()
Credit: NICK WAGNER/AMERICAN-STATESMAN