"Bathroom bill" fizzles as Republican primary issue
With less than a month until the March 6 primaries, it's hard to find a Republican nominating contest for the Legislature where the "bathroom bill" is a central issue. Full Story
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Analysis: Who’s the establishment, anyway?
The most conservative Republicans have made a strong run for the "establishment" flag, and they’re trying to strengthen their position in this year’s elections. Full Story
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![Flanked by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (left) and House Speaker Joe Straus, Gov. Greg Abbott gives the State of the State speech in the House chamber of the state Capitol on Jan. 31, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Free speech in Texas, if you have a minute or two
You’ve heard about “snowflakes” on campus — the people who melt when they hear things they don’t want to hear or cannot deal with? Here’s your opportunity to see some elected snowflakes in action. Full Story
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![Students at Texas A&M in College Station protest outside the venue where white nationalist Richard Spencer spoke on December 6, 2016.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: What recent election results in Texas state Senate districts tell us about 2018
Twelve of the 15 districts on the Texas Senate ballot in 2018 are represented by Republicans. Most of those, and all of those held by Democrats, have remained firmly in the clutches of the party now in power during the last two election cycles. Most of 2018's competition will be in March, not in November. Full Story
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![The Senate chamber from the third floor gallery on May 10, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers battle with Land Office over transparency in Alamo restoration
Lawmakers who agreed earlier this year to dedicate tens of millions of dollars to update the Alamo are now asking for greater transparency about how the money is being spent. Full Story
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![Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Dec. 5, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas senators discuss closing youth lockups amid sexual abuse scandal
Several state senators indicated at a Tuesday committee hearing that they would be open to closing at least some of Texas' five remaining remote lockups for committed youth. Full Story
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![State Sens. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, John Whitmire, D-Houston, and Royce West, D-Dallas, at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Dec. 5, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Patrick asks Senate panel to study free speech on Texas college campuses
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is asking Texas senators to study whether free speech rights are being infringed on college campuses. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick before hitting the gavel to begin a Senate session Aug. 15, 2017, the day before the end of a first called special session of the 85th Legislature.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick releases Hurricane Harvey-related interim charges
As recovery efforts in southeast Texas continue after Hurricane Harvey, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Thursday released a list of Harvey-related topics for Texas Senate committees to look into ahead of the next legislative session. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at a press conference after the state Senate adjourned sine die on Tuesday night, August 15, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Fort Bend school board president challenging state Sen. Joan Huffman
Kristin Tassin, the president of the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees, is running against state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, in the 2018 GOP primary. Full Story
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![Kristin Tassin, the president of the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees (left), and state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston.]()
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Angela Paxton, Texas attorney general's wife, running for state Senate
Angela Paxton, the wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton, is seeking the seat in Senate District 8 that Van Taylor, R-Plano, is vacating to run for Congress. Full Story
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![Ken Paxton and wife Angela at his swearing in as attorney general at the Texas Senate chambers in Austin on Jan. 15, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Cindy Burkett challenging state Sen. Bob Hall in primary
State Rep. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, is launching a primary challenge to state Sen. Bob Hall of Edgewood. Full Story
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![State Rep. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale votes on an amendment in the Texas House on May 19, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: North Texas voters set to see new faces, familiar names
Families in politics are nothing new — they're all over history and, for that matter, the current Texas Legislature. But the upcoming Senate primary in Collin County offers a fresh twist on the theme. Full Story
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![Angela Paxton and Phillip Huffines]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich: Paxton/Laura Buckman: Huffines -
Texas Legislature sends another tree bill to Abbott
Days after approving an amended version of a House bill on tree regulations, the Senate voted to reverse itself late Monday night, rolling back two amendments that House Speaker Joe Straus had rejected. Full Story
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![A neighborhood in East Austin on Feb. 23, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Radio made Dan Patrick powerful in Texas. And it's helping him stay that way.
As a political outsider, radio launched Dan Patrick's career. But now that he's mostly off the airwaves and in the lieutenant governor's seat, Patrick's station continues to push his conservative agenda. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's voice has largely left the airwaves of KSEV-700 AM. But he still owns the radio station that launched his political profile, and it's helping him maintain power.]()
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Texas Senate passes bill to allow people to vote on whether a city can annex them
The measure would allow citizens targeted by annexation to vote on city proposals. A similar bill died in the final moments of regular session debate. Full Story
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![Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, answers questions about Senate Bill 6 on July 26, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Senate backs bill to roll back cellphone safety laws in many Texas cities
The Senate on Wednesday gave initial approval to legislation that would roll back local mobile phone ordinances that go beyond the recent statewide ban on texting while driving. Full Story
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![A statewide ban on texting while driving goes into effect Sept. 1, 2017.]()
Credit: Tim Park for The Texas Tribune -
Check what happened to this regular session's most high-profile bills
After 140 days, what did Texas lawmakers actually accomplish? Here's our guide to what happened with the regular session’s most high-profile measures. Full Story
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Abbott vetoes 50 bills passed by Legislature
Gov. Greg Abbott has vetoed 50 bills that were passed during the regular legislative session, his office announced Thursday. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott lays out items for a special session at a press conference on June 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Uncertainty, deep tension mark the end of the 85th regular session
The 85th legislative session came to a close Monday amid uncertainty over whether Gov. Greg Abbott would call lawmakers back for overtime. Tensions ran high up until the session's end. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick gaveled out the 85th legislative session for the Texas Senate on May 29, 2017. Patrick hinted at a special session later this year to take care of issues that weren't resolved during the regular session.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers pass bill making attacks on police, judges a hate crime
Under the bill, any crime against either group that results in serious bodily injury would be a first-degree felony, which carries a sentence of up to 99 years or life in prison. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks on the first day of the 85th Legislature on Jan. 10, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune