The latest Texas Senate news from The Texas Tribune.
Middle ground is arguably the most dangerous turf for a Texas lawmaker to occupy these days, and new research shows that none are doing it. The gap between moderate Republican and Democratic lawmakers is growing. Full Story
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It will be more than a year before we know everyone who is and is not coming back to the Texas Legislature, but the trickle has started, and some big players are leaving the field. Full Story
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Over the course of this year's legislative session, House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made their priorities known by what bills got the lowest bill numbers. Take a look at how those proposals fared. Full Story
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Not all of the pieces are in place as the new political season begins. For starters, the maps used to elect people to the Texas House and to the state's congressional delegation are still tangled up in federal litigation. Full Story
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During the 84th legislative session, state lawmakers had 140 days to pass a budget and other bills they thought were priorities for Texas. In this special collaboration with Texas Standard, we look at the big takeaways from the session. Full Story
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Members of the 84th Legislature rode off into the sunset on June 1 leaving plenty of memorable moments in their trails. Listen to our recap of some of those moments as part of a special episode of Texas Standard. Full Story
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The governor asked lawmakers to put ethics reform at center stage this year. They filed bills. They even voted in favor of some strong restrictions on lobbyists' and officeholders' official behavior. But most of it never got to Greg Abbott's desk. Full Story
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At our 6/4 conversation, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick enumerated the Texas Senate's accomplishments in the 84th Session. Full Story
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Full video of my 6/4 conversation with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Among the topics discussed: 84th session accomplishments, conservative criticism, the Senate vs. the House, the 2016 presidential race and why he's not running against Gov. Greg Abbott. Full Story
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During the 84th legislative session, lawmakers considered a variety of higher education issues, including tuition costs and in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants. See what happened to higher education issues this session in the Texas Legislative Guide. Full Story
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State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, announced Tuesday he is not running for re-election, bringing to a close a 27-year tenure at the Capitol. Full Story
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Here’s a look at how the Texas House and Senate budget proposals compared and what the two chambers ultimately settled on, using information from the Legislative Budget Board. Full Story
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During the 84th legislative session, the Tribune kept you updated daily on the various policy debates and legislative votes at the Texas Capitol. Use our Texas Legislative Guide to see all of that coverage, discover the fate of every bill and learn even more. Full Story
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Voters sent a conservative pack of lawmakers to Austin and got conservative results. But it's more complicated than that. Full Story
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Immediately after wrapping up the legislative session Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that he would never run against Greg Abbott for governor. "This will be my last position," the lieutenant governor said. Full Story
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The 84th Legislative Session is wrapping up today. Here's a selection of what journalists, lawmakers and others shared on social media, along with the Tribune's on-the-ground reporting. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers started the legislative session without a list of big problems to solve or election mandates to fulfill. And they are ending it without the kinds of results that fill the history books. Full Story
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An end-of-session deal on open carry of handguns and limits on police in Texas rescued Gov. Greg Abbott from political crossfire between law enforcement officials and an unusual coalition of liberal and conservative lawmakers. Full Story
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State Sen. José Rodríguez said Thursday that if the opportunity arises, he plans to filibuster a bill allowing the open carry of handguns in Texas. Full Story
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At the end of the legislative session, votes still count and majorities are important. But the rules come into play as well, and so do the political minorities. Full Story
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