Former Florida congressman Allen West unseats James Dickey to become Texas GOP chairman
West defeated Dickey, who was running for a second full term, early Monday morning at a tumultuous virtual state convention. Full Story
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![Allen West, former Florida congressman and candidate for chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, speaks at the Texas Public Policy Foundation's policy orientation meeting in Austin on Feb. 9, 2018.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas GOP convention chaos prompts delegates to create a second gathering for unfinished business
The original convention still kept going overnight, though, as delegates met to vote on key leadership positions — including the state party chairmanship. Full Story
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![Texas Republican Convention in Fort Worth in 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Five U.S. Navy teams deploy to Rio Grande Valley, other Texas coronavirus hot spots
Doctors and nurses at local hospitals across South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley have been working a number of extra shifts as their hospitals near capacity. Full Story
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![A patient at the COVID-19 unit at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Health System in Edinburg on June 30, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
A Texas teacher weighs schools reopening, state guidelines and the coronavirus pandemic
Darcy Vogt Williams says districts want flexibility deciding how and when to start the new school year, given the pandemic. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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![Darcy Vogt Williams, who organized the protest, walks down the line of teachers outside the Capitol grounds in Austin during the "Mask Up, Line Up" teacher protest on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.]()
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Wide-ranging lawsuit claims Texas' in-person voting rules will disenfranchise Black, Latino voters during the pandemic
Two civil rights groups and two Texas voters are asking a federal judge to require substantial changes to polling place procedures, including an across-the-board mask mandate and expanded curbside voting. Full Story
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![Voters are directed to polling sites for the runoff election in Houston on July 14, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says "there is no shutdown coming" as coronavirus cases surge
Abbott said it will take weeks to see whether his recent mask order and decision to close bars are effective in slowing the virus' spread. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott announced a strike force in charge of laying steps to re-open the Texas economy at a press conference in the capitol on Friday.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott defends mask mandate to "frustrated" delegates at Texas GOP convention
The governor began the state party convention Thursday by addressing head-on the growing discontent with his orders to contain the pandemic. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott exits the public memorial service of George Floyd at the Fountain of Praise Church in Houston on June 8, 2020.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Spurred by Gov. Greg Abbott's coronavirus handling, Democratic strategists launch PAC to defeat him in 2022
The group, the Beat Abbott PAC, will raise money that will benefit the eventual Democratic nominee against Abbott in 2022. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott declared a statewide emergency amid new cases of COVID-19 in the state on March 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Distilleries, wineries shuttered by Gov. Greg Abbott's bar shutdown say they should be exempted
Distillery, winery and some restaurant owners say their businesses are different from traditional bars, which Abbott closed after COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations began to climb in June. Full Story
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![William Chris Vineyards on Feb. 22, 2017.]()
Credit: Erika Rich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas will extend time that schools will be allowed to stay online-only, Gov. Greg Abbott says
Schools had previously been told that they would need to limit online-only instruction to the first three weeks of the school year, or they'd lose state funding. Full Story
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![Cactus Elementary School in Cactus on Jan. 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Greg Abbott’s critics lose political clout as Texas COVID numbers climb
The governor is increasing restrictions as the coronavirus worsens in Texas, and is beset by trolls from inside his own party for doing so. But for the first time in this pandemic, he's ignoring them. Full Story
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![Protesters gather at the south gate of the state capitol to protest against government mandates on wearing face masks in businesses and recent bar closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. June 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Three Texas House runoffs give warring GOP factions chance to settle up before November
A quieter-than-usual primary season is coming down to three runoffs Tuesday. Two incumbents are fighting for reelection, and there is a fierce battle for an open seat. Full Story
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![The Texas House of Representatives chamber on Nov. 20, 2018.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
A singular figure in Texas’ coronavirus response, Gov. Greg Abbott leads a state headed in an alarming direction
The coronavirus pandemic has proved a leadership test like no other for the second-term governor. He holds nearly all power over the state’s response as it careens toward crisis. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott adjusts his mask after giving an update on the categories of medical surge facilities at a press conference at the Texas Department of Public Safety on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool via Austin American-Statesman -
Why one Texas bar owner joined a lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott
Chris Bergeron is one of more than 30 bar owners suing Gov. Greg Abbott for an executive order that effectively shuttered bars. Listen to what Bergeron had to say about the order's impact in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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![The owners of Chuter’s Dance Hall & Saloon in Pasadena, Texas, posted a message Mar. 29, 2020, letting the area know they’d reopen once Gov. Greg Abbott’s shutdown order expired.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Chris Bergeron -
Gov. Greg Abbott warns if spread of COVID-19 doesn’t slow, “the next step would have to be a lockdown”
Abbott has repeated that warning multiple times in local television interviews this week. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott gives an update on Texas hospital bed capacity and the state's strategy for fighting COVID-19 during a press conference at Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool via Austin American-Statesman -
County Republican parties in Texas' GOP strongholds say Gov. Greg Abbott going too far in coronavirus response
The Republican parties in some of the state's biggest red counties are rebuking the governor over his use of executive authority during the pandemic. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott announced a strike force in charge of laying steps to re-open the Texas economy at a press conference in the capitol on April 17, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Nearly 80 Texas counties have opted out of Gov. Greg Abbott's mask order. Others refuse to enforce it.
The governor allowed counties with 20 active cases or fewer to opt out. Full Story
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![Pedestrians wearing masks to protect against COVOD-19 in downtown Austin on June 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Two major Texas counties are trimming polling locations as workers pull out over coronavirus
Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to not require voters to wear masks is driving away some poll workers, officials say. Full Story
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![A man enters Toney Burger stadium in South Austin where early voting has begun for the July 14 runoff and special election, in Austin on June 29, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas bans elective surgeries in more than 100 counties as coronavirus hospitalizations keep climbing
Gov. Greg Abbott said the decision is meant to free up resources to address the pandemic. The attorney general's office has not said the order bans abortions, an assertion that sparked a legal battle over Abbott's earlier prohibition on elective procedures. Full Story
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signals support as Austin weighs fines for people not wearing face masks
In a letter to Austin's mayor, Abbott said the city's consideration of new enforcement measures "to ensure compliance with my Executive Orders is an important step toward reducing the spread" of the coronavirus. Full Story
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![Pedestrians on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake in Austin on June 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
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