Oaths, M&Ms and a historic Quran: Texas’ freshman lawmakers begin their inaugural legislative session
New Texas House members were sworn into office Tuesday, including some who have already made history. Full Story
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![State Rep. Salman Bhojani, D-HD92, speaks with Usama Malik, resident chaplain of Muslim Space, before participating in an interfaith ceremony the morning of the opening day of the 88th Legislative Session at the state Capitol in Austin on Jan. 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
A Texas Republican has started the process to impeach the secretary of Homeland Security over border security
Pat Fallon, R-Sherman, filed articles of impeachment late Monday, delayed a week because of the contentious majority vote for the U.S. House speaker. Full Story
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![U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas arrives to speak about Border Enforcement Measures during a press conference on Jan. 05, 2022, at CBP Headquarters in Washington D.C.]()
Credit: Lenin Nolly/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Look up your representatives in the Tribune’s elected officials directory
Look up information about every statewide elected official, every member of the Texas Legislature and every Texan in Congress and see who represents you. Full Story
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![The Texas House of Representatives on Jan. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House selects Rep. Dade Phelan as speaker for another legislative session
Phelan defeated Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, for the House leadership position in a vote, 145-3. In cruising to victory, Phelan secured the support of Democrats as well as the most conservative members of his party. Full Story
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![Representative Dade Phelan is sworn in as the 88th Speaker of the House, at the state Capitol in Austin, on Jan. 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas universities propose two-year tuition freeze in exchange for nearly $1 billion in additional state funding
The leaders of the state’s six biggest university systems are seeking the money to fund instruction, university operations and employee health insurance and to cover a free tuition program for veterans and their children. Full Story
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![Students walking around the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Live video from the Texas House and Senate
The Texas Tribune is streaming the 2023 legislative session live from the Texas House and Senate chambers. The session runs from Jan. 10 to May 29. Full Story
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Texas Legislature 101: Understanding the state government and how it passes laws
Here’s a rundown of how a bill becomes a law, how the Texas Legislature works and the power players who keep things moving under the Pink Dome. Full Story
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![A visitor of the House gallery listens to legislators speak during a debate on an abortion bill being considered on the House floor on May 5, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
The Texas Legislative session begins today. Here are 6 things we’re watching.
Lawmakers begin work today for their biennial legislative session. They’ll debate over the state budget, school issues, border security and property taxes, among other issues. Full Story
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![A legislator fist bumps a House Administration staffer as they entered the House Chamber on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers will have $188.2 billion available for the next budget after record-breaking revenue growth
It’s far more money than legislators have ever had at their disposal, with an increase in available funds that dwarfs any previous jumps between cycles. It’s also more money than lawmakers can constitutionally spend. Full Story
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![Glenn Hegar, Texas comptroller of public accounts, speaks one-on-one with Danielle Moran, financial journalist for Bloomberg News, at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 23, 2022 in Austin, TX.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Two Texas bills would restrict lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools
The legislation closely mirrors a Florida bill passed last year, dubbed by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which detractors say would further isolate LGBTQ students and open teachers and school districts to legal risks. Full Story
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![Pride flags, stickers and masks, pronoun buttons and other merch are handed out at the AISD "Pride Out!" Party in the Park event at Eastside Early College High School in Austin on March 26, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
“I want to fight”: LGBTQ Texans ready for legislative session as GOP lawmakers target them in dozens of bills
Republicans are backing legislation targeting gender-affirming care for children, classroom lessons about sexuality and drag shows. Full Story
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![Austin Pride Parade attendees wave rainbow flags as they pass the Capitol building, on Aug. 20, 2022.]()
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Watch: After the Uvalde shooting, one Texas school district increases focus on mental health
Round Rock ISD is thought to be among the first school districts in Texas where social workers and police officers work directly with one another to provide mental health support to students. Full Story
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![The Robb Elementary School memorial for the victims of the Uvalde mass school shooting on June 15, 2022.]()
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Joe Biden tours El Paso for first border visit of his presidency
He was greeted by Gov. Greg Abbott upon arrival at the El Paso airport. Abbott has been a chief critic of Biden’s immigration policies and has frequently called on him to visit the border over the past year. Full Story
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![President Joe Biden shakes hands with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott upon his arrival in El Paso on Jan. 8, 2023. This is Biden's first visit as president to the U.S.-Mexico border.]()
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Watch: Four new Texas House members discuss immigration, property taxes and public school financing
They talked about their campaigns and journey to the Legislature, what has stood out to them so far about working in the House and what they hope to accomplish this session. Full Story
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Texans help elect Kevin McCarthy speaker after dramatic late-night votes
Texas Republicans were key players in the intraparty fight over how its leaders would run the U.S. House of Representatives, with right-wing members ultimately securing major wins in the fight. Full Story
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![A member-elect of the House of Representatives grabs Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, by the face as Kevin McCarthy walks away. Rogers had approached Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, and members of the House Freedom Caucus after Gaetz voted "present" rather than voting for McCarthy in a late-night 14th round of voting for a new House Speaker on Jan. 6, 2023.]()
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State police terminate another officer for response to Uvalde mass shooting
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw accused the suspended Texas Ranger of failing to perform his duty during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. Full Story
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![Texas Ranger Christopher Ryan Kindell outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24, 2022, when 21 people — 19 children and two adults — were killed by a gunman. Kindell was fired by DPS Thursday and said he plans to appeal.]()
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Newly elected Austin Mayor Kirk Watson hopes to find common ground to solve city’s housing crisis
The former state senator, returning for a second term as Austin’s mayor, spoke at a Texas Tribune event about how he can help reframe the conversation on affordability and the city’s relationship with state leadership. Full Story
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Texas Senate to ban reporters from chamber floor
The move to take news reporters off the Senate floor was implemented in 2021 as a COVID-19 precaution, but an official said Friday the measure would continue in the upcoming session. Full Story
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![A woman waits for the Senate to gavel in from the Senate gallery on Aug. 10, 2021.]()
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Texas House Democrats enter session with bipartisan hopes — and a new leader who’s prepared to fight
There are 64 Democrats in the 150-member House, one fewer than before the election. There is also one fewer Democrat in the Senate. Full Story
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![State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, speaks at a press conference in reaction to a property tax reform proposal by Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen. The trio laid out their proposal earlier in the day. Jan. 31, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Chip Roy and other Texas holdouts flip votes and now support Kevin McCarthy, who remains short in speaker bid
Roy, R-Austin, as well as U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Victoria, and Rep.-elect Keith Self, R-McKinney, switched their votes for McCarthy after voting against him 11 times. Full Story
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![From left: Leaders of the opposition to Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy becoming Speaker of the House, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin; Rep. Scott Perry, R-PA; and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-FL, talk as they gather on the floor of the House of Representatives for another expected round of voting for a new House speaker at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., on Jan. 5, 2023.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst