The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Rittenhouse corrected himself on Monday saying he was attending the Brenham-based community college. Over the weekend, he made a splash when Texas A&M refuted his claim he was an incoming Aggie. Full Story
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In arguing over causes of the latest mass shooting, political debate often overlooks the range of incremental steps that could lessen the chances of mass killing and help address the nation’s persistent gun violence. Full Story
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The GOP is spending big to capture an open congressional seat in South Texas — if only for a few months — as they try to create momentum toward a November election where they are newly targeting the region. Full Story
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Patrick said he wants police in as many Texas schools as possible to have bulletproof shields before the fall. He’s asked other state leaders to move around money in the state budget to make it happen. Full Story
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On this week’s episode, James speaks with Kate and Josh about the effectiveness of increasing school security to prevent mass shootings and where the investigation into the law enforcement response to the Uvalde shooting stands. Full Story
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As chief of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department, it was Arredondo’s call to wait more than an hour for backup instead of ordering officers on scene to immediately charge the shooter. Full Story
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Phelan said it is an “outrage” that officials still do not have a clear picture of what happened during the shooting. The committee’s findings will inform the House’s legislative response. Full Story
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House Democrats are combining several gun policy bills into one large package known as the Protecting our Kids Act. Among the measures in the bill: raising the age to purchase semi-automatic weapons to 21; outlawing the sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of a large-capacity magazine; and creating tax breaks for purchasing proper gun storage equipment. Full Story
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Gutierrez, a Democrat who has been critical of the state’s response to past shootings, said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also snubbed state senators whose districts were affected by shootings in El Paso and Santa Fe. Full Story
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Abbott has tasked the Texas School Safety Center with conducting in-person, unannounced audits of public schools to see how quickly staff can enter a building without being stopped and detect weak points. Full Story
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Her opponent Ruben Ramirez is not conceding, saying the race is still too close to call. Counties have to submit final vote counts by end of day Thursday. Full Story
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The committees are different from a special legislative session, which Democrats — and at least a couple Republicans — have asked for after the shooting. Abbott has not ruled that out. Full Story
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O’Rourke became known on the presidential campaign trail for his “Hell yes” promise to ban assault weapons. He’s been less vocal about the policy in his run for governor but this week, after the school shooting in Uvalde, he’s been newly assertive about the issue. Full Story
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The 1966 University of Texas Tower shooting remains clouded by myths, including the myth of the “good guy with a gun.” It left too many Americans with only evil to blame — and not our leaders, our policies and ourselves. Full Story
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The 2021 law prohibits social media companies from banning users based on their viewpoints. It will not go into effect while a lawsuit makes its way through the courts. Full Story
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Hillary Clinton, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Anthony Fauci, Will Hurd, Lina Hidalgo, Andrew Yang, Katy Tur, Asa Hutchinson, Jasmine Crockett and Walter Isaacson are among the big names on our amazing program. Get your tickets before the price goes up tonight! Full Story
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In addressing mass shootings, Texas’ top officials have tailored their responses to the wishes of some of their most outspoken voters. The results haven’t changed because we haven’t changed. Full Story
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The question moving forward is whether Democrats, outnumbered in the Texas Legislature for two decades, will be able to put enough pressure on lawmakers to move on a previously intractable issue in gun-friendly Texas and that Republicans, who support looser gun laws, will fight tooth and nail. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Public Safety previously said local police made key errors. A specialized team of federal officers didn’t enter the school until more than an hour after the shooter arrived at the school. Full Story
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Facing yet another community grieving after a mass shooting, the president replied, ‘We will.’ But Congress hasn’t managed to change gun policy for decades. Full Story
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