The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
Two were fired and two placed on leave — moves employment attorneys say will likely spark a whistleblower lawsuit. A spokesperson for Paxton said the personnel changes were not related to the whistleblower allegations. Full Story
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MJ Hegar's challenge of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has attracted millions of dollars in financial support, most of it late in the race. She's now in better financial shape than the incumbent, but time is running short. Full Story
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Blake Brickman and Lacey Mase, two whistleblowers who accused their boss of crimes including bribery and abuse of office, were both fired Tuesday. Full Story
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Polling locations are one of Abbott’s 11 exemptions to his statewide mask mandate that went into effect July 3. Abbott said at the time that the exemption is meant to prevent people from being turned away at the polls just because they don’t have a mask, though he has also recommended that people wear them. Full Story
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Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial or ethnic voting group in the country, according to the Pew Research Center. And in Texas, there are sizable Asian American communities in key districts. Full Story
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Candidates from both parties are bringing up everything from school funding to lemonade stands in the final weeks of a heated contest for control of the state’s lower chamber. Full Story
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The request is the latest chapter in a scandal-plagued recent history for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, which has experienced high turnover rates among staff and leadership. Full Story
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The departure "was not voluntary," said Lacey Mase, one of several senior aides who said Attorney General Ken Paxton used his office to serve the interests of a donor. Full Story
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Ian Prior, a Republican operative who promoted the story for the Texas attorney general's campaign, denied that the campaign had paid the Southeast Texas Record to publish it. “Definitive no,” he said. Full Story
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Under the state’s vaccine distribution plan, vulnerable people, including health care workers, older people and people with underlying medical conditions, would likely be the first to get the vaccine in the early months that it’s available. Full Story
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Voting laws in Texas are the most restrictive in the country. And voter turnout here is among the lowest, too. Maybe those facts are related. Full Story
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Abbott said Friday that the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Division of Emergency Management sent surge resources to the Panhandle and South Plains areas. Full Story
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Experts blame social gatherings like birthday parties and football games for the recent upticks. They say there is widespread fatigue for following stringent guidelines to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid crowded indoor spaces. Full Story
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You've heard that refrain — the one about running the government like a business — from dozens of candidates over the years. In the case of voting, businesses might be a good place for government officials to pick up some pointers. Full Story
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In addition to greater capacity limits for nonessential businesses, visits to nursing homes and elderly care facilities will be put on hold. Full Story
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Abbott, a former Texas Supreme Court justice himself, picked Huddle to serve on the all-Republican high court. Full Story
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The Texas Workforce Commission is trying to recoup $214 million in unemployment benefits it says people were overpaid this year. A North Texas woman says appealing the agency's findings is an uphill battle through an opaque appeals process. Full Story
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In a bitterly contested election overlaid with the fears and risks of an uncontrolled pandemic, Harris County has become a case study in raw politics and partisan efforts to manipulate voter turnout. Full Story
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During early voting in Texas, at least 9.7 million people — 57.4% of registered voters — cast their ballots in the 2020 general election. Turnout on Election Day brought this year’s overall turnout to 66%, surpassing 2016's turnout of 59.4%. Full Story
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First-day turnout was up just under a percentage point in Texas' 10 biggest counties, but it's unclear whether that trend will continue through Election Day. Full Story
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