INSIDER
Don McLaughlin isn’t shy about speaking his mind and has disagreed with victims’ families and fellow Republicans. Now he brings his direct style to the Capitol.
Despite attempts to deny her existence, Mo Jenkins is steadfast in her public service mission to make life better for others.
House Bill 239, which echoes a bathroom bill that failed in 2017, includes new provisions for shelters and prisons.
The topic was a budget request from a state agency. The exchange grew emotional when a lawmaker pressed for answers about a strategic plan that praises diversity.
There were only so many chair positions to go around, with 30 committees for 88 Republicans, making it inevitable that some would miss out on plum appointments.
A pair of lawsuits filed by allies of West Texas megadonor Tim Dunn shut down laws that banned outside spending in the House leadership race, allowing for more political mudslinging and raising questions about ethics rules.
Gov. Greg Abbott said cutting taxes is a top priority, however, state lawmakers don’t have as much money to plug into tax cuts as they did two years ago.
Conservative activists in the GOP caucus called any power sharing with the minority party a betrayal of Republican voters.
Rep. Cody Harris had accused Abraham George of improperly threatening to send mailers and censure lawmakers who backed Rep. Dustin Burrows as House speaker.
The Democrats’ short list of possible benefits: A leader who learned to keep promises, a chance at chairing committees, and what they see as more chances for a fairer playing field.
From debating school vouchers and improving the state’s water supply to reining in property taxes, the GOP-led body will look to pass its conservative priorities amid fighting within the party.
The motion escalates a tense standoff between Paxton and a bipartisan Texas House committee, which had subpoenaed Roberson to testify at the Capitol on Friday.
This is the latest example of the Republican Party of Texas spending its resources attacking its own members.
Some voucher opponents are ready to compromise; others are hoping supporters will fumble over the program's size, eligibility and accountability.
Republicans who vote against party leaders’ preferred candidate could be barred from running in primaries. Lawsuits could follow.
In a Q&A, Burrows said he’s still confident he’ll win. But he says the leadership race is bigger than any one person and his supporters are trying to protect the integrity of the House.
Days after the Texas House GOP caucus backed Cook, Abbott made clear that he expects Republican representatives to do the same.
Wu defeated incumbent Trey Martinez Fischer on Thursday to become the next chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus.
The two-term Republican caught many Capitol observers off guard when he emerged as the standard-bearer for a coalition that wants to depose Phelan and reshape how the House operates.
Roberson was convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter in a “shaken baby” case that many say led to an innocent man’s death sentence.
The state’s highest civil court ruled that legislators can’t use subpoenas to block death row inmates’ executions, but suggested there’s still time for Roberson to testify before a Texas House panel.
Texas might not be a swing state, but many of its races will have major consequences to the national political landscape and on the lives of everyday Texans.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is calling for the resignation of State Representative Jeff Leach after his admission to sending text messages to a Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge last week saying that death row inmate Robert Roberson deserved a new trial.
Leach, one of the driving forces behind the effort to stop Roberson’s execution, later apologized to the judge, who told the lawmaker there were still pending matters before the court.
After the attorney general insisted on the death row inmate’s guilt in a graphic press release, four lawmakers issued a point-by-point rebuttal.
Texas’ junk science statute has remained hamstrung for the last decade. So too have other criminal justice reforms, despite efforts from the Texas House.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott says the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence “stepped out of line” by subpoenaing death row inmate Robert Roberson and delaying his execution.
The death row inmate was expected to testify before a Texas House committee, but those plans were scrapped amid a dispute over whether he should appear in person or virtually.
The effort to spare Roberson sparked a conflict between the executive and legislative branches that must be resolved. When it is, the death row inmate will likely be back on the path to execution.
Democrats have long held an edge in South Texas, but Republicans see an opening there to expand their House majority.
Phelan appears to lack support from the majority of House Republicans, but he could still win with some Democratic support.
About 25% of Texas’ correctional officer positions are unfilled. Inmates say the shortages make it harder for them to get respite during hot summer months.
Frank said he would work to bring better communication, member empowerment and management of the flow of legislation if he became the chamber’s leader.
The Texas attorney general’s office searched the home of Cecilia Castellano and a Democratic legislative aide. It said it’s investigating vote harvesting. Activists called it “intimidation.”
A competitive Texas House race in the Dallas suburbs features the first Asian to win Miss Texas and the second ever Asian woman to serve in the state Legislature.
The censured members said they had been punished for campaigning against “liberal incumbents” alongside statewide elected officials like Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
House Speaker Dade Phelan has stuck to the tradition of appointing chairs from the opposing party, drawing fierce pushback from the GOP’s right wing.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton crusaded against House Republicans who voted against school vouchers and in favor of impeachment, respectively.
The announcement came two days after Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, narrowly survived a runoff challenge from the GOP’s hard right.
Neither of the Texas GOP’s dueling factions landed a clean knockout blow during a grueling primary season that only seemed to set up further chaos and strife.
The Simmons-Thierry contest emerged as a test of whether Democratic lawmakers who do not fully support LGBTQ+ causes can remain in good standing with their own party’s voters.
Six of eight GOP incumbents lost their races. Gov. Greg Abbott declared he “now has enough votes to pass school choice.”
Get The Texas Tribune’s coverage of election results for the 2024 primary runoff elections, which includes the Texas Legislature and more.
The Beaumont Republican issued his interim charges even as it remains unclear whether he’ll be reelected.
A lack of air support and ineffective coordination hurt efforts to contain this year's Panhandle fires, the committee said.
All told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May.
Johnson narrowly avoided a runoff to replace U.S. Rep. Colin Allred. Brian Williams, who was in second place, has conceded.
Dutton just won a special election against Money to fill expelled Rep. Bryan Slaton’s unexpired term through the end of the year.
Johnson is virtually assured to have won the seat, because there is no Republican challenger in November.
Jarvis Johnson, a member the Texas House of Representatives, was at Booker T. Washington High School at 7 a.m. to cast his ballot. However, there was a glitch in the computer’s system that placed him in the wrong precinct. The issue was fixed quickly, and Johnson and his family were able to vote.
District 71 is one of three-dozen Texas House races where statewide Republicans are trying to oust incumbents from their own party. Lambert says he knows his constituents better than they do.
The Houston Democrat voted for three anti-LGBTQ bills last year, which could make her more vulnerable as she fights for reelection.
Despite all the hubbub about vouchers and the attorney general’s impeachment, it’s still about the border.
Facing heat for presiding over the impeachment of the attorney general, Phelan is addressing the issue head-on and citing an alleged Paxton extramarital affair.
Attorney General Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and former President Donald Trump are accusing Phelan of being a “RINO,” even as Phelan has overseen the passage of some of the most conservative bills in recent history.
Money fell short in the runoff for House District 2, despite winning the support of a who’s who of Texas Republican leaders.
While most GOP state reps stand by their votes, Reps. JM Lozano of Kingsville and Gary Gates of Richmond have publicly distanced themselves since the September impeachment trial in the state Senate.
The two feuding Republicans were the top two finishers in a November special election to succeed expelled state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, in House District 2.
Paxton has been seeking revenge on fellow Republicans who voted to impeach him earlier this year. Similarly, Abbott is looking to unseat GOP House members who voted against school vouchers.
The four whistleblowers asked the court last month to force the attorney general and his aides to sit for deposition, which would require them to answer questions under oath related to the allegations of bribery and corruption.
Here’s a look at House members, ranked from most conservative to most liberal, based on their votes cast during the 2023 regular session and four special sessions.
With both Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton out for revenge, Republican members of the Texas House are the top target on the ballot.
The Texas House’s vote to block education savings accounts disappointed voucher advocates and likely spelled doom for additional public school funding. Both bands say they’ll keep pushing for their priorities during next year’s primary elections and the 2025 legislative session.
The decision to end work Tuesday leaves long odds for bills to boost school safety funding and make sure that election challenges don’t delay the implementation of property tax cuts, teacher pension raises and infrastructure spending.
The runoff features two Republicans from dueling factions of the party, Jill Dutton and Brent Money, vying to finish the term of former state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City.
Murr, who represents Junction, suggested he wanted to come home to spend more time with family. He had become a target of hardline conservative supporters of Attorney General Paxton.
Despite intense political pressure, Republican Rep. Gary VanDeaver said he won’t support a bill that includes school vouchers. Rural Republicans like VanDeaver have long opposed school vouchers because of the unique role public schools they play in their communities.
The outcome was an embarrassment to Gov. Greg Abbott, who spent seven months lobbying two dozen Republicans who signaled opposition to vouchers in April.
The Texas House also voted to spend $1.5 billion on new state border walls, though that measure must be reconciled with the Senate version before it’s sent to Gov. Greg Abbott for consideration.
The committee action means school voucher legislation is poised to get its first House floor vote in recent history. Gov. Greg Abbott said if the Legislature fails to pass it this time, he will continue to call them back into session until they do.
House Bill 1, which stagnated during the previous special session, finally received a hearing in the lower chamber, a crucial step that will decide whether the proposal gets a full vote.
The revised bill promises a significant funding increase for public schools and academic accountability measures for students participating in the proposed voucher program, two of the biggest requests from voucher opponents.
Journalists covering the Texas Capitol discussed what came out of this year’s third special session and what is still to be resolved.
Gov. Greg Abbott just announced he’d reached a deal with the House to advance school vouchers, but with less than a week before the Legislature must adjourn the lower chamber took no action on the governor’s priority legislation.
With rural Texas relatively underserved by private schools, the potential for expansion could play a role in the debate over whether to let families use taxpayer money to pay for private education.
The far-right political action committee is getting involved in a critical special election for the Texas House, the first major test of its influence since its then-leader was spotted meeting with a prominent white supremacist.
