In the past, personalities got in the way of policy at the Texas Capitol. This year, state leaders refused to let that happen.
2018 elections
Posted inState Government
Beto O’Rourke’s impeachment rhetoric shifts as Mueller report sinks in
As a U.S. Senate candidate last year, O’Rourke didn’t go out of his way to talk impeachment.
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Texas Legislature 2019
After 20 years of agitating for property tax reform, can Paul Bettencourt pull it off?
The “Tax Man,” a Republican senator from Houston, has his best chance yet to shake up Texas’ property tax system. But it’s going to be an uphill battle.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas Senate approves occupational licensing bill LGBTQ advocates call a “license to discriminate”
The bill passed on a 19–12 vote, with one Republican voting against it and one Democrat voting for it. It requires one more approval in the Senate before it heads to the Texas House.
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Texas Legislature 2019
“Republicans have been turned French”: Hardline Texas conservatives worry their allies have gone soft
Activist conservative groups have long been aligned with the lawmakers they helped elect, like Texas House Freedom Caucus members and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Are they still on the same page?
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Texas Legislature 2019
What the “wave of women” elected in 2018 looks like in the 2019 Texas Legislature
This freshman class of female legislators is young, diverse and — thanks to the women who came before them — treated as equals in the traditionally male-dominated chambers.
Posted in
Texas 2020 Elections
Beto O’Rourke running for president
The former Democratic congressman from El Paso is jumping into the crowded race to take on President Donald Trump after O’Rourke’s closer-than-expected loss to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in November.
Posted inState Government
Beto O’Rourke plans Iowa trip as 2020 announcement nears
The former El Paso congressman is expected to visit the critical early voting state to stump for a state legislative candidate.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
The top places Texas lawmakers go to wine, dine and deal during legislative session
Not everyone in the Texas Legislature gets deals done under the dome. Some lawmakers are drawn to bars, clubs and restaurants around the state Capitol for the quiet or the queso.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Where control of the next Texas Legislature will be decided
One-fifth of the incumbents in the Texas House serve in districts where less than 10 percentage points separated average Democrats from average Republicans in statewide races. That’s more than enough contested turf to put control within reach of either party.