The governor and lawmakers promise to reignite their efforts to tighten ethics laws in Texas, but they have so far been missing a key incentive to make reluctant officeholders go along: public interest.
Byron Cook
Posted in
Politics
Straus, and Most of His House Allies, Survive Challenges From Right
House Speaker Joe Straus sailed to victory in his re-election bid and he avoided a significant net loss in fights between hard right conservatives and his lieutenants elsewhere in the state.
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State Government
Analysis: The Future of the Texas House Could Be Seen in Eight Races
Will bragging rights in the Republican primaries for Texas House seats go to the management now in place or to those opposed to the current leaders? Watching these races involving incumbents will provide some answers.
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Politics
Cook Re-election Bid Already Rancorous
Protestors, police citations, dog poop. The race is young, but state Rep. Byron Cook’s re-election bid promises to be noisy and messy as conservative activists target him for defeat.
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Politics
Analysis: Patrick Makes An Old Bill Come Due
Legislation that would have blocked public employees from paying union or association dues with paycheck deductions failed last session. But the Senate is reopening the issue, and it could play against a powerful House chairman up for reelection next year.
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Criminal Justice
Analysis: Paxton’s Supporters Protecting an Investment
Some of the supporters who jumped fastest to defend Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are also those who invested the most in his campaign for office. They’re protecting a substantial political investment.
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Politics
Analysis: Blame, Reputation and the Long Road Back
The political blaming started quickly after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s indictments on Monday, and the elections will see some argument over who’s shooting at the AG. But it will take more than politics to save his reputation.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: May 28, 2015
The House remains fully committed to keeping dark money disclosure language in its ethics reform legislation. However, the measure’s Senate author is equally adamant that provision must come out.
Posted inState Government
House Passes Ethics Bill; Senate Showdown Likely
The Texas House on Wednesday gave final sign-off to a far-reaching ethics reform package that would shine light on so-called “dark money” while restricting undercover recordings of people in the state Capitol.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: May 25, 2015
A hectic weekend at the Legislature culminated in a major reversal by the House late Sunday on whether to allow a controversial abortion bill to be debated on the floor.