State campaign news, candidate announcements, retirements and rumors from the past week.
Wendy Davis
Higher-Octane Partisans
Partisan changes in the Legislature are on ice for now. The more important game to watch is for which kinds of Republicans and Democrats are coming to Austin every two years.
Schools Prep for Vaccine Mandate While Some Decry Overreach
A new law requiring every college student to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis has colleges and universities scrambling — and some observers decrying government intrusion.
Campaign Chatter
The daughter of a former Texas House speaker tops the latest round of campaign announcements.
Fort Worth Senate Race Could Get Crowded, and Quickly
As expected, state Rep. Kelly Hancock, R-Richland Hills, will run for the Texas Senate next year in SD-10, the district currently occupied by state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth. Hancock is the first challenger to announce, but this could get crowded, and quickly.
Campaign Chatter
The legislative session is over, the new maps have been drawn, and candidates are starting to make their decisions about whether to run, and for what offices.
TribLive: Burka and Blakeslee on Wendy Davis
At last Thursday’s TribLive conversation, the authors of Texas Monthly’s biennial Best and Worst Legislators story, senior executive editor Paul Burka and senior editor Nate Blakeslee, explained why state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, appears on neither list.
TribLive: Burka and Blakeslee on the Best and Worst
At last Thursday’s TribLive conversation, the authors of Texas Monthly’s biennial Best and Worst Legislators story, senior executive editor Paul Burka and senior editor Nate Blakeslee, defended their 2011 picks.
Video: Did Democrats Bungle Sanctuary Cities Bill?
One of the most emotional and controversial issues of the year centered around the sanctuary cities bil. Senate Democrats managed to block SB 9 during the regular session, but it’s found a new life in the special session. Behind the scenes, some question whether the Democrats are now reaping what they sowed when one of their members pushed the Legislature into overtime.
Sanctuary Cities Bill Clears Texas Senate
Texas peace officers will be allowed to inquire into the immigration status of any person arrested or legally detained under legislation passed by the Texas Senate early Wednesday morning.

