Dan Patrick asks Senate to consider bills to unmask protesters, change runoff elections
The new list includes many right-wing priorities, and would escalate Republicansโ wars against diversity, equity and inclusion programs and review laws to keep noncitizens off voter rolls.
Texas would need about $81.5 billion a year to end property taxes, officials say
Texas Republicans have been trying to reduce the stateโs high property taxes for years, but some acknowledge eliminating them would be too expensive.
Another Republican is challenging Dade Phelan for Texas House speaker
The Texas House speaker race is becoming increasingly crowded. Phelan, who is under fire from his right, says he plans to seek the leadership position again.
Harris County voter outreach proposal sparks another fight with Texas Republicans
The county plans to ID eligible voters and send them registration forms. GOP officials say itโs an end-run around state law.
Texas must build hundreds of thousands of homes to lower housing costs, says state comptroller
Texas needs hundreds of thousands more homes than it has, per one estimate. That shortage has driven up home prices and rents.
Attorney general investigating CenterPoint Energy after Hurricane Berylโs long-lasting power outages
The companyโs power outages in July have drawn the ire of state leaders. Hereโs what you need to know.
Abbott reprimands CenterPoint and calls for an investigation into the utilityโs response to Beryl blackouts
Abbott demanded that the utility company produce a plan by the end of July outlining how it will improve power reliability ahead of future storms.
These Texans are scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz will be among the Texas Republicans who will address the Republican National Convention beginning Monday in Milwaukee, the Republican National Committee announced Saturday.
Texas Sens. Charles Schwertner, Borris Miles silent after new accusations of sexual harassment in report
A Texas Monthly article revealed fresh allegations of sexual harassment against two senators with a history of scandals.
Half a million Houston-area homes and businesses still won't have power into next week
A utility company executive warns that about half a million Houston-area homes and businesses still won't have electricity into next week as wide outages from Hurricane Beryl drag on.
CenterPoint exudes chaos, but also appears to be restoring power faster than it previously has
According to state filings, the utility is restoring power at a relatively quicker pace than after prior storms. Texans are still fed up.
Beryl power outages crowd hospitals, delay new admissions
In Houston, discharged patients remain in an arena to avoid powerless homes. Some 70 miles north, Livingstonโs hospital is one of 17 in the state relying on a generator because of Hurricane Beryl power outages.
Biden says Texas officials delayed request for Beryl federal aid
Gov. Greg Abbott has spent the duration of the hurricane on a pre-scheduled trip to meet with foreign diplomats in Asia, leaving Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as acting governor.
Frustrations mount in the Houston heat after Beryl moves on and leaves millions without power
Frustration is mounting that Houston appeared to buckle under a storm not as powerful as previous ones.
Beryl power outage updates: More than 98,000 Texas electricity customers remain without power a week after Beryl
Tens of thousands of households and businesses arenโt expected to have electricity for most of this week.
Beryl knocks out power to 1.5 million; at least 1 person killed
After Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas, knocking out power to nearly 3 million homes and businesses and killing at least three people it moved east and weakened to a tropical depression.
Texas residents told to expect power outages, flooding as Beryl moves closer to landfall
Texas officials are telling coastal residents to expect power outages and flooding as Beryl was forecast to regain hurricane strength before making landfall.
Texas counties issue mandatory, voluntary evacuations as Beryl targets coast
As Beryl is expected to land on the Texas coast early next week, many counties have started issuing mandatory and voluntary evacuations.
Texas coast braces for looming hit by Beryl, which is expected to regain hurricane strength
Texas officials are urging coastal residents to brace for a looming hit by Beryl as the storm is expected to regain hurricane strength.
Dallas voters could get the chance to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana
Other cities have passed similar measures, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued to block them from going into effect.
Texas runoff yields no clear winner among GOPโs warring factions, setting stage for power struggle
Neither of the Texas GOPโs dueling factions landed a clean knockout blow during a grueling primary season that only seemed to set up further chaos and strife.
House Speaker Dade Phelan wins runoff, surviving challenge by Texas GOPโs far-right forces
Business-minded Republicans spent millions trying to save Phelan, whose far-right opponent had the backing of Donald Trump, Ken Paxton and Dan Patrick. Phelan won by 366 votes, according to unofficial returns.
RESULTS: Speaker Dade Phelan, state Representative election results for Texas Primary runoff on May 28, 2024
Get the latest election results for the Texas Primary runoff on May 28, 2024.
Dade Phelan directs House leaders to revisit vouchers, property taxes in the next legislative session
The Beaumont Republican issued his interim charges even as it remains unclear whether heโll be reelected.
North Texas Senate runoff creates strange bedfellows, divides usual allies within GOP
The battle to succeed retiring state Sen. Drew Springer has come down to a May 28 runoff between Brent Hagenbuch and Jace Yarbrough.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asks state to halt new cement plant permits until 2025
Citing community concerns about a planned cement plant in Grayson County, Patrickโs letter asks TCEQ to reject the permit and halt permit approvals statewide.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick lists housing affordability, fighting antisemitism on campus among 2025 priorities
Examining charitable bail organizations and banning Delta 9 were also among Patrickโs priorities in the next legislative session.
Former Texas House speaker says GOP megadonor Tim Dunn told him only Christians should hold leadership positions
Straus, who is Jewish, publicly confirmed the conversation for the first time Thursday. It had previously been reported by Texas Monthly.
Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton declare victory in attack on House GOP defectors
The two state leaders and other prominent Republicans, like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and former president Donald Trump, endorsed challengers in dozens of races citing the incumbentsโ disloyalty to the party.
House Speaker Dade Phelan, enemy of the far-right, faces toughest reelection yet
Attorney General Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and former President Donald Trump are accusing Phelan of being a โRINO,โ even as Phelan has overseen the passage of some of the most conservative bills in recent history.
Texas' standoff with the feds in Eagle Pass is igniting calls for secession and fears of violence
The calls for Texas to defend itself and defy the federal government have set fire to a long-simmering fight over statesโ rights, emboldening right-wing figures.
Republican senator who voted to acquit Paxton wants Senate to consider reopening impeachment proceedings
The bombshell request by retiring state Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, comes after Paxton decided to stop fighting a whistleblower lawsuit whose claims factored into his impeachment trial.
Vouchers, border security, abortion: The issues you heard about in 2023 will continue to be hotly debated in 2024
After nearly a yearโs worth of legislative sessions, several issues are poised to dominate Texas politics this year. Hereโs a look at how things ended on several fronts last year โ and where theyโre headed next.
Far-right activist blasts Speaker Phelan for being "pro-Muslim" in political mailer
The card insinuates that Phelan wants to wish his constituents a happy Ramadan instead of a merry Christmas. Muslim Texans say itโs Islamophobic and some Republicans say it doesn't reflect Christian values.
Tim Dunn, the powerhouse GOP donor, to sell his West Texas oil company for $12 billion
Tim Dunn has used his wealth to establish a network of organizations that push his ultraconservative views across Texas. The deal comes amid a time of consolidation in the Permian Basin.
With the Mavericks, Miriam Adelson is poised to be a Texas political powerhouse. Will it help her legalize casinos?
Adelson wasted little time reaching out to the stateโs business leaders since news of the deal broke, visiting Austin on Thursday to address the Texas Association of Business, the stateโs largest business lobby.
Texas claims in filings that challenges to 2023 election are invalid, results are final
In court filings Tuesday, the secretary of stateโs office argued that the plaintiffs in the election contests โnever served a citationโ properly. But thereโs no guarantee itโll work.
Abbott mum on another special session as he charges into voucher opponentsโ primary battles
Abbott is promising to continue the fight for โschool choiceโ but staying mum on whether that means he will call another special session as he has previously threatened.
Texas Legislature adjourns fourth special session โ leaving vouchers, school safety and elections bills unfinished
The latest casualties were Senate Bill 5, which would spend $800 million on school safety measures through 2025, and Senate Bill 6, which would change the timeline of a trial after an election contest is filed by a citizen or group.
With GOP priorities unfinished, Texas House plans to wrap fourth special session Tuesday
The decision to end work Tuesday leaves long odds for bills to boost school safety funding and make sure that election challenges donโt delay the implementation of property tax cuts, teacher pension raises and infrastructure spending.
Texas GOP executive committee rejects proposed ban on associating with Nazi sympathizers and Holocaust deniers
Some members of the committee said such a ban, proposed two months after a prominent conservative activist was caught meeting with a famous white supremacist, might be a โslippery slopeโ or too vague.
Republican Pat Fallon gives up Congress seat and runs for his old Texas Senate post
Fallon served in the Texas Senate for two years before running for Congress. He wonโt see reelection in the U.S. House.
Senate fast-tracks passage of vouchers and border security legislation
The Senate revved to life Thursday, holding committee hearings with little advance notice and advancing four bills that satisfy Abbottโs agenda.
Texas homeowners and businesses will get a tax cut after voters approve Proposition 4
The $18 billion property tax-cut package is aimed squarely at lowering school district property taxes, which make up the lionโs share of a Texas landownerโs property tax bill.
Abbott calls lawmakers back for fourth time to try again on school vouchers and border security
The governor announced the fourth special session would start an hour after the previous session adjourned.
With time running out, Texas Senate punts on taking action on border bill
The Senate on Sunday afternoon failed to take action on a border security bill, leaving virtually no time to pass the bill before the special session ends on Tuesday.
Watch a Texas Tribune conversation on the state Legislatureโs special session
Journalists covering the Texas Capitol discussed what came out of this yearโs third special session and what is still to be resolved.
Fighting between legislative leaders imperils Texas border security bills
The governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker generally agree on building more border barriers and making illegal border crossings a state crime. But disagreements over strategy and personal animosity mean those measures face long odds this special legislative session.
A public health response helped reduce fatal car wrecks in Texas. Can it do the same for gun deaths?
For the first time in a generation, Texans were more likely to die of gunshot wounds than car crashes in 2021. Experts worry a lack of research on the issue has hampered the search for solutions.
Texas voters split on House, Senate handling of Paxton impeachment, poll finds
Republicans showed a more clear divide, giving the Senate higher marks than the House for how the attorney generalโs impeachment was handled.
Nick Fuentes is just the latest white supremacist embraced by Defend Texas Liberty
While Fuentesโ unapologetic hate mongering has made him one of the nationโs best-known white supremacists, he was merely the latest in a long line of people who have been embraced by Defend Texas Liberty and its close allies.
Dan Patrick to use $3 million from Defend Texas Liberty to buy Israeli bonds
More than two weeks after the influential PACโs leader met with a Hitler admirer, Lt. Gov. Patrick said the GOP must โroot outโ antisemitism. Patrick had initially said heโd keep the PACโs money.
House, Senate bills at odds over power to boost future funding for Texas school voucher program
The Senateโs Republican bill would let state leaders grow the program by taking money from other agencies without the Legislatureโs approval. The House bill would bar the practice.
Defend Texas Liberty PAC names new president after leader met with white supremacist Nick Fuentes
Luke Macias, a longtime conservative political consultant, is listed as the new president of the conservative PAC on its website. Jonathan Stickland, the former president, met with Fuentes for nearly seven hours.
Hereโs who gets money from Defend Texas Liberty, the PAC whose leader met with white supremacist Nick Fuentes
The group has funded candidates and groups like the Texas GOP who have pushed fellow Republicans to take a harder line against things like illegal immigration and transgender people.
Dan Patrick says PAC leaderโs meeting with white supremacist was a โblunder,โ but will keep groupโs $3 million contribution
Two other Republican lawmakers are giving away donations after Nick Fuentes was seen visiting the office building associated with Defend Texas Liberty PAC President Jonathan Stickland. The meeting has roiled the party, leading to many Republicans calling on their peers to return money from the PAC.
Special session on school vouchers begins with Republicans in disarray
Gov. Greg Abbott needs a delicate coalition of Republicans to pass his top priority. But the House and Senate leaders arenโt getting along.
Conservative PAC leaderโs meeting with white supremacist Nick Fuentes leads to condemnations, escalates GOP infighting
House Speaker Dade Phelan called on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other officials to redirect any money they received from the PAC. Patrick called on Phelan to resign.
Influential Texas activist Jonathan Stickland hosted white supremacist Nick Fuentes at office near Fort Worth
The Texas Tribune also observed Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi outside the building, but he denied meeting Fuentes and denounced him.
West Texas A&M University receives $20 million gift for new institute to promote โTexas Panhandle valuesโ
University leaders say the new Hill Institute will promote values like family life, the free and open exercise of faith, and rugged individualism.
Body camera footage shows February drunk-driving arrest of Sen. Charles Schwertner
Newly released body camera footage shows state Sen. Charles Schwertnerโs February arrest for suspicion of drunk driving. Travis County prosecutors dropped the charge in July.
Gov. Greg Abbott orders special lawmaking session to begin on Oct. 9, likely on school vouchers
greg-abbott-texas-legislature-school-choice-vouchers This third special session comes as a rift between the Texas House and the Senate grew following Attorney General Ken Paxtonโs impeachment trial, raising questions about the chambersโ ability to compromise on education issues.
Rep. John Smithee emerges as House hero among Paxton supporters, floated for speaker
On the day the House impeached Ken Paxton, Smithee delivered a 20 minute speech, criticizing the impeachment process as opaque, rushed and unfair to the accused.
โWe are not going awayโ: Paxton whistleblowers vow to continue legal fight in court
On Monday, the former state employees argued that Paxton has failed to uphold key parts of the settlement agreement, including a $3.3 million payment and a promise to apologize.
Paxton prosecutors blame politics for trumping evidence in attorney generalโs impeachment trial
Houston attorney Dick DeGuerin said his team was naive in its belief that โprinciple would win out over politics.โ
Paxton critics pile on, calling impeachment trial rigged
House Speaker Dade Phelan wrote an op-ed for his hometown newspaper, saying the โfix was in from the start,โ while other Republican officials are calling for Phelanโs resignation.
Dan Patrick defends taking $3 million from pro-Paxton group ahead of trial
The lieutenant governor said that he took just as much from โthe other side,โ including donors aligned with Texans for Lawsuit Reform, which Paxton has labeled a political enemy.
GOP senators, open to Paxton conviction, flipped when they realized they were still short the votes
โI feel there were six senators who were ready to be the 21st vote,โ said Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas. โBut they didnโt want to be the 20th vote.โ
Ken Paxton verdict heightens political tension ahead of education special session
The Texas House and Senate were already far apart on โschool choice.โ Anger over the impeachment trial might make it even harder to find common ground.
Ken Paxtonโs prosecutors stumbled at times. But did it matter in the GOP-dominated Senate?
The House impeachment managers faced a high bar: convincing enough Republican senators to vote against their own political self-interest.
Texas AG Ken Paxton is back on job after acquittal but Republicans aren't done attacking each other
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is back in office after winning acquittal on impeachment charges over accusations of corruption and bribery.
Ken Paxtonโs impeachment trial escalates Texas Republican civil war
Paxtonโs far-right supporters doubled down on their promises for swift retribution against fellow Republicans who supported his removal from office.
Trump congratulates Paxton on โTexas sizedโ impeachment victory
โThis was the right outcome,โ U.S. Ted Cruz said, while Gov. Greg Abbott said he looked forward to continuing to work with the attorney general.
Dan Patrick, Dade Phelan trade potshots after impeachment trial ends
The lieutenant governor criticized the House for a secretive and rushed process that โwastedโ taxpayer dollars. The House speaker fired back, saying Patrick confessed his bias and contempt.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton acquitted on all 16 articles of impeachment
Only two of 19 Republican Senators voted in favor of convicting for any article โ a stark contrast to the more than 70% of House Republicans who impeached the attorney general in May.
Paxton acquittal updates: AGโs wife, a state senator, hugged his attorney after verdicts read
Other public officials have begun weighing in after the attorney general was returned to his post as the stateโs top lawyer.
Ken Paxton isnโt the only Texan fighting impeachment this week. Meet Texas A&Mโs student body president.
Impeachment at all levels of government are becoming more common, a political scientist said. It could make the political tool pointless.
Paxton trial updates, Sept. 15: Senators leave Capitol without an impeachment verdict
Deliberations are expected to resume at 9 a.m. Saturday. Paxton is accused of misusing his office to help a friend and donor who was under federal investigation.
Ken Paxtonโs defense is set to begin in the Texas Attorney Generalโs impeachment trial
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial on corruption charges is getting close to a verdict.
The House has rested its case against Ken Paxton after a chaotic day for the prosecution
The House prosecutors failed to call a star witness and battled with the defense attorneys over allegations the suspended attorney general had been bribed by Nate Paul.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtonโs defense attorneys ask senators to end impeachment trial
A woman who was expected to testify about an extramarital affair with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made a sudden appearance Wednesday at his impeachment trial.
โYouโre on the clockโ: How time constraints are affecting the Paxton impeachment trial
The prosecution and the defense were each given 24 hours to present their case and cross examine witnesses.
At impeachment, lawyer recounts Texas AG Ken Paxton supervising his investigation into FBI and judge
A junior lawyer testifying at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtonโs impeachment trial says he kept Paxton informed as he launched a criminal investigation into law enforcement officials at the behest of a wealthy donor to Paxton.
Texas AG Ken Paxton's affair took a toll on office, a former staffer says at impeachment trial
One of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtonโs former staffers says that the Republicanโs extramarital affair took a toll on employees who had to work long and odd hours because of the secret relationship that is now a factor in his impeachment trial.
A former Texas lawman says he warned AG Ken Paxton in 2020 that he was risking indictment
A former Texas lawman says he told Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2020 that he was risking indictment by by helping a donor under FBI investigation.
Paxton defense presses whistleblower on what evidence he brought to FBI
On cross examination, Paxtonโs defense attorney launched into whistleblower Ryan Vassar for bringing no physical evidence when he and others reported their boss to the FBI. Vassar said he was a witness and not an investigator.
โIt was not a mutinyโ: Senior staff had no choice but to report Ken Paxton to the FBI, whistleblower testifies
Ryan Bangert, a former top official under the attorney general, said Paxton allowed a friend and political donor to hijack the state agency, diverting it from its mission to help all Texans.