Most of us in the Capitol press corps know little about the members we watch every day. As it happened, Charlie Howard changed the world. Who knew that (quoting from his bio) “Rep. Howard and his wife, Jo, came to Houston in 1970 from Alabama where they had both worked on
Pete Gallego’s decision not to seek reelection to the Texas House is a true loss for the body. Gallego has been a great member who has grown in stature during the years of Republican domination. His deep voice was instantly recognizable and his calm demeanor helped soothe some difficult moments.
My colleague and friend Patricia Kilday Hart has written an excellent story about the speaker's race that appears in the November 28 issue of the Texas Observer. (We will have competing stories, as I have "written" one that will appear in our January issue. You will see why "written" is
