Greg Abbott’s Rejection of Refugees is Baffling—and Boneheaded
The governor’s decision makes no sense from a practical perspective, and ultimately, it can’t be explained as a policy choice at all.
Articles by Christopher Hooks
The White Settlement Shooting and When It’s Okay to Politicize a Tragedy
Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick were quick to find a self-serving narrative in the shooting at a church last week.
Miss Me When I’m Gone: Now That His Campaign Is Over, Julián Castro Is Extremely Popular
Castro’s presidential ambitions have ended, but Texas has likely not heard the last of him.
Terrence Malick’s ‘A Hidden Life’ Is Inspiring But Hard to Learn From
The Austin director’s war film is notable for its near-total absence of politics.
The Last Decade’s Ten Worst Years in Texas Politics
We stumble down memory lane, gawking at the madness and the mayhem of 2010–2019—and looking for an off-ramp.
Red Scare: Can Donald Trump Rescue the Texas GOP? Or Is He Part of the Problem?
Like so much in American conservative politics these days, everything begins and ends with Trump.
Weird Candidates and Fifteen-Way Races: The Texas Primary Ballot Is Madness
Now that races for the March primary are (mostly) set, here are a few things worth keeping an eye on.
Who Gets to Live and Die When the State Relies on False Testimony in Death Penalty Cases?
A.P. Merillat helped send at least 15 people to death row. On Wednesday, Travis Runnels will become the third this year to be executed, even though a former prison official calls Merillat’s testimony “bullshit.”
Rick Miller’s Racist Remarks About “Asians” Were Not Part of the GOP Plan for Fort Bend County
Now that the Texas GOP is trying to present a more diverse face this year, it can't afford to alienate voters in places like Fort Bend County.
Cocaine Is a Hell of a Drug, But Then So Is Partisanship
What Poncho Nevarez’s cocaine problem tells us about corruption and impunity at the Texas Capitol.
Let’s All Hope Tony Buzbee Drank a Lot of Water Last Night
The eccentric megalawyer’s unpredictable and at times unintelligible speech claiming victory in Houston’s mayoral election has to be seen to be believed.
Proposition 7 Could Increase Education Funding, But That’s Part of the Problem
One constitutional amendment on the ballot poses a question that often vexes lawmakers—short-term need, or long-term benefit?
What Happens When the Texas Governor Shares the Worst Day of Your Life on Twitter?
As part of his campaign against Austin’s homelessness rules, Greg Abbott tweeted an old video of a non-homeless man having a mental health episode. His attorney says the governor is “retraumatizing” the man and his family.
Bonn Voyage, Dennis!
The embattled speaker of the Texas House, Dennis Bonnen, calls it quits.
The Texas GOP Keeps on Dancing to Donald Trump’s Tune
Dan Patrick, John Cornyn, and Ted Cruz stood by at the president’s Thursday night rally in Dallas as he ridiculed them and claimed Hurricane Harvey made the state ”a fortune.”
The Bonnen Tape Is Tawdry, Shocking, and Kinda Funny
The secretly recorded meeting between Dennis Bonnen and Michael Quinn Sullivan shows how Texas political operators talk behind closed doors.
The Rick Perry Show Is Back!
Our ever-entertaining former governor has been awfully quiet for the past few years. But we knew that couldn’t last.
Street Fight: Inside Austin’s Bitter Brawl Over Homelessness
Austin’s legalization of camping and sidewalk sleeping has stirred a backlash that obscures the progress some Texas cities have made in steering the homeless off the streets.
In the Name of Leslie Cochran, Will the Governor Please Leave Austin Alone?
Austin-bashing is as old as the hills, but things have gotten a little out of hand.
Trump’s Texas Allies Just Can’t Quite Figure Out How to Defend Him
John Cornyn and other Republicans are doing their best to explain away the Ukraine scandal, but their best just looks silly.
The Unusual Circumstances of Botham Jean’s Murder Made Amber Guyger’s Conviction Possible, But Not Inevitable
The straightforward circumstances of Jean's slaying proved too difficult for the jury to ignore.
Houston’s Indian American Community Showed Its Strength at the Modi Rally
But the event was also unsettling in the way it brought together two leaders—Trump and Modi—in an authoritarian embrace.
The Battle to Rewrite Texas History
While a new generation of scholars is rewriting our history, supporters of the traditional narratives are fighting to keep their grip on the public imagination.
Thursday Night Lights: Beto O’Rourke and Julián Castro Fight for Relevancy at the Houston Debate
Beto vs. Julian, Castro tries to shank Biden, why the debate format sucks, and (bonus!) a snoozy Latinos for Trump rally.
Churchy Chicken: Why the Religious Right Won’t Stop Talking About Chick-fil-A
At a meeting of Texas social conservatives, all anyone wanted to talk about (and eat) was Chick-fil-A
The Texas Death Penalty Machine Has Become Increasingly Grotesque
There’s something dishonest in the state’s bureaucratic approach to killing its own citizens.
Video Games and Godless Hearts: The Texas Gun Debate Is at a Depressing Dead End
What politicians like Matt Schaefer are really saying is that no number of victims is worth the discomfort of a fairly small number of gun owners.
‘Mistakes Were Made’: It Remains to Be Seen if Greg Abbott’s Passive-Voice Apology Represents a Change of Heart
The governor has apologized (sort of) for an ill-timed fundraising letter calling on supporters to ”defend” Texas from immigrants.
The Speaker and the Creeper: Everything You Need to Know About the Craziest Texas Political Scandal in Years
House Speaker Dennis Bonnen offers a masterclass in how to lose friends and alienate your allies in just a few easy steps.
Did House Speaker Dennis Bonnen Really Try to Bribe Michael Quinn Sullivan? An Investigation.
MQS isn't the most trustworthy person in Texas politics, but Bonnen has done a poor job offering an alternative narrative about what transpired.
Texas Might Kill Obamacare, But State Leaders Don’t Seem to Have a Plan for What’s Next
In the event that millions lose their health insurance and protections for pre-existing conditions disappear, the state has no real backup plan.
Should Beto O’Rourke Drop Out?
His fundraising is bad, his poll numbers are worse, and some Texans still think he should run for Senate.
Even Trump Wouldn’t Follow Advice from Ted Cruz and Chip Roy to Ignore the Supreme Court
Congressman Roy and Senator Cruz urged Trump to print the census with a citizenship question despite a Supreme Court ruling. That would’ve been a dangerous precedent.
The Cruelty at the Border Is Increasingly Pointless
As the Trump administration ratchets up its dehumanization of migrants, we Americans stand to lose our moral center.
Julián Castro Turns on Beto O’Rourke, and Why That’s Good for Elizabeth Warren
The debate had the feel, at times, of an episode of Survivor—the little guys teaming up to clear their ranks before the real fight begins.
2019: The Best and Worst Legislators
They called it the kumbaya session, but we still found plenty of scoundrels and statesmen.
How Texas’ Powerful Police Union Went to War Against Criminal Justice Reform
In one of the worst legislative sessions for criminal justice reform in years, bipartisan legislation got caught between an ugly fight between the police lobby and prominent Democrats.
There’s a Grand Bargain on Property Taxes and Education Funding. But What Is It, Exactly?
The governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the House announced a deal on property taxes and school finance. It sounds good, but offered awfully little in the way of specifics.
Seventh Time’s the Charm: Despite Repeated Bungling, the Lege Manages to Pass an Update to the Sandra Bland Act
Let us count the ways legislators passed, killed, and then resurrected what was a popular, bipartisan way to limit arrests for minor infractions.
Jonathan Stickland and the Case of the Special Session That Wasn’t
Stickland and his band of merry pranksters could have pushed the Legislature into a special session by killing a popular bill to increase mental health services for kids.
Inside the Story of How Democrats Killed a Law That Could Have Saved Sandra Bland
In a fit of idiocy and confusion, Democrats in the Legislature not once, but twice derailed bipartisan legislation prohibiting police from making arrests for minor infractions.
The Loudest and Least Effective Legislator Has Actually Passed a Bill
But don’t think that means Representative Jonathan Stickland is all grown up. He’s still more or less the lib-baiting troll he’s always been.
Why the Sales Tax Swap Died a Painful Death
Here died Greg Abbott’s burden-shifting plan, orphaned and alone.
An Afternoon With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Texas Anti-Vaccine Movement
Kennedy’s presentation to vaccine activists at the Capitol was a master class in how to turn fears toward a dangerous cause.
The Paid Sick Leave Fight is All About Whose Interests Matter Most at the Legislature
In a dispute between cities and the state, employees and employers, you can probably guess who has the upper hand.
If You’re Looking for Dan Patrick This Legislative Session, You Might Find Him on Fox News
Once upon a time, the Texas Senate was Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s whole world. His turbulent 2014 campaign for the post was a radical change in Texas politics, the tea party revolution taking the throne. In his inauguration speech he proclaimed that his arrival marked “a new day…
Attacks on the Dallas DA Signal Trouble for the Criminal Justice Reform Movement
Big-city prosecutors are now driving the conversation around mass incarceration, and some lawmakers and law enforcement officials just can’t abide that.
Best & Worst Legislators in Real Time: Senator Bob Hall
If you’re going to traffick in conspiracy theories, at least be nice about it.
The Governor Wants to Replace Property Taxes With ‘Consumption’ Taxes. That’s a Terrible Idea.
Many Texans think their property taxes are too high. But the highly regressive sales tax would put even more of a burden on those who can least afford it.
