2021: The Best and Worst Legislators
A wild year begat an even wilder legislative session. Lawmakers faced blackouts, a pandemic, and their own worst impulses. Amid the chaos, we plucked out the leaders—and the losers.
Politics & Policy
June 1, 2021
Texas Lawmakers Had Two Crises to Address. They Ignored Them in Favor of Sideshows.
Fearing primary challenges, GOP lawmakers focused mostly on wedge issues such as guns and abortion, rather than the COVID-19 pandemic and the failure of the state’s electric grid.
Politics & Policy
May 17, 2021
The Inside Story: How House Democrats Tempered a GOP Bill That Makes It Harder to Vote
Members of the minority party knew they didn’t have the votes to kill Senate Bill 7, but won a few useful amendments behind closed doors.
Politics & Policy
April 22, 2021
Two Key Issues, Buried in Red Meat, to Watch for in the House’s Budget Debate
Amid a slate of culture war offerings, lawmakers are set to discuss Medicaid expansion and accessing COVID-19 relief funds for schools.
Politics & Policy
April 17, 2021
Why Have Texas’s Restrictive Voter Bills Received Less Corporate Pushback Than the Ones in Georgia?
A few of Texas's big businesses have publicly criticized efforts to make voting more difficult. But many more, fearful of Republican retribution, are trying to keep their heads down.
Politics & Policy
April 14, 2021
How Greg Abbott Became the Most Powerful Governor in Texas History
The state’s top elected official used to have limited sway. But Abbott has steadily seized authority from the Legislature and governing boards—a process accelerated by the pandemic.
Politics & Policy
April 7, 2021
The GOP’s Voter Restriction Bill Would Be a Do-over of the Attempted Voter Purge of 2019
Provisions of Senate Bill 7 would require some naturalized citizens to prove their right to vote.
Politics & Policy
March 25, 2021
Briscoe Cain Has Proved Ineffectual at Chairing the House Elections Committee. So Why Does He Have the Job?
Governor Greg Abbott has identified passing “election integrity” bills as one of his priorities for this legislative session, but the man in charge of ushering such legislation through the Texas House seems not up to the task.
Politics & Policy
March 17, 2021
Dan Patrick Declares War on “Green” Wall Street Investors
The lieutenant governor wants to require state pension and education funds to divest from financial giants that are trimming their investments in oil and gas—but he hasn’t thought through the potential consequences.
Politics & Policy
February 10, 2021
How Republican Lawmakers Might Redraw the Texas Congressional Map
The state is expected to receive three new U.S. House seats. But those looking to expand the GOP majority in the congressional delegation won’t have an easy task.
Politics & Policy
January 11, 2021
How the Legislature Might Address the Less-Than-Dire Budget Shortfall
Comptroller Glenn Hegar projected a nearly $1 billion deficit—far smaller than lawmakers feared.
Politics & Policy
January 11, 2021
The Texas GOP Returns to Its Favorite Pastime: Infighting
With state government more firmly in Republican hands, the next year will feature a return of the Republican civil war. Here are the skirmishes to watch for.
News
January 9, 2021
Greg Abbott’s Politics Create a Vaccine Stampede
After his denying local authorities tools to combat community spread, it’s no wonder Texans are desperate for vaccinations to save us from COVID-19’s renewed surge.
Politics & Policy
November 6, 2020
Beto O’Rourke Kicked the Hornet’s Nest in 2018. Republican Votes Spilled Out.
After a too-close-for-comfort Senate race two years ago, the Texas GOP went into overdrive to ensure the state would not be won in 2020 by newly hopeful Democrats.
Politics & Policy
June 25, 2020
Will Politics Prevent Us From Dealing With the Next Wave?
After initially deferring to city and county leaders on COVID-19 response, Governor Abbott has renewed his battle with local government.
Politics & Policy
June 18, 2020
Could Voting by Mail in November Become an Act of Civil Disobedience?
Unless the courts rule decisively, Texas voters could face a terrible choice: risk their health at the polls, or risk prosecution by using a mail-in ballot.
Health
April 29, 2020
Dr. Mark McClellan on COVID-19 and Reopening the Texas Economy
One of Governor Greg Abbott's top aides says more testing and contact tracing should have been in place before restrictions were lifted.
Politics & Policy
April 28, 2020
“Doctors and Data” Suggest Greg Abbott May Be Reopening Texas Too Early
The plan deviates considerably from what many public health officials say is needed for Texans to reopen businesses.
Health
April 17, 2020
In Restarting the Texas Economy While Promising to Keep COVID-19 at Bay, Greg Abbott Faces a Precarious Balancing Act
The governor tries to address coronavirus concerns in the face of lobbying from his most conservative supporters.
Politics & Policy
April 3, 2020
Greg Abbott Promised to Get Masks for Texas. Many Doctors Say They Are Still Facing Shortages.
Family care physicians say they still don’t have enough personal protective equipment. So they’re seeking other solutions.
Politics & Policy
March 17, 2020
How Will the Oil Bust and the Coronavirus Affect the Texas Budget?
Historically, the Lege has met shortfalls with tax increases or spending cuts. Whether Dems or the GOP are in power makes all the difference.
Politics & Policy
February 16, 2020
Midland Oilman Clayton Williams (1931-2020): Winner in Business, Not in Politics
The colorful mogul lost the 1990 gubernatorial election after making a joke about rape and admitting to not paying some income taxes.
Politics & Policy
November 20, 2019
How to Win Texas in 2020
This could be the year that Texas Democrats finally break through. (Yes, really.) But Republicans have a solid plan to stop them.
Politics & Policy
September 10, 2019
Dan Patrick Is a Sworn Enemy of Gun Control, So Why Is He Proposing Background Checks Now?
The lieutenant governor’s pledge to “take an arrow” from the NRA is a surprise, but the move is not as politically risky as it looks.
Politics & Policy
August 11, 2019
The Scandal Swirling Around House Speaker Dennis Bonnen Is Bad. But Is It Criminal?
The growing controversy around Bonnen's quid pro quo is about much more than palace intrigue. Fundamentally, it concerns unethical, possibly criminal, behavior on the part of the speaker.
News
July 12, 2019
The Last Boy Scout
Long before Texans had heard of “no pass, no play,” and before free trade was a major political issue, H. Ross Perot entered my life as a super-patriot who believed perseverance was the key to success.
Politics & Policy
June 18, 2019
2019: The Best and Worst Legislators
They called it the kumbaya session, but we still found plenty of scoundrels and statesmen.
Politics & Policy
May 30, 2019
Inside the Legislature’s High-Stakes Deal to Save Texas Public Schools and Cut Property Taxes
Texas's top lawmakers managed to put together an $11.5 billion package, but they did it in a way that all but guarantees a tax hike in 2021.
Business
May 17, 2019
Is a Proposed Ban on a State Income Tax Really a Stealth Move to Undermine the State’s Business Tax?
The Legislature’s own budget advisors have warned that a constitutional amendment prohibiting an income tax could cost the state billions in lost revenue from the business tax.
Politics & Policy
March 12, 2019
Q&A: Starbucks Cofounder Howard Schultz on Running for President
“We believe we have a path to [winning] … if the Democrats choose a far-left person who is espousing socialistic policies.”
Politics & Policy
February 28, 2019
The Border Wall Debate Emphasizes the Divide Between Rural and Urban Texans
A recent poll of Texas voters shows opinions about President Trump’s wall depend on where in the state you live.
Politics & Policy
December 20, 2018
Russians Sowed Divisions in Texas Politics, Says U.S. Senate Report
Keying off of Governor Abbott’s opposition to President Obama’s Syrian resettlement policy, Russian trolls built Texas dissent.
Politics & Policy
December 17, 2018
‘Betomaniacs’ Crash Into ‘Berniecrats’ Over 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary
Beto O’Rourke came out on top of a poll of progressives, prompting Bernie Sanders supporters to complain.
Politics & Policy
December 12, 2018
John Cornyn Says He Won’t Ride on Donald Trump’s Coattails for 2020 Election
Texas's senior U.S. senator says he will have to make the case for his re-election based on his positions, not those of the president.
Politics & Policy
December 12, 2018
Rick Perry As Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff? No Way.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry has avoided the turmoil of the Trump Administration by staying out of Washington.
Politics & Policy
December 11, 2018
Acting Attorney General Speaks Out on Immigration in Austin
Matthew Whitaker repeatedly hammered the idea that people who enter the country without authorization are ”illegal aliens.”
Texas History
December 6, 2018
The Economy and ‘Read My Lips,’ Not Ross Perot, Cost President Bush His 1992 Reelection
Dallas billionaire Ross Perot often is miscast as a spoiler in the election that saw Bill Clinton replace George H.W Bush in the White House.
Texas History
December 5, 2018
Notes from President George H.W. Bush’s Funeral
It was a funeral marked far more often by humor than by maudlin sentiment.
Politics & Policy
December 4, 2018
Effort to Oust a Muslim Vice Chairman Causes Infighting Among Tarrant County Republicans
The last urban stronghold of Republicanism in Texas is being captured by infighting instead of planning for the 2020 elections.
Texas History
November 30, 2018
President George H. W. Bush Dies at 94
The 41st president's death comes less than eight months after that of his wife, Barbara.
Politics & Policy
November 30, 2018
Legally, Beto O’Rourke Can Run for President and Senate in 2020
Texas law would allow Beto to take a shot at the White House and at Senator John Cornyn at the same time.
Politics & Policy
November 18, 2018
The Power Issue: Hector De Leon Is Fighting the Tea Party in the Name of Fiscal Conservativism—and Winning
The Associated Republicans of Texas co-chair is out to prove that clashing with Dan Patrick doesn’t make you a Republican In Name Only.
Politics & Policy
November 18, 2018
The Power Issue: Tim Dunn Is Pushing the Republican Party Into the Arms of God
The socially conservative Midland oil man has been putting a lot of money into the fight for the GOP’s soul.
Politics & Policy
November 16, 2018
Dan Patrick, Dennis Bonnen Promise To Play Nice in 2019
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Joe Straus had a rocky relationship to say the least.
Politics & Policy
November 12, 2018
Dennis Bonnen Claims the Texas House Speakership
The Angleton Republican says he has 109 commitments when 76 are needed to elect him to the leadership post.
Politics & Policy
November 7, 2018
Beto O’Rourke Lost the Battle But Won the War
Ted Cruz won the Senate election, but he had no coattails. Some takeaways from election night.
Politics & Policy
November 6, 2018
Ted Cruz Wins a Second Term in Closely Fought Race
A spirited campaign by opponent Beto O’Rourke made the race a national obsession.
Politics & Policy
November 6, 2018
What to Look For in 2018 Midterm Election Results
How to interpret results as they come in—and not hyperventilate in the process.
Politics & Policy
November 5, 2018
The Latest Washington Spin on the Ted Cruz-Beto O’Rourke Race Is Just Wrong
Texas voter turnout is the highest in a midterm election precisely because O’Rourke stayed left.
Politics & Policy
October 31, 2018
Texas Republicans Appear to be Losing the Youth Vote to Democrats
The GOP enjoyed the strong support of young Texans in the 2000s, but that appears to be changing.