Did Lawmakers Fix Texas’s Electric Grid?
Governor Greg Abbott said the Lege has done everything necessary to prevent future blackouts. We ask four experts whether that’s true.
Andrea Zelinski is a politics writer in Austin. Before joining Texas Monthly, she was hiking the Appalachian Trail, traveling a ribbon of dirt and stone for 2,193 miles stretching Maine to Georgia. She has written about politics for both the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News. Like Davy Crockett, Andrea came to Texas by way of Tennessee where she wrote about state government for seven years, largely for the Nashville Scene and its sister publications. She won an award from the Association of Alternative News Media for a series on growing pains in Nashville’s schools. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield and reported on Illinois government, including the impeachment of then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich for trying to sell President Barack Obama’s Senate seat for the Associated Press. She swears he winked at her after pleading his case to the state Senate. A midwestern native, she lives with her two hairy pups, Vuda and Buster.
Governor Greg Abbott said the Lege has done everything necessary to prevent future blackouts. We ask four experts whether that’s true.
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.
Christopher Hooks writes mostly about Texas politics and occasionally about more serious subjects.
After weeks of debating how to best combat the voting-restriction legislation, Democrats find a rare, though likely temporary, victory.
Greg Abbott signed a bill banning abortion once a heartbeat can be detected and letting Texans sue those who “aid and abet” a woman getting the procedure.
The closest vote of Texas' legislative session concerned face coverings and the ability of the governor and county officials to deal with a future pandemic.
The lieutenant governor is no stranger to forcing votes on controversial issues, but a new gun bill the House passed has concerned some members of his Senate caucus.
A large majority of Texas Republicans believe the unsupported claims of leaders that the 2020 election was stolen. But some in the party think “election integrity” legislation could backfire.
Many industries bear a portion of the blame for the failure of Texas’s electric grid. But one seems to be escaping strict requirements to better prepare for future storms.
A guide to the key players in the 87th Legislature who are trying to stuff ten pounds of “priorities” into a five-pound sack.
The lieutenant governor has long responded to crises with more talk than legislation. But is something different this time as he deals with the aftermath of the blackout?
Galveston’s Terry Fisher on where to find your water meter, what to do when pipes thaw, and when to call a professional.
An energy expert explains why some four million Texans suffered a barrage of winter storms without heat in their homes.
Some Texans have long argued for leaving the Union. State representative Kyle Biedermann’s recent agitating about doing so is attracting an eager audience.
State lawmakers grapple with how to make this year productive, as they lose cherished time forming relationships on the floor.
Anti-abortion advocates are getting their hopes up that the U.S. Supreme Court could undo Roe v. Wade, but some are tired of waiting.
Fear of riots and the pandemic dominated the Legislature’s opening week, with some lawmakers venting their frustration with mask regulations, and others going into quarantine.