For the first time in a decade the Texas House—and influence over redistricting—is in play. Will it slip out of the Democratic party’s grasp once again?
Texas Legislature
The annual mock-government summer camp—which I attended in 1995—hits the national spotlight thanks to an engaging new documentary.
Recent attempts to abolish the holiday have failed. But things might be different when lawmakers return to Austin in January.
It's March 2021 and Democrats are in power again, the state budget is a bloodbath, and the coronavirus stalks the Capitol.
With a virus-infected economy and an oil bust to boot, the Texas model is facing an unprecedented crisis.
The booming suburbs of Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio could change the distribution of power in the state.
The Sundance Film Festival award winner follows teenagers from across Texas as they convene in Austin for an immersive lesson in government.
Beto & co. came up embarrassingly short, but the result probably doesn’t say all that much about November.
Now that races for the March primary are (mostly) set, here are a few things worth keeping an eye on.
What Poncho Nevarez’s cocaine problem tells us about corruption and impunity at the Texas Capitol.
The secretly recorded meeting between Dennis Bonnen and Michael Quinn Sullivan shows how Texas political operators talk behind closed doors.
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.
House Speaker Dennis Bonnen offers a masterclass in how to lose friends and alienate your allies in just a few easy steps.
MQS isn't the most trustworthy person in Texas politics, but Bonnen has done a poor job offering an alternative narrative about what transpired.
We reached out to prosecutors for all 254 Texas counties to ask whether they will still prosecute marijuana cases.
On Monday, the Senate passed a proposal to add four more writing tests and tie school funding directly to third-grade test results.
Despite Representative Celia Israel’s emotional, personal testimony, her bill to curtail the discredited practice has little chance of becoming law.
The Legislature remains far from allowing recreational use, but baby steps toward decriminalization could come this session.
The $119.12 billion two-year estimate is the first step in the Texas Legislature's budgeting process.
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.
This city in West Texas was the largest in the country without a presence from the controversial health clinic.
The nation’s high court will consider whether Texas legislative and congressional districts discriminate against minorities.
He’s not wrong about that, but is this an opportunity to reconsider gambling laws?
The Legislature is leaving unspent $18 billion that could go to further tax cuts or repairs to infrastructure or even, perhaps, to education.
The people behind the hidden camera investigation of the Legislature have more of a history of political activism than of journalism.
The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a right wing political group has been secretly recording Texas legislators, apparently with an aim at unseating Speaker Joe Straus.
Seems like a #GreatUseOfTime, #right?
The race to replace the late Texas State Senator Mario Gallegos.
Is this man running for office? It sure looks that way. He just filed "an appoinment of a campaign treasurer" for a still-unspecified position.
Mary Gonzalez of El Paso has been called the first lesbian member of the Texas legislature, but she tells the Dallas Voice that she prefers “pansexual.”
During a speech Monday, the governor laid out a five-point, budget-cutting pledge for no new taxes. But what was he really saying?
State senator Wendy Davis discussed the attempted arson at her office and Texas politics in general on the MSNBC show.
Update: Fort Worth police have arrested a 40 year-old homeless man for arson in Tuesday's firebombing of the Democratic state senator's Fort Worth office.
Perry conducted a Kardashian-level of media courtship at the Capitol, where he told reporters he won't rule out another run for governor or president.
A public records search by the Dallas Morning News' Christy Hoppe reveals that since the governor left the campaign trail, he's worked on state business for just ten hours.
Republican primary voters will be asked if they're in favor of the Eighty-third Legislature redrawing the maps.
But just how warmly will he be received by his colleagues and constituents?
From (HB) 1 to ($)15.2 billion, we revisit a few of the state's biggest stories in 2011 by examining the numbers.
The Texas Legislative Black Caucus is not happy with proposed interim House map, but some argue that African Americans are fairly represented.
Emergency U.S. Supreme Court case? Delayed March primary? The reactions to the federal panel of judge’s interim map pour in.
There are relatively few safeguards against a legislator’s potential conflict of interest turning into an actual conflict of interest.
Rep. David Simpson (R-Longview) files to run for Speaker of the House, displacing Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) as the conservative challlenger to Joe Straus (R-San Antonio).
The governor rejected calls to revisit school finance issues during his Tuesday media blitz, but his critics say he also overstated current funding levels.
Whether you’re drinking with politicos or dining with your parents, we’ll give you something to talk about to make you sound informed.
Instead of drawing you a map, how about a few shortcuts? Here are the key takeaways of what Thursday’s interim redistricting maps mean for our elected officials.
The issue involved here — how smokeless tobacco products (chewing tobacco, pouches, plugs, snuff) should be taxed — is something of little importance. But the larger political context does matter. As I understand it, the question is whether this product should be taxed according to its weight or according to…
This item from media critic Michael Wolff ran in politicalwire.com today: “The dirty little secret of conservative talk radio is that the average age of listeners is 67 and rising… What’s more, it’s the Internet that is the fast-growing and arguably more powerful political medium — and it…
Deep into the State of the State address, Gov. Rick Perry endorsed a proposal by Sen. Dan Patrick and Rep. Frank Corte to, in Perry’s words, “require those wanting to terminate a pregnancy to review their ultrasound before proceeding.” Perry told the assembled lawmakers today that “as we consider the…