The next lieutenant governor is a former radio shock jock who became one of the most conservative members of the Legislature. How will Dan Patrick act now that he is one of the most powerful officials in Texas?
Free advice for Greg Abbott, the new governor of Texas.
When it comes to policy making, reasons matter.
Looks like San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro may be heading to Washington, and Texas Senator Robert Duncan is bound for Texas Tech. What does that mean for local politics?
The university's chancellor wars.
Texas politics in 2014 is certain to be interesting.
Among the many Texans transfixed by Wendy Davis's June 25th filibuster was her father, Jerry Russell. In July, he shared some memories about Davis's childhood, her challenges, and what he was thinking on the day that shook up Texas's political scene.
Rick Perry isn't running for re-election in 2014
Freshmen, per Texas tradition, should be seen and not heard—unless they're passing a first-in-the-nation email privacy measure.
A proposal to expand funding for transportation may face some snarls in the Texas House.
Brian D. Sweany, Erica Grieder, Sonia Smith and I joined Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune to talk about our picks for the 2013 Ten Best/Ten Worst Legislators list.
Up with the "Merry Christmas" bill, down with the Medicaid rider.
Ted Cruz is going all in against immigration reform. But would his win be our loss?
John Carona is a state senator from Dallas who chairs the Business and Commerce Committee. He’s also the CEO of the country’s largest homeowners’ association management company. And the word “recusal” isn’t in his vocabulary.
If signed into law, House Bill 166 will create an independent commission to review cases of wrongfully-convicted Texans.
Over the past two decades a movement to increase the importance of standardized testing in public schools has swept across the country. It was born in Texas. Is Texas also where it might die?
Don't understand Texas's constitutional spending cap? You've come to the right place.
The Senate's unanimous passage of SB 7 gives a small hint of what a Texas approach to Medicaid might look like.
Has Texas entered a new era in which talking about new revenue doesn't equal certain political death?
This week's debate on the PUC shows why the sunset process continues to shine light on good government.
In his biennial address on the state of the judiciary, the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court remembers the Alamo.
The Texas Senate passes its version of the supplemental appropriations bill for some cash-strapped state agencies.
The race to replace the late Texas State Senator Mario Gallegos.
In the House of Representatives traditional flag football game, sports and politics collided on the grass of Kyle Field. Fortunately, the only things that got bruised were a few egos.
A Senate finance committee work group has proposed directing an additional $100 million towards preventative care and family planning.
What the unanimous passage of HB 10 suggests about the mood of the 83rd Legislature.
Why Texas should think about raising the minimum wage—and why doing so might not be such a good idea in other states.
Austin is known, somewhat ostentatiously, as the Live Music Capital of the World, but as any longtime resident knows, the best show in town is not a musical performance at all. In fact, it is mostly tuneless, it has little in the way of rhythm, and no one has ever tried
Money makes the world go round - Susan Combs on budgets, borrowing, and race cars.
Texas won’t get its financial house in order until lawmakers have a thoughtful conversation about the T-word. Don’t hold your breath.
Democrats have signaled their intention to offer an amendment to restore the education spending cuts made last session, which signals to everyone who is watching that the Democratic strategy is going to pretty much be this: make the Republicans pay for every bad vote.
As most readers know, one of the battles of the 83rd Legislature is likely to occur over the use of public funds for private schools. Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst and Senator Dan Patrick are backing the proposal. (At a recent Texas Tribune event, Speaker Straus urged caution on the issue.) The
John Whitmire is making his third attempt to streamline the appeals process for inmates who may be exonerated by improved forensic techniques.
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.”
TEXAS MONTHLY invited state senator Dan Patrick and state representative Donna Howard to tweet chat with executive editor Mimi Swartz about our August cover story on women's health.
Republican state senator Jeff Wentworth's latest salvo against his primary opponent Elizabeth Ames Jones? Suing her for defamation.
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.
A brief history of every Legislature we’ve ever covered.
For the Eighty-second Legislature (our twentieth at the Capitol), everything old was new again: the state faced a budget deficit; the governor harbored presidential ambitions; the members of the Best list were hard to find; and the names on the Worst list picked themselves.
Hugo Berlanga D–Corpus ChristiTenure: Representative from 1977 to 1999Number of times on the Best list: 3I was the first Hispanic speaker pro tempore in the history of the House. I served under Gib Lewis, and he later told me that the reason he selected me is that he needed someone who
