Sen. Huffman, advocates at odds over best way to combat sexual assault
Some sexual assault survivors and advocates are clashing with a Texas senator over the best way to combat sexual assault on college campuses. Full Story
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Alex Samuels
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Alex Samuels was a reporter for The Texas Tribune from 2017 to 2021. She helped with national campaign coverage, wrote stories about the intersection of race and politics in Texas, and covered the hottest political news bubbling out of local communities. She was also one of the primary authors of The Blast, the Tribune’s subscription-only daily newsletter for political insiders. Alex began at the Tribune as a fellow in 2016. She graduated in 2017 from the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. She originally is from Massachusetts and is the best pingpong player at the Tribune.
Past Contributions
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![State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, during a meeting of the Senate State Affairs Committee on March 27, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Data shows Dukes has missed most votes in Texas House
State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, has missed more than 100 record votes during the current legislative session, the most of the 150 members of the House, according to a Tribune analysis of data from a legislative analytics website. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, speaks on the House floor during the budget debate on April 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Bill declaring fantasy sports legal passes House committee
In a hearing Tuesday, the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures approved a bill that would affirm the legality of online fantasy sports. Full Story
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Bill penalizing celebratory gunfire up for debate in House panel
The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee heard testimony for a bill Monday that would penalize people for discharging a firearm without an intended target. Full Story
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How to testify before lawmakers at the Texas Capitol
Nervous to testify before a House or Senate committee? Texas lobbyist Blake Rocap explains how to make your voice heard — even if you can’t make it to Austin. Full Story
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House committee backs banning most sex offenders from living on college campuses
Most registered sex offenders would be barred from living on college campuses under a bill unanimously approved by a House committee Wednesday. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Raney, R-College Station, lays out his bill HB 355 in the House Higher Education Committee on March 22, 2017. Raney's bill would forbid registered sex offenders from residing in college dorms to help curb the crime o sexual assaults on Texas college campuses.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Four things Texans want the Legislature to know about special education
Last month, The Texas Tribune asked parents and educators what they think lawmakers should do before the Legislature adjourns. Here’s what they said. Full Story
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![Kara DaRocha of Houston was among several parents who attended The Texas Tribune's roundtable discussion event on public education at the University of Houston-Downtown. DaRocha urged legislators to reach out to their constituents. “We can’t always go to them, especially if we don’t live in Austin,” DaRocha said. “That’s just not a realistic expectation for many of us parents.”]()
Credit: Spike Johnson for The Texas Tribune -
How the Texas "bathroom bill" compares to North Carolina's revised law
After North Carolina revised its controversial bathroom law last week, the NCAA announced it would again consider the state for future championship games. So is the proposed Texas bill more like the new North Carolina law or its predecessor? Full Story
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![Bathroom stall at the Austin Convention Center.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Judge denies request to dismiss some felony charges against Rep. Dawnna Dukes
A Travis County judge denied a request to dismiss four of the 13 felony charges against state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin at a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Feb. 15, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
House committee considers bill that would allow lottery winners to remain anonymous
On Monday, the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee considered House Bill 59, which would allow lottery winners of $1 million or more to remain anonymous. Full Story
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![A Texas Lottery sign in Austin on April 3, 2017.]()
Credit: John Jordan