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Patrick Svitek was the primary political correspondent for The Texas Tribune. Patrick covered elections, state leaders, the Legislature and political trends across the state from 2015 until 2024. He previously worked for the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau. Patrick graduated in 2014 from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Texas House Republicans will meet early Wednesday to discuss whether to require members of their caucus to choose a speaker candidate — then stand behind their pick when the vote goes to the full House in January 2019. Full Story
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House and Senate negotiators will have the next two days remaining in the current special legislative session to hammer out their differences on legislation tackling property taxes, school finance and other items still in play. Full Story
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Legislation finally began reaching Gov. Greg Abbott's desk on Friday — with five days left in the special session — but there's still much progress to be made on Abbott's 20-item agenda. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, is using his congressional recess for a 34-day tour of Texas in his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz next year. Full Story
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Not a single measure has made it to the governor’s desk despite a steady drumbeat from his office urging lawmakers to go "20 for 20." A "bathroom bill" is on life support, but a property tax measure still has momentum, supporters say. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Will Hurd logged hundreds of miles Sunday and Monday to hold town halls during Congress' summer recess, and his interactions with constituents illustrated the fine line he must walk in his massive swing district. Full Story
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Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, is voicing agreement with two House members who want Gov. Greg Abbott to expand the special session agenda to include ethics reform. Full Story
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Gina Ortiz Jones, a former Air Force intelligence officer, is launching a bid against U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, who is widely viewed as the most vulnerable Republican member of Congress from Texas. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick marked the halfway point of the special session Tuesday by calling for "better communications" with the House, which has moved much slower on Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda than Patrick's Senate has. Full Story
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At the likely halfway point of a 30-day special session, the Texas House and Senate are taking very different approaches to the governor's sprawling agenda, and they could be headed for another standoff on a so-called "bathroom bill." Full Story
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