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  • TribBlog: The First Non-Vote

    By Reeve Hamilton

    After winning a rough and tumble contest for his seat, freshman state Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, got his first chance at a record vote in the Texas House of Representatives today. And when that vote finally came, what did he do? He abstained. Full Story 

    State Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs.
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • TribBlog: Straus in the House

    By Emily Ramshaw

    The Texas House formally re-elected San Antonio Republican Speaker Joe Straus. By acclamation, they chose to stick with the moderate, "will-of-the-House" speaker as opposed to overthrowing him with someone more conservative. Full Story 

    Wallace Jefferson swearing in Joe Straus at the 82nd Legislative Session.
    Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

  • TribBlog: Chisum Supports Straus

    By Ross Ramsey

    State Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, is dropping his challenge to House Speaker Joe Straus and will vote for the incumbent when the House convenes later today, he said in a letter released this morning. Full Story 

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    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • Decision Time

    By Ross Ramsey

    The Texas Legislature today starts its 140-day effort to puzzle out a massive budget deficit, political redistricting, immigration and a slew of other gnarly problems. The budget issues came into focus Monday with new numbers from the comptroller, who says the state is recovering, slowly, from the recession. But first, legislators will get organized, voting on new rules, a new Speaker, and getting sworn in. Full Story 

    House Speaker Joe Straus, R-Alamo Heights, in January 2011.
    Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

  • Hammer, Nailed

    By Morgan Smith and Aziza Musa

    In what may be a hollow victory for his opponents still grappling with his skillful 2003 redrawing of the state’s political maps, former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, was sentenced Monday to three years in prison. Full Story 

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    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • The General at War

    By Ben Philpott, KUT News

    Rick Perry might be the state official most publicly doing battle with the the federal government, but Greg Abbott is quietly leading the charge on behalf of Texas. The Attorney General, who was just sworn into his third term in office, talked recently with Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune. Full Story 

    Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott
    Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

  • TribBlog: The Bill Mill

    By Kate Galbraith

    The Texas Legislature begins its biennial session today. If 2009 is a guide, lawmakers here are likely to introduce — and pass — more bills this year than virtually any other state. Full Story 

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    Credit: Todd Wiseman

  • TribBlog: Paxton Still In Speaker Race

    By Ross Ramsey

    State Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, will stay in the race for speaker tomorrow though he got spanked in the Republican Caucus today. More than two-thirds of the caucus membes expressed their support for Speaker Joe Straus in a non-binding preference poll conducted behind closed doors. Full Story 

    State Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, after failing to win the endorsement of GOP caucus members for House speaker on Jan. 10, 2011.
    Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune

  • TribBlog: DPS Says Capitol Is Secure; Lawmakers Wary

    By Andrew Weber

    Police at the Capitol say the state's lawmakers and their guests will be safe under the pink dome as the 82nd Legislature gets underway tomorrow. But lawmakers are encouraging vigilance after the Arizona shooting this weekend that left a congresswoman critically injured and 14 others dead. Full Story 

    State troopers denying visitor entrance to the Capitol due to a bomb threat on June 18, 2010.
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Straus: Speaker's Race "Overanalyzed"

    By Elise Hu

    Despite loud protests from Tea Party groups that pushed for a more conservative leader, the Texas House Republican Caucus endorsed incumbent Speaker Joe Straus in an afternoon vote. Straus, appearing after the meeting, said the notion of a speaker's race was "overstudied and overanalyzed." Full Story 

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  • TribBlog: The Wind Blows Stronger

    By Kate Galbraith

    Electricity use on the Texas grid rose by 3.5 percent in 2010, and wind turbines generated 7.8 percent of the power, according to figures released today by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid operator. Full Story 

    New turbines tower over an old windmill at the Whirlwind wind farm, near Floydada
    Credit: Kate Galbraith

  • TribBlog: Invitation to a Tea Party

    By Reeve Hamilton

    Tea Partiers expect to have a seat at the table during Texas' 82nd Legislative Session, the first since the movement's rise, via the new Tea Party Caucus organized by Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston. The caucus is advised by a select group of Tea Party leaders from around the state, including Greg Holloway, a leader of the Austin Tea Party Patriots and the Common Sense Texans Network. He talked with the Trib about the upcoming session. Full Story 

    Greg Holloway
    Credit: Todd Wiseman

  • TribBlog: Republicans for Straus

    By Ross Ramsey

    House Speaker Joe Straus has the support of the House Republican legislative caucus, which met on the afternoon before the legislative session to take the measure of the incumbent and two challengers: Warren Chisum of Pampa and Ken Paxton of McKinney. With all but one of the 101 Republicans in the House present, 70 stood up to show their support for Straus in the closed meeting, according to legisaltors who were inside. With that done, there was no reason to check the support for the other two candidates. Full Story 

    House Speaker Joe Straus entering a GOP House caucus meeting on January 10, 2011.
    Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera