Oaths, M&Ms and a historic Quran: Texas’ freshman lawmakers begin their inaugural legislative session
New Texas House members were sworn into office Tuesday, including some who have already made history. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/dccc5c6aebe3a34270815ea88e94ff98/0110%20Salman%20Bhojani%20EL%20TT%2001.jpg)
-
![State Rep. Salman Bhojani, D-HD92, speaks with Usama Malik, resident chaplain of Muslim Space, before participating in an interfaith ceremony the morning of the opening day of the 88th Legislative Session at the state Capitol in Austin on Jan. 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Look up your representatives in the Tribune’s elected officials directory
Look up information about every statewide elected official, every member of the Texas Legislature and every Texan in Congress and see who represents you. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/10ccfdf5a2728929cf1371f4cd52a98b/House%20Floor%20Jan%2013%20JV%20TT%2002.jpg)
![The Texas House of Representatives on Jan. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House selects Rep. Dade Phelan as speaker for another legislative session
Phelan defeated Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, for the House leadership position in a vote, 145-3. In cruising to victory, Phelan secured the support of Democrats as well as the most conservative members of his party. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2bfdf9738a480e104df1fab41d17d8ff/0110%20Phelan%20Elected%20EL%20TT%20reedit%2004.jpg)
![Representative Dade Phelan is sworn in as the 88th Speaker of the House, at the state Capitol in Austin, on Jan. 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Live video from the Texas House and Senate
The Texas Tribune is streaming the 2023 legislative session live from the Texas House and Senate chambers. The session runs from Jan. 10 to May 29. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/edfc9b8b54d6eb5381e4a4bf7af4cf16/texastribune-placeholder.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Texas Legislature 101: Understanding the state government and how it passes laws
Here’s a rundown of how a bill becomes a law, how the Texas Legislature works and the power players who keep things moving under the Pink Dome. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e141c09ca44a9cf3e64b450d5f291ae0/House%20Floor%20Abortion%20Bill%20MG%20TT%2008.jpg)
![A visitor of the House gallery listens to legislators speak during a debate on an abortion bill being considered on the House floor on May 5, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Four new Texas House members discuss immigration, property taxes and public school financing
They talked about their campaigns and journey to the Legislature, what has stood out to them so far about working in the House and what they hope to accomplish this session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c8a4643b448d6b894aa31a72314929cf/1-17_FourNewMembers_Leadart-02-v1.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Texas House Democrats enter session with bipartisan hopes — and a new leader who’s prepared to fight
There are 64 Democrats in the 150-member House, one fewer than before the election. There is also one fewer Democrat in the Senate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ba303356cc918c34b0f2a74f789262a1/07_Martinez_Rodriguez_Presser_Property_Tax_Reform_MG_TT.jpg)
![State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, speaks at a press conference in reaction to a property tax reform proposal by Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen. The trio laid out their proposal earlier in the day. Jan. 31, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Democratic Caucus elects Trey Martinez Fischer as its new chair
Martinez Fischer replaces Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, who has led the caucus since 2017 and did not seek reelection. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f9f323cca6833f15e8f5b9672268d697/SB7%20Dem%20Broke%20Quorum%20Presser%20MG%2002.jpg)
![State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, speaks at a press conference at Mt. Zion Baptist Church near the state Capitol in Austin after Democrats broke quorum in opposition to Senate Bill 7, a sweeping GOP voting bill. May 30, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Republican Caucus backs Dade Phelan as Texas House speaker
Republican members of the Texas House endorsed Phelan’s bid for reelection in a nonbinding vote on Saturday. An official vote from the entire Texas House will take place in January. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3f7c6a0e37ee3f6afa885d8f0a48d358/House%20Floor%20Phelan%20BD%20TT%2012.jpg)
![Newly-elected House Speaker Dade Phelan speaks to the House of Representatives during opening ceremonies as the 2021 legislative session begins. Jan. 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool -
Losing Republican candidate wants Texas House to void results of his race
Mike May, who lost to Houston state Rep. Jon Rosenthal by 6,000 votes, wants the Texas House to order a new election. State law allows such an appeal, but the House hasn’t approved one in more than 40 years. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fa8d320914812a771ad7950d038cbf6e/Mike%20May%20and%20Jon%20Rosenthal%20TT.jpg)
![From left: Republican Mike May and Texas House District 135 incumbent Democrat Jon Rosenthal.]()
Credit: Social media -
By tradition, the minority party gets to chair some Texas House committees. Some in the GOP want to end that.
Republican critics say conservative priorities will always be hamstrung if Democrats, who are in the minority party, get a say in which legislation reaches the floor. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c8d57e60382e14dfe4c41874dd1e6b81/Second%20Special%20Day%20One%20JV%20TT%2015.jpg)
![House Speaker Dade Phelan gavels the House into session on Saturday, August 7, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Photos: Election Day 2022 in Texas
Texas Tribune photographers spread out all over the state to document a momentous midterm election. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/78389768882bd5ec9ad07611b4182825/1108%20Election%20Day%20McAllen%20JG%20TT%2018.jpg)
![Voters are in line at the Lark Community Center in McAllen on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
How Texas voted in the November 2022 midterms
Follow The Texas Tribune’s coverage of midterm election results for governor, attorney general, U.S. House and the Texas Legislature. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d8da75ef24cbd58044f3521eb4d259fc/midterm-leadart-v1.png)
![Election results]()
Credit: Emily Albracht/Texas Tribune -
State Rep. John Lujan hopes to beat Frank Ramirez and finally represent Bexar County in a legislative session
Lujan has twice won special elections to the Texas House — but he has never served while the Legislature met. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7dc3a732662f8962c87214a321d1cb5a/Lujan%20Watch%20Party%20MGO%20TT%2007.jpg)
![John Lujan speaks to people at his watch party on Nov. 2, 2021. Lujan won the election for State representative of district 118.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, one of the most far-right members of the House, announces he’s running for speaker
The current speaker, fellow Republican Dade Phelan, is expected to seek the gavel again but has not made an official announcement yet. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a6c92cd03b983a487d89470912265fda/House%20Floor%20July%2013%20Tinderholt%20JV%20TT%2017.jpg)
![State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, speaks to a colleague on the House floor on July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
An evangelical GOP congressional candidate in Texas wrote a novel about Anne Frank finding Jesus
Johnny Teague, an evangelical pastor and business owner who won his primary in March, authored “The Lost Diary of Anne Frank,” a novel in which Frank seems to embrace Christianity just before she is murdered by the Nazis. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c868bcc6064310521839aa9fba7ee281/Johnny%20Teague%20TT.jpg)
![Johnny Teague, a pastor in west Houston is the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in Texas’ 7th district.]()
Credit: YouTube screenshot -
Texas Republicans in tight races open to rape and incest exceptions to abortion ban
In some battleground state legislative races, Republicans have been making overtures to those who believe the ban as too extreme. They have said they are open to revising the ban to include the exceptions — and even voiced confidence that the Legislature will do so when it reconvenes in January. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/867b8dffc170f7df305f2412f6969a36/Abortion%20Rights%20Rally%20LW%20TT%2002.jpg)
![People rallying for abortion rights march down Congress Avenue in Austin on May 3, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
Ahead of the 2023 session, Texas lawmakers previewed their objectives. Here are five things you need to know.
Texas lawmakers on both sides of the aisle talked schools, abortion and guns in advance of next year’s session in a range of panels at The Texas Tribune Festival. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/217b90904540bbce35ed97202a8091ed/0923%20House%20GOP%20AS%20TT%2020.jpg)
![From left: Tribune political correspondent Patrick Svitek moderates a discussion about the 88th legislative session withHouse Republicans Four Price, Dustin Burrows, Ellen Troxclair and Craig Goldman at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Sept. 23, 2022.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan rules out raising the minimum age to buy a firearm
At the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, the Texas House speaker also signaled willingness to consider exceptions to the state’s abortion ban. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/99d5f86dbccf96b2893787a1b418b9d1/0923%20Dade%20Phelan%20EG%20TT%2007.jpg)
![Dade Phelan, Speaker of the Texas House, speaks with Evan Smith at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 23, 2022 in Austin, TX.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Does a fetus count in the carpool lane? Texas’ abortion law creates new questions about legal personhood
A pregnant Texas woman said her fetus should count as a person in an HOV lane. That legal question is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the thorny question of “personhood.” Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/03/27/Toll-Roads.jpg)
![Interstate 45 Gulf Freeway's HOV and Toll lanes exit into Metro's Eastowood Transit Center in Houston Friday, October 19, 2012.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune