Special election to fill former state Rep. Jake Ellzey's North Texas seat set for Aug. 31
Ellzey, a Waxahachie Republican, is in Congress after winning the special election runoff last month for the 6th Congressional District. Full Story
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![The House floor on May 7, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
First special legislative session ends without any bills passed and Democrats still in D.C.
House Democrats are still camped out in the nation’s capital hinting that many may not return to Austin immediately as the next overtime round starts Saturday. Full Story
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![Legislators talk on the House floor on July 29, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Quorum-busting Texas House Democrats still plotting next move ahead of second special session
Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that a second round of legislative overtime would begin Saturday, the Democrats who relocated to Washington, D.C., to prevent the House from having enough members to conduct business indicated they are still discussing what they’ll do now. Full Story
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![State Rep. Chris Turner, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, joined other Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives, who are boycotting a special session of the legislature in an effort to block Republican-backed voting restrictions, as they speak in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., on July 13, 2021.]()
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State Rep. Travis Clardy tests positive for COVID-19, is quarantining in district
Clardy, who has been fully vaccinated since earlier this year, tested positive last Friday. Full Story
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![State Rep. Travis Clardy, R-Nacogdoches, on the House floor on May 7, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Two House Democrats who broke quorum missing from Washington, D.C., reportedly vacationing in Portugal
Their vacation does not affect the lack of quorum that the House has in Austin that prevents the chamber from passing an elections bill. But it is at odds with Democrats’ insistence that they would use their time away to advocate for federal voting rights legislation in the nation’s capital. Full Story
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![From left, Democratic state Reps. Julie Johnson and Jessica González.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
With time running out, Texas Legislature still at impasse on GOP elections bill
Republicans believe they have already compromised enough on the legislation, while Democrats are distrustful of both the policy driving the bill and their GOP colleagues after seeing how they have managed the process around the proposal so far. Full Story
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![Legislators talk amongst themselves on the House floor on July 29, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas government has to put Humpty Dumpty together again
A partial shutdown of state government wouldn't do anyone in state politics any good. Lawmakers still have time to erase the governor's veto of the Legislature's budget — but not a lot of time. Full Story
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![A legislator holds his head in his hand while sitting on the House floor on July 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
A tale of two capital cities: Texas Democrats continue fight for voting rights in Washington as Republicans push them to return
Both Republicans in Austin and Democrats in D.C. have engaged in the political drama over the past two weeks, with the two camps battling it out on cable news interviews and social media over the quorum bust and who is to blame for it. Full Story
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![State Rep. Cecil Bell Jr, R-Magnolia, sits on the House floor on July 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers to testify as U.S. House oversight committee plans hearing on Texas voting bill
Three of the Democratic legislators who went to Washington, D.C., to deny the Texas House a quorum have been invited to detail their concerns at a specially called hearing on the contentious legislation that includes new restrictions on voting. Full Story
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![From left, Democratic state Reps. Senfronia Thompson, Nicole Collier and Diego Bernal.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Beto O’Rourke group gives $600,000 to Texas House Democrats’ stay in Washington, D.C.
Members left Texas about 10 days ago and have said they plan to stay out of state until after the special session ends Aug. 6. Full Story
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![Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, speaks at “Texans Rally for Our Voting Rights” at the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 8, 2021. Critics of SB 7 claim that the legislation suppresses voting rights by limiting and changing state voting procedures.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court may decide next plot twist in the Democratic walkout, and the fate of 2,100 state employees
The state’s highest civil court has been asked to decide if Gov. Greg Abbott has the power to cut off funding for legislative staff, a move Abbott hoped would keep Democratic lawmakers from leaving the state and shutting down a special legislative session. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Sixth Texas Democrat in Washington, D.C., tests positive for COVID-19
The Texas House Democratic Caucus, which has said it plans to not identify lawmakers who test positive, has started additional precautionary measures, such as providing daily rapid tests. Full Story
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Texas House Democrat Michelle Beckley announces run against Republican U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne
Beckley unveiled her plans in a video filmed inside a hotel room in the nation’s capital, where state House Democrats fled earlier this month to break quorum in protest of Republicans’ priority elections bill. Full Story
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![State Rep. Michelle Beckley, D-Carrollton, speaks to reporters at the General Investigation committee hearing at the Capitol. Beckley was one of the state representatives mentioned during the June 12 meeting between House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Michael Quinn Sullivan.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott says he’ll soon unveil plan to restrict transition-related medical care for transgender children
The move comes after bills to do so were unsuccessful during the regular legislative session — and after Abbott did not include them on his agenda for the ongoing special session. Full Story
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![Ali Cross of the Austin Cheer squad waves a trans flag while her squad mates hold her up on the steps of the state Capitol at a rally against anti-trans legislation on April 28, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
El Paso Democrat Joe Moody stripped of leadership position in Texas House after leaving state with Democrats
Moody, one of House Speaker Dade Phelan's closest Democratic allies, is the first Democrat to suffer political backlash after the quorum break. Full Story
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![State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, speaks with colleagues on the House floor during session at the state capitol on May 25, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Behind the partisan drama lies a profoundly serious struggle over who gets shut out under Texas voting laws
Whose voices will be heard in Texas halls of power? That question beats at the heart of the Democratic quorum break that has brought the Legislature to a halt and focused national attention on GOP efforts to make voting in Texas harder. Full Story
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![Tevin English holds signs in front of the Texas Capitol at a Voting Rights Advocacy Day rally held by various voting rights advocacy groups on July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Texans, where’s your Democratic lawmaker?
Here’s a list of the Texas Democrats who left the state in an effort to block GOP voting legislation. Full Story
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![An empty House floor the day after Texas Democrats left the state to break quorum over a Republican-led voting restrictions bill. July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Republicans vote to track down absent Democrats and arrest them if necessary
The procedural move carries little apparent weight since the Democrats who fled the state to break quorum are beyond the jurisdiction of Texas law enforcement. Full Story
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![House Republicans crowd around the speakers desk to discuss a point of order attempting to strip absent members of their committee appointments on the House floor on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Deploy law enforcement? Call another special session? Texas GOP mulls options for elections bill after Democrats leave the state
A number of House Republicans indicated that they would support what’s known as a call of the House, a procedural move that would allow law enforcement to track down lawmakers who have already fled the chamber. Full Story
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![Planes stationed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on July 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
What's in the new voting restriction legislation introduced in the Texas House and Senate
Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 3 will be the starting points for the Legislature's efforts to tighten Texas voting laws. Here's what the bills would do. Full Story
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![Individuals stand on the south steps of the Texas Capitol in support of voting rights at a press conference organized by Black Voters Matter, the Texas Right to Vote Coalition, Texas for All Coalition and other advocacy groups on July 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune
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