With a full plate of controversial bills to go, Texas House committee OKs funding for virtual learning
Public hearing on bill about teaching race and history draws a crowd. Full Story
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![A Texas elementary school student works on a laptop.]()
Credit: Erich Schlegel for USA Today Network via REUTERS -
Texas House speaker says “absolutely no deals made” to bring back absent Democrats
Navigating the quorum break, Speaker Dade Phelan said he was especially mindful of not doing “un-repairable harm” to the chamber, indicating that could have happened if members were physically detained and brought to the chamber. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan sits on an interview with The Texas Tribune at the Capitol on Aug. 24, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House solidifies quorum with burst of returning Democrats but has only two weeks left to pass jam-packed agenda
It’s unclear what the Legislature will be able to accomplish with just two weeks left on the 30-day clock. Key legislative deadlines are coming. Member relationships are frayed. Some Democrats warn the quorum could be broken again. Full Story
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![Roll call is tallied on the House Floor on Aug. 23, 2021]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas lawmakers have two contentious voting fights ahead — if they can stay in the same room
After a standoff that lasted more than a month, the Texas House appears to have enough state representatives in Austin to conduct business. The divisions are deep, relationships are frayed and redistricting lies ahead. Full Story
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![State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, leads a prayer on the House floor on Aug. 19, 2021. Democratic lawmakers Garnet Coleman, Ana Hernandez and Armando Lucio Walle returned to the House floor, giving their Republican members a quorum.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas House finally makes quorum, but Democrats say Republicans cheated to get there
There were 99 members registered as present Thursday evening, the exact number needed to end the 38-day Democratic quorum break over the GOP’s priority elections bill. But not all of those members were physically on the floor. Full Story
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![House members watch as roll call is tallied on Aug. 19, 2021. The House reached a quorum after weeks of absence by House Democrats who left the state in protest over a GOP elections bill.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
After a nearly six-week exodus over GOP voting bill, enough Democrats return to Texas House to resume work
Democrat Reps. Garnet Coleman, Armando Walle and Ana Hernandez were the latest to rejoin the House on Thursday, narrowly clinching a quorum. Full Story
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![Houston state Rep. Armando Lucio Walle pushes Rep. Garnet Coleman in a wheelchair on the House floor on Aug. 19, 2021. State Rep. Ana Hernandez walked behind the duo.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: How much worse will Texas’ current COVID-19 wave get?
On this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Karen, Cassi and James about whether the this pandemic wave will turn out to be Texas’ worst and why no Democrats have been arrested since their warrants were signed last week. Full Story
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![A nurse administers an antibody treatment to a COVID-19 patient at Goodall-Witcher Hospital in Clifton on Aug. 3, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
The threats of state troopers arresting House Democrats have yet to materialize
As of Wednesday, there were no known cases of absent Democrats being arrested, and the chamber was still shy of the 100 members it needs for a quorum to conduct official business. That is despite its Aug. 10 vote to proceed with the arrests. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Public Safety vehicles outside of the state Capitol on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court says House Democrats can be arrested and brought to the Capitol, siding with Republicans trying to secure a quorum
In a bid to block a voting restrictions bill, House Democrats for weeks have denied the lower chamber the number of present members needed to pass legislation. House Speaker Dade Phelan has already signed dozens of civil arrest warrants. Full Story
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![The Texas House Democrats held a press conference alongside U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and grassroots organizers at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 6, 2021. Friday is both the anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act and the last day of the special session of the Texas Legislature.]()
Credit: Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribune -
8 candidates file for special election to replace former state Rep. Jake Ellzey
Five Republicans, one Democrat, an Independent and a Libertarian are vying to fill Ellzey's seat after he won a promotion to Congress last month. The filing deadline was 5 p.m. Thursday. Full Story
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![The state Capitol building on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas law enforcement deputized to round up absent House Democrats, intensifying battle in the lower chamber
The Texas Supreme Court cleared the way for absent House Democrats’ civil arrests after it temporarily blocked Harris County judges’ orders protecting them from such a move. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Public Safety vehicles outside of the state Capitol on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Local officials defy Gov. Greg Abbott on mask orders as COVID-19 rages
In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with James, Patrick and Joshua about COVID-19 overwhelming hospitals again and efforts to restore a quorum in the Texas House. Full Story
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![A nurse dons full PPE before entering the room of a COVID-19 patient at Goodall-Witcher Hospital in Clifton on Aug. 3, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Signed warrants produce no arrests of Texas Democrats for now, but perhaps a hardened resolve to stay away
It’s unclear how far Republican leadership plans to take the arrests, and there remains debate about the limits of law enforcement’s authority to detain lawmakers who are not accused of committing crimes. Full Story
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![Members voted on a motion by State Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, to instruct the Department of Public Safety to detain absent members and return them to the House floor until a quorum is present on Aug. 10, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signs 52 arrest warrants for absent Democrats in bid to end chamber’s weekslong stalemate
The Texas Supreme Court earlier Tuesday ruled that Democrats who refuse to show up could be detained by law enforcement and brought back to the state Capitol. Full Story
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![House speaker Dade Phelan announces that the motion to detain missing members and return them to the House floor until a quorum is present, passes with 80 affirmative votes, 12 opposed, one present not voting, and 56 absent members on Aug. 10, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats at odds with one another as some return to Legislature and others stay in Washington, D.C.
While the quorum-busting Democrats were able to maintain a largely united front during the first special session, which ended Friday, it was clear they reached a fork in the road when the second special session began a day later. Full Story
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![State Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, speaks with his colleagues on the House floor on Aug. 9, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House, just shy of a quorum, issues order to lock members inside the chamber
This is the second time in recent weeks the majority Republican House has voted to issue a “call of the House,” though members on Monday did not offer or debate a motion to enable law enforcement to track down members still missing from the chamber. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan declares that a quorum is not present on Aug. 9, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court denies Democrats' request to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott's veto of Legislature's funding
Abbott vetoed a section of the state budget that funds the Legislature — including salaries and benefits of 2,100 employees — as punishment for House Democrats' May walkout to prevent passage of a controversial voting bill. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Lawmaker relationships fray as Texas Democrats’ quorum bust to block voting bill drags on
“There’s been some significant — if not irreparable — damage to the relationships within the body,” said state Rep. Justin Holland, R-Rockwall. Full Story
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![The House Chamber on July 20, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Austin judge signs order to block arrests of Democrats who refuse to return to Texas Capitol for special session
A state district judge has granted a temporary restraining order blocking the arrest of House Democrats who have broken quorum, paving the way for those who remain outside the state to return home without threat of arrest. Full Story
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![At least 50 House Democrats that Texas left the state held a press conference in Washington D.C. The democrats broke quorum and stopped Republicans from taking up GOP priority bills on July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribune -
San Antonio Democrat Leo Pacheco reportedly planning to resign from Texas House before second term ends
Pacheco, who was first elected in 2018, announced that he will be resigning as a representative to teach public administration at San Antonio College, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Full Story
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![State Rep. Leo Pacheco, D-San Antonio, gives a surprising look to Speaker Phelan during the hour session on April 22, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune