The latest Texas House of Representatives news from The Texas Tribune.
It's great to have experienced leaders on hand to help run the Legislature. But it's also great — at least from a leader's perspective — to have some openings to offer to potential supporters. Full Story
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Usually, the political establishment is more or less united, with major trade groups and major officeholders sticking with incumbents and, more importantly, sticking with one another. Not this year. Full Story
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The endorsements just keep on rolling in... Full Story
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Rice University political scientist Mark P. Jones looks at the legislative voting records of candidates in a half-dozen GOP primaries, finding some significant differences in House races and negligible differences in two Senate contests. Full Story
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A three-person HD-101 Democratic primary in Tarrant County features two former state representatives who can't stop swiping at each other and a fake string of emails that have been called "Machiavellian." Full Story
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Central Texas got a new GOP-friendly state House district in the redistricting process. And as is the case in all newly created districts, candidates don’t just have to campaign — they also have to educate voters about the change. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports. Full Story
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The next version of the Texas Legislature will have an unusually high number of new lawmakers — and a temporary deficit in legislative experience. Full Story
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Two House committees held a joint hearing today to explore how scientific research at universities can be commercialized for the benefit of businesses and the state economy. They heard testimony from the state's leading research universities. Full Story
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Changes in Texas' legislative maps have created opportunities for those hoping to knock off incumbent lawmakers — like in HD-47 in western Travis County. Ben Philpott reports for KUT News and the Tribune. Full Story
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The pay for Texas lawmakers is low, but the pension benefits are sweet. Some say, though, that lawmakers who break the law should have to forfeit their pensions. Full Story
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Lawmakers and health care advocates gathered today to kick off the state's first annual Minority Cancer Awareness Month, designated in the last legislative session to bring awareness to racial disparities in cancer survival. Full Story
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Texas has scored a 68 out of 100, placing 27th in a national state integrity study. The state got high marks for auditing and for monitoring pension funds, but not as high for accountability of the governor and legislators. Full Story
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The political action committee of Dallas billionaire waste magnate Harold Simmons is asking 18 lawmakers to return about $65,000 in contributions after admitting that an oversight led to illegal campaign contributions. Full Story
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God and Country, a new Texas-based organization, will hold a rally Saturday at a Tyler church to “draw a line in the sand and aggressively and publicly defend those certain unalienable rights endowed by our creator.” Full Story
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Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones is making a run for a state Senate seat. But her opponent in the GOP primary, state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, is challenging her on residency. That dispute is among this week's top political news items. Full Story
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Full video of my January 26 TribLive conversation with state Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview. Full Story
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After 20 years, Scott Hochberg is bailing out of the Texas Legislature. He’ll get back his nights and weekends. But he also won't be at the Capitol to help sort out education policy and financing. Full Story
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Pending any legal intervention, the three court-issued redistricting maps (House, Senate and Congress) and the State Board of Education map drawn up by the 82nd Legislature are now in effect. Use our interactive to see which district you live in now and who represents you. Full Story
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State Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, won't seek a 10th term in the Texas House. He's the 24th incumbent to either quit or decide not to return to the House next year. Full Story
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Monday's the day candidates can begin filing for office, and after a flurry of legal activity over the holidays, they now know what districts they're seeking to represent. Probably. Full Story
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