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Texas House of Representatives

The latest Texas House of Representatives news from The Texas Tribune.

  • The Mother's Milk

    By Ross Ramsey

    The state's political economy hummed with $43.5 million in contributions to and between candidates and political action committees between Sept. 24 and Oct. 23, according to the most recent reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. The biggest contribution: $3 million to Rick Perry's re-election campaign from the Republican Governors Association. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • Where They Stand: HD-52

    By Ben Philpott, KUT News

    In House District 52 — southern Williamson County — incumbent Democrat Diana Maldonado faces one of her party's toughest challengers in Republican Larry Gonzales. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at how the candidates would set priorities for a fast-growing part of state. Full Story 

    State Rep. Diana Maldonado, D-Round Rock, and Republican challenger Larry Gonzales.
    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • Dunnam on Trial

    By Julián Aguilar

    The trial-lawyer-as-epithet strategy, a perennial favorite of Texans Republicans, is playing big in the effort to oust longtime Democratic House member Jim Dunnam, D-Waco. Full Story 

    State Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, at a press conference in 2009.
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • Where They Stand: HD-47

    By Ben Philpott, KUT News

    In House District 47 — which sits entirely within Travis County — incumbent Democrat Valinda Bolton is locked in a tight race with Republican Paul Workman. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at where the candidates stand on the issue of transportation. Full Story 

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  • Swing Shift?

    By Elise Hu

    In one of the most competitive Texas House races this fall, Republican Cindy Burkett is challenging freshman state Rep. Robert Miklos, D-Mesquite, in a southeastern Dallas County swing district. Full Story 

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  • A Sophomore Slump?

    By Elise Hu

    Half a dozen Democratic House members first elected in 2008 face an important test this fall: Can they win re-election on their own merits, without the help of high turnout generated by a popular presidential candidate? Republicans believe the combination of the current anti-incumbent mood, the Obama backlash and the built-in advantage that the GOP enjoys in Texas spells doom for Dems up and down the ballot. But the freshmen playing defense point to a few factors working in their favor. Full Story 

    These freshmen state lawmakers are battling to hang onto their seats this fall.
    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • Show Us the Money

    By Ross Ramsey and Matt Stiles

    With a month to go before Election Day, challengers in fifteen House races outraised incumbents during the most recent reporting period, according to the most recent filings with the Texas Ethics Commission. In eight of those races, the challengers led in combined spending and saving, a rough measure of each campaign's financial strength. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • The Weekly TribCast: Episode 49

    By Elise Hu

    In this week's skirmish, topics include campaign cash, the latest polls in the governor's race, the hotbed of Texas House activity in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the consequences of the budget crisis. Full Story 

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  • 2010: Moody Hearts Perry?

    By Brandi Grissom

    The Republican Party of Texas is accusing Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody, of El Paso, of plagiarizing the text of a State of the State address by Gov. Rick Perry, and it has launched a website to make its case: www.madatmoody.com. Full Story 

    State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, at the 2010 Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi.
    Credit: Spencer Selvidge

  • Where They Stand: HD-45

    By Ben Philpott, KUT News

    In House District 45 — which covers Hays, Blanco and Caldwell counties — incumbent Democrat Patrick Rose faces a stiff challenge from Republican Jason Isaac. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at where the candidates stand on two flashpoints this election year: the budget and immigration. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Bob Daemmrich/Todd Wiseman

  • In the Soup?

    By Emily Ramshaw

    Double-billing taxpayers for travel expenses, driving a luxury car owned by a state transportation contractor and repeatedly failing to pay taxes won’t put a lawmaker in good standing with the ethics police, as state Reps. Charles “Doc” Anderson, R-Waco; Joe Driver, R-Garland; and Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, are finding. The three hope the headlines dogging their re-election bids won’t follow them to the polls, while their Democratic opponents are reveling in their misery at every campaign stop. Yet whether a scandal forces an incumbent from office depends on the scenario. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • A Conversation With Debbie Riddle

    By Evan Smith

    For the 12th event in our TribLive series, I interviewed the GOP state representative from Tomball about what she really said on CNN, whether "tourism" babies are a threat to national security, why an Arizona-style immigration law would be right for Texas and whether she'll back Joe Straus for speaker. Full Story 

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  • Power Over Privacy

    By Elise Hu

    In the closing days of his last term in the Texas House, former state Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, used his legislative authority to obtain confidential records from the Texas Medical Board, The Texas Tribune has learned. His reason? To defend doctors who he believes were wrongly the subjects of misconduct investigations by the board, which licenses the state's physicians. Full Story 

    Former state Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, on the Texas House floor in 2007
    Credit: AP/Harry Cabluck

  • Explaining Closed Cases

    By Elise Hu

    In this clip from Monday's testimony, Commissioner Rod Bordelon of the state Division of Workers' Compensation explains why he dismissed several cases against doctors that a physician review panel had already sent to enforcement. Under questioning, he admits he looked into the process and subsequently shut it down after a call from state Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler. Full Story 

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  • The Chisum Trail

    By Ross Ramsey

    The route to toppling House Speaker Joe Straus is littered with big obstacles and high hurdles. But it's not completely impassable, which is why state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, is considering a challenge. "I'm sticking my toe in the water and seeing if there's any temperature there," he told the Tribune on Friday. "Seems to be some temperature." Full Story 

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