Texas House to pick new speaker, concluding brutal proxy war
The new speaker will have a dramatic impact on the direction of this year’s lawmaking — and potentially the future of the Legislature. Full Story
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![The House Chamber on June 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
The Texas Legislature is back. Here’s what we’re watching.
From debating school vouchers and improving the state’s water supply to reining in property taxes, the GOP-led body will look to pass its conservative priorities amid fighting within the party. Full Story
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![State Representatives and their families gather on the House floor on 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 -
Texas lawmakers will have $194.6 billion to spend for the next budget, comptroller projects
The estimate includes $23.8 billion leftover from the current budget cycle. Full Story
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![Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar discusses the biennial revenue estimate with audience members at Texas Tribune’s Studio 919 in Austin on Jan. 9, 2023.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang/The Texas Tribune -
UT-Austin’s presidency goes vacant amid growing challenges for Texas public university leaders
In recent years university presidents have been facing growing political pressures, student and faculty pushback and an increasingly demanding job. Full Story
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![Students walk through campus at the University of Texas at Austin in Aug. 25, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Proposals to expand voting access in Texas may gain support
Proposals to allow online registration and broaden photo ID options may have a chance to advance, supporters say. Full Story
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![People wait in line to vote at Brazos County Election Administrator Office on Election Day in Bryan, Texas on November 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Gabriel Cárdenas for Votebeat -
“I just don’t really recognize the Republican Party”: Ousted state Rep. Steve Allison goes down swinging
Allison lost his primary last year, after being targeted by his party over his vote to kill school vouchers. Full Story
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![State Rep. Steve Allison, R-San Antonio arrives at his election watch party at the Barn Door on March 5.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán/San Antonio Report -
Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025.
A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate. Full Story
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![The Celina water tower among newer housing developments in Celina on November 13, 2024.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Mental health advocates ask Texas lawmakers to replace expiring COVID-19 relief funding
Texas received $203.4 million in 2021 to help build community mental health programs at libraries and churches, among other efforts. Those funds expire Dec. 31. Full Story
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![Mental Health pamphlets at an office complex in Round Rock on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Advocates say there aren’t enough of them in Texas long-term care facilities
Officials hope state lawmakers will boost the budget of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman office, an independent state agency, which can often be an elderly Texan’s only lifeline to the outside world. Full Story
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![An empty room at the Amistad Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on April 1, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans want voters to provide proof of citizenship. Arizona’s law holds lessons.
A Votebeat analysis shows how such requirements risk disenfranchising key voter groups, including Native Americans and college students. Full Story
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![DALLAS, TX - SEPTEMBER 20, 2024: ExpressVote voting machines at a public verification test of the voting system at the Dallas County Elections Department building in Dallas, Texas on Friday, September 20, 2024. The test allows participants to validate the voting process by using ballots containing the same races and proportions as the upcoming elections in November. CREDIT: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune -
An emerging Texas megadonor just pledged $20 million to “expand a true Republican majority”
Alex Fairly is an Amarillo businessman and father of a state House member who has previously given millions to West Texas A&M University, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
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![Amarillo businessman Alex Fairly speaks to the crowd Saturday night after his endorsed candidate Cole Stanley won the Amarillo mayoral election in downtown Amarillo.]()
Credit: Michael Cuviello/Amarillo Globe-News via REUTERS -
Texas GOP threatens House members who support Dustin Burrows in speaker race with attack mailers
This is the latest example of the Republican Party of Texas spending its resources attacking its own members. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, holds a press conference in the Speaker's Committee Room, on Dec. 7, 2024, announcing he has the votes to become Speaker of the House in the upcoming legislative session.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Dustin Burrows walks a tightrope seeking Republican and Democratic support for Texas House speaker bid
Five years after weathering a major Republican House leadership controversy, Burrows finds himself at the center of another skirmish — this time as he seeks the speaker’s gavel himself. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, holds a press conference in the Speaker's Committee Room saying he has the votes to become speaker of the House in the upcoming legislative session.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Dustin Burrows on bipartisanship, school vouchers and why he still thinks he’ll be Texas House speaker
In a Q&A, Burrows said he’s still confident he’ll win. But he says the leadership race is bigger than any one person and his supporters are trying to protect the integrity of the House. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, holds a press conference in the Speaker's Committee Room saying he has the votes to become Speaker of the House in the upcoming legislative session, on Dec. 7, 2024.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
A South Texas lawmaker's 15-year fight for a Rio Grande Valley law school
Advocates say a law school in one of the state's poorest regions would exponentially help communities with legal aid. Full Story
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![Armando Martinez speaks during the Inside the Interim with RGV Lawmakers Event in Edinburg on Aug. 24, 2022.]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
The Texas House speaker race isn’t over. Here’s where it stands.
With Speaker Dade Phelan out of the race, Republican state Reps. David Cook and Dustin Burrows will now face off. Full Story
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![The Texas House floor on Aug. 31, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
What does the Texas House speaker do and why are Republicans fighting?
Texas Republicans are poised to pick the statehouse lower chamber’s next leader this weekend. Full Story
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![Speaker of the House Dade Phelan presides over the opening day of the special session at the Texas Capitol on July 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Speaker Dade Phelan abandons bid for third term amid bruising leadership battle
Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, had previously insisted he had enough votes to thwart a challenge from the right led by state Rep. David Cook of Mansfield. Full Story
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![Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan before gavelling in the House for the third-called special session on Oct. 9, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Houston Rep. Gene Wu to lead Texas House Democrats through GOP-dominated legislative session
Wu defeated incumbent Trey Martinez Fischer on Thursday to become the next chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus. Full Story
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![Texas Rep. Gene Wu looks on during a press conference in opposition to Senate Bill 147 outside of City Hall on January 23, 2023, in downtown Houston, Texas.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas has billions pledged to expand broadband. Spending it is taking a while.
Despite the efforts of local governments and others, the move to provide internet access to millions of Texans has been slow and faces new challenges. Full Story
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![A sign welcoming visitors to Big Lake. Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.]()
Credit: Mitch Borden for The Texas Tribune