State Rep. Chris Paddie, chair of powerful state affairs committee, says he won’t run for reelection
The news comes less than a month after Paddie, who has represented House District 9 since 2013, announced he would run for reelection. Full Story
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![State Rep. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall, speaks from the podium at the front of the House of Representatives on Sunday, May 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Law enforcement warns of “credible threat” against Texas legislators who voted for abortion ban
The threat was apparently made on Reddit and included the names of House and Senate members who voted for Senate Bill 8 during the regular legislative session. Full Story
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![The House floor on Aug. 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
After losing to a Democrat in 2020, former GOP state Sen. Pete Flores seeks election in newly drawn Republican district
Within hours, Flores got the endorsement of Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, who is vacating the seat to run for land commissioner, and then Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate. Full Story
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![State Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, on the Senate floor on April 9, 2019.]()
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First draft of Legislature’s map of new State Board of Education districts shores up Republican majority
The Republican-dominated, 15-member board determines what millions of public school students in the state are taught in classrooms. Full Story
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![The State Capitol on Nov. 19, 2020.]()
Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate opens redistricting debate with proposed map one senator labels “intentional discrimination”
The first draft of the Senate map was authored by a Republican who chairs the Senate Redistricting Committee. It immediately drew fire from a Democratic member who said her district was being redrawn to dilute voting power of people of color. Full Story
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![The Senate floor on Jan. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill restoring the funding that he vetoed for the Texas Legislature and its 2,100 state employees
Abbott vetoed the funding earlier this year as retribution for the House Democrats’ walkout to block the GOP elections bill at the end of the regular session. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks with lawmakers on the House floor during the legislative session on Sunday, May 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
The Texas GOP lawmaker behind the abortion ban, voting restrictions bill and more
State Sen. Bryan Hughes authored the six-week abortion ban and the elections bill and carried other conservative priorities that grabbed national attention. Full Story
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![State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 1 on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Legislature adjourns second special session after passing more of Gov. Greg Abbott’s priorities
The Legislature is expected to return soon for another special session focused on redrawing the state's political maps. Full Story
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![Speaker Dade Phelan presides over the Texas House of Representatives on Aug. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Social media companies can’t ban Texans over political viewpoints under new law
The law requires social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to produce regular reports of removed content and disclose their content regulations procedures. Full Story
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![Social media icons on an iPhone screen.]()
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Texas House advances bill to restore money to pay salaries for 2,100 state workers after Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed Legislature funding
The legislation will need another stamp of approval in the House before it heads to the Senate, which has not yet debated its version of the proposal on the floor. Full Story
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![The sun sets on the state Capitol in Austin, on May 27, 2021.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
GOP's so-called critical race theory bill advances as bill to restrict transgender student athletes stalls in House committee
The committee action came less than 24 hours after Dutton had taunted Patrick, threatening to hold his prized legislation back amid rumors that the Senate was stalling a bill to restore funding to the Legislature. Full Story
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for 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 -
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 Senate outlasts 15-hour filibuster by Sen. Carol Alvarado to pass GOP voting-restrictions bill
The Houston Democrat was on her feet speaking, not allowed to sit or lean against her desk, and unable to take bathroom breaks or drink water, since Wednesday evening. But ultimately the bill she opposed passed Thursday on an 18-11 vote. Full Story
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![State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, applies lipstick in her fifteenth hour of filibustering against Senate Bill 1 on Aug. 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
“I am frightened by what is coming”: Texas hospitals could soon be overwhelmed by COVID-19 caseload, officials say
The number of COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals is rising too fast for hospitals to keep up with, hospital leaders told state lawmakers Tuesday. Full Story
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![State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services, listens to CEO of Harris Health System, Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, left, and Chief Medical Officer at Parkland Health & Hospital System, Dr. Joseph Chang, testify on current trends in COVID-19 hospitalizations at the Texas Capitol on Aug. 10, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Forging ahead, Texas Senate committee again passes voting restrictions bill
Senate Bill 1 is nearly identical to legislation considered in the first special session, containing many of the provisions that have spawned a monthslong game of legislative brinkmanship with House Democrats, who continue to deny Republicans the quorum needed to enact the bill. Full Story
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![A poll worker gave a thumbs up in one of the drive-through lanes at NRG Stadium in Houston during the first day of early voting on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan 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 -
GOP leaders say they’ve secured an extra month of funding for Texas Legislature to plug money vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Funds amounting to at least $12.6 million will be transferred from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to the Senate, the House, and legislative agencies such as the LBB, the Legislative Council and the Legislative Reference Library. Full Story
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![A staffer passes out papers during session on the House floor at the state capitol on May 25, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
With special session’s end looming, Texas Democrats and Republicans mull their next moves
Abbott has promised to call a second special session to pass the GOP’s priority voting bill, but the exact timing is uncertain. And House Democrats have not yet revealed what they have planned after the session ends this week. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan speaks with legislators on the opening day of the special session at the Texas Capitol on July 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune
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