Ogden Won't Seek Another Term
The Texas Senate's chief budget writer — Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan — won't seek re-election, he announced this morning. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Feds: Proposed Texas Maps Undermine Minority Voting Rights
The U.S. Justice Department said Monday that new political maps for the Texas House and the state's congressional delegation don't protect the electoral power of the state's minority populations as required by the federal Voting Right Act. Full Story
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Shapiro Won't Run Again; Others Jump In
After two decades in the Texas Senate, Plano Republican Florence Shapiro said this afternoon that she won't seek re-election. State Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, starts as a strong replacement candidate. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Texas Weekly Index
Lots of things affect election outcomes. Candidates. Money. Issues. Surprises. But some of the results are wired into district maps, through redistricting. Here's our charting of the political atmosphere — Republican or Democratic — in each of the House, Senate and congressional districts drawn by the Legislature this year. Full Story
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Two House Members Want Promotions
State Rep. Randy Weber, R-Pearland, wants to go to Congress: He announced today he'll run for the seat now held by U.S. Ron Paul, R-Surfside. And state Rep. Rodney Anderson made his intentions for state Senate official. Full Story
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Texplainer: Can Texas Use the Rainy Day Fund to Fight Wildfires?
Gov. Rick Perry has said the Rainy Day Fund should be preserved as an insurance policy against natural disasters, but Texas can't actually dip into it until the next legislative session — in 2013. Full Story
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Challenge to Texas Redistricting Opens in Federal Court
The state's new political maps are now in the hands of the federal government. An army of lawyers lined up before the start of federal hearings on Tuesday, lugging boxes of papers and briefcases bulging with the scribbled notes and other arguments they'll present over the next two weeks. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Inside Intelligence: The Pecking Order
Hand a bunch of insiders a list of 31 senators and ask what's going to happen next, and you turn them into outsiders. Full Story
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Inside or Out: Who'll Run the Texas Senate?
The restricted club that is the Texas Senate will be invaded by noisy conservative voters and activists next year if senators have to choose a new leader from their own ranks, reprising the 2011 contretemps over the choice for Speaker of the House. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Inside Intelligence: The Ultimate Insiders' Vote
In which we ask the insiders how the selection of a new lieutenant governor will go, if David Dewhurst moves on to another job after the 2012 elections. Full Story
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Updated: Jackson Chooses Congress Over State Senate
As expected, state Sen. Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, will run for Congress next year instead of for re-election to the Texas Senate. State Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, may run for his Senate seat. Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Interactive: The Texas Tribune Redistricting Viewer
Building on the success of our previous redistricting interactive, the Tribune has prepared a new version that includes the redistricting maps for the state House, Senate and State Board of Education. Full Story
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Fort Worth Senate Race Could Get Crowded, and Quickly
As expected, state Rep. Kelly Hancock, R-Richland Hills, will run for the Texas Senate next year in SD-10, the district currently occupied by state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth. Hancock is the first challenger to announce, but this could get crowded, and quickly. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Visualizing Days of Lege Debate: The Wild Card Issues
State lawmakers considered a wide variety of bills, from shooting feral hogs from helicopters to criminalizing “inappropriate” touching during airport security searches. Use this interactive to find lawmakers’ commentary on the measures. Full Story
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Visualizing Days of Lege Debate: Criminal Justice
In the legislative session, state lawmakers passed bills to help exonerated Texans who have been convicted of crimes but later determined to be innocent. Use this interactive to search for the big debates on criminal justice. Full Story
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Video: Sen. Cornyn Addresses the Final Shuttle Landing
July 21, 2011 Texas Sen. Cornyn addresses the final shuttle landing . Full Story
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Visualizing Days of Lege Debate: Immigration
The controversial “sanctuary cities” bill failed to pass, but other immigration-related bills advanced and were signed by the governor. Explore this interactive to pinpoint the days lawmakers debated issues related to immigration. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Becca Aaronson / Todd Wiseman -
Taylor: Never Mind on That Congressional Race
State Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, says that he won't be a candidate for Congress in the seat opened by Ron Paul's decision not to seek another term — but he might run for the state Senate. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Visualizing Days of Lege Debate: Health Care
The Legislature passed several health-care related measures including the abortion sonogram bill, Medicaid cuts and a significant defunding of Planned Parenthood. Use this interactive to find what lawmakers said during the health care debates. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Becca Aaronson / Todd Wiseman -
State Seeks Clearance for Political Maps
Texas bypassed the Obama administration's Department of Justice on Tuesday, opting to ask a panel of federal judges in Washington, D.C., to review the state's new maps for congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
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