The latest Dade Phelan news from The Texas Tribune.
A key deadline passed Monday without action in the Texas House on casino legislation backed by the gaming empire Las Vegas Sands. A measure to allow sports gambling looks similarly doomed. Full Story
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Texas voters have a strong preference for politicians from their own parties, but overall, the president is as popular here as the governor or either of the state's U.S. senators. Full Story
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The upper chamber Wednesday passed Senate Bill 1646, which is among several other bills that advocacy groups say erode the rights of transgender Texans. But it’s unclear what the legislation’s chances are in the House. Full Story
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Equality Texas CEO Ricardo Martinez said Texas has filed more anti-LGBTQ bills this session than any other state legislature. Full Story
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As lawmakers advance bills targeting renewable energy sources, experts call the efforts “discriminatory” and “politically motivated.” Full Story
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Thursday's vote in favor of the bill showed there was a bipartisan appeal for a cause long championed by conservative activists. Now all eyes are on the Senate. Full Story
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“The governor of Texas is a very powerful person,” Patrick said at a Capitol news conference, ramping up his dayslong campaign to get Abbott to intervene. “He can do anything he wants.” Full Story
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One way to check the political mood when the Texas Legislature is meeting is to watch the state's top three leaders — and how their Wednesday breakfasts are going. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the House "stood for big business" after Speaker Dade Phelan signaled skepticism about reversing billions of dollars in charges for wholesale electricity during last month’s winter storm. Full Story
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The provision is expected to be added to a bill addressing the governor's pandemic powers that has been denoted as a priority by House Speaker Dade Phelan, according to a draft obtained by The Texas Tribune. Full Story
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Las Vegas Sands is pushing to create the opportunity for casinos at "destination resorts" in the state's four largest metropolitan areas. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday also said he wants lawmakers to prioritize correcting any ERCOT-related billing errors, including inaccurately high electricity charges. That came after the Public Utility Commission said it will not fix ERCOT's $16 billion power billing mistake. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott is well aware that some lawmakers, particularly in his own party, are interested in reining in his authority. However, it remains to be seen how much power Abbott is willing to relinquish. Full Story
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Texas voters give President Joe Biden good marks on COVID-19 response, but they're split on his overall job performance, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
Abbott said power should be fully restored across the state Sunday night or Monday. Full Story
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As the Biden administration works to expand federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, Texas advocates and lawmakers are pushing for similar legislation here. Full Story
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People pushing for the move say they are hopeful they'll get legislative approval this year. If not, one executive said, it's "inevitable" in the future. Full Story
There are a total of 181 legislators in the Capitol, but the influence is not evenly distributed. Due to the lawmakers’ positions, ideology and tenure, some will have a much bigger say on the biggest issues this session. Full Story
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The slow start to the legislative session reflects the public declarations of goals from House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: There aren't any. Gov. Greg Abbott put his priorities in a State of the State address this week, but legislative leaders have been relatively quiet. Full Story
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With assignments out, legislation that has been filed can be referred to committees for potential hearings. The committees overseeing public education, budget writing and redistricting are among those with new chairs. Full Story
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