Texas Safety Commission discusses guns, terrorism and social media at post-El Paso roundtable
The new panel met Thursday at the state Capitol in Austin and is scheduled to convene again next week in El Paso. Full Story
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![From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen at a meeting of the Texas Safety Commission, at the Texas Capitol on Aug. 22, 2019.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Dustin Burrows calls for release of secret recording of meeting with Michael Quinn Sullivan
Burrows said he hasn't been contacted by the Texas Rangers about his meeting with Sullivan and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, but said "there was nothing illegal done." Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, on the House floor on May 25, 2019.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott endorses state Rep. Dustin Burrows for reelection amid scandal
Abbott's endorsement comes days after Burrows resigned as the leader of the House GOP caucus. Burrows and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen have been accused of asking a conservative activist to target GOP lawmakers in 2020. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, on the House floor on May 14.]()
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How a secretly recorded Dennis Bonnen-Michael Quinn Sullivan meeting could raise the stakes for the 2020 elections
Democrats hoping to flip the Texas House are touting the controversy surrounding the meeting as a sign of Republican dysfunction. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dennis Bonnen presiding over his first votes as speaker of the house. Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Dustin Burrows resigns as Texas House GOP Caucus chairman amid allegations of targeting Republicans
Conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan has said he secretly recorded Burrows and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen asking him to challenge 10 House incumbents in the 2020 elections. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, meet to talk on the house floor on April 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: A House speaker in hot water
On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Cassi about the drama roiling the Texas House speaker's office. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dennis Bonnen on May 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Dennis Bonnen, Michael Quinn Sullivan and the Texas political roller coaster
In May, the House speaker was at the top of the political world. In terms of influence, Sullivan and his Empower Texans organization were near the bottom. And now? Full Story
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![From left: Gov. Greg Abbott, House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during the Texas Fallen Heroes Memorial Ceremony on May 25, 2019.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Rangers asked to investigate allegations against House Speaker Dennis Bonnen
At issue is whether Bonnen, an Angleton Republican, and state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, offered hardline conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan media credentials for his organization in exchange for politically targeting a list of fellow GOP members in the 2020 primaries. Full Story
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![Committee Chair Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, at the General Investigation committee hearing on August 12, 2019. The committee will vote whether to investigate the June 12 meeting between House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Michael Quinn Sullivan.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas Democrats sensing a theme in Republican misfortunes
With the speaker of the house and state attorney general under fire, the long-suffering party sees a potentially helpful thread heading into 2020. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dennis Bonnen presiding over his first votes as speaker of the house. Jan. 9, 2019. Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / Texas Tribune.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Bonnen repairing hurt feelings, but the political damage is real
If the members of the Texas House are still on Speaker Dennis Bonnen's side after they know just what he said to a political activist in a secretly recorded meeting, he'll keep his job. It comes down to trust. Full Story
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![Speaker Dennis Bonnen on the House floor during the House School Finance plan deliberation on April 3, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats sue over Michael Quinn Sullivan and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen meeting
In their lawsuit, the Democrats contend Bonnen, Sullivan and state Rep. Dustin Burrows violated campaign finance laws and demanded that Sullivan produce a recording of the meeting that he has so far played only for select Republicans. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dennis Bonnen during the Texas Fallen Heroes ceremony at the Capitol on May 25, 2019.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: The El Paso aftermath and the latest on Dennis Bonnen
In this edition of the TribCast, Matthew talks to Alexa, Patrick and Cassi about the deadly shooting in El Paso, Dennis Bonnen’s trouble in the House and a wave of GOP congressional retirements. Full Story
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![Hundreds lay flowers and candles at a shrine outside the Walmart in El Paso on August 6th, 2019.]()
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Texas House committee to probe allegations against Speaker Dennis Bonnen
The House General Investigating Committee, which holds subpoena power, will review allegations that Bonnen offered media credentials to a conservative group if it targeted 10 GOP lawmakers in the upcoming election. Full Story
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![Speaker Dennis Bonnen in the House Chamber on March 27, 2019, the day the House will take up HB1, the 2020-21 budget plan.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: State Rep. John Zerwas, a rare mix of politics and calm, moves on
The Texas House is a rambunctious place, known for big personalities and tough politics. It's about to lose one of its real experts — and a calm voice, too. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, speaks to pages on the House floor on April 4, 2019.]()
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"I said terrible things": Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen apologizes for Michael Quinn Sullivan meeting
Bonnen once again requested that a secret recording the conservative firebrand Sullivan made of the meeting be made fully public. Full Story
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![Speaker Dennis Bonnen during the Texas Fallen Heroes ceremony on May 25, 2019]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
House Democrats call for Michael Quinn Sullivan to release secret Dennis Bonnen recording
"Complete transparency is paramount; allowing select political insiders to hear it in private isn’t going to cut it," said state Rep. Chris Turner, chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Full Story
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![State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Arlington, speaks to the press following Gov. Abbott's State of the State address in Austin on Feb. 5, 2019.]()
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Lawmakers dismiss Empower Texans as irrelevant, but the group has the Texas House reeling again
After being ignored for much of this year's legislative session, the hardline conservative group claims to have a recording of House Speaker Dennis Bonnen offering media credentials in exchange for targeting 10 lawmakers in the 2020 elections. Full Story
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![Michael Quinn Sullivan of Empower Texans speaks at a conservative grassroots rally for property tax relief and reform at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday, April 16, 2019.]()
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The Dennis Bonnen recording is out. Here's what you need to know.
A just-released recording of a June 12 meeting between House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan could have major implications for the House and Texas Republicans, who are trying to fend off bullish Democrats from potentially flipping the lower chamber in 2020. Full Story
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![Opening Day of the 86th session of the Texas Legislature with action in the Texas House
Election of Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, by unanimous vote.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Most Texas House Republicans are staying quiet while Dennis Bonnen faces a growing scandal
Allegations that the House speaker politically targeted 10 GOP members have roiled the lower chamber, but some lawmakers say they need more evidence. “It’s a wait-and-see thing,” said one. Full Story
![Speaker Dennis Bonnen during the Texas Fallen Heroes ceremony on May 25, 2019]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Empower Texans allegations spark a crisis for House Speaker Dennis Bonnen
The crisis around Bonnen is heating up as newly revealed recordings add some credence to allegations that he and a trusted lieutenant plotted with a political activist against some GOP House members. Will his members believe him — or his accuser? Full Story
![House Speaker Dennis Bonnen presiding over his first votes as speaker of the house. Jan. 9, 2019. Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / Texas Tribune.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune