The latest Joe Straus news from The Texas Tribune.
Three days after Gov. Greg Abbott called for a convention of states to dramatically amend the U.S. Constitution, few high-ranking Republicans in Texas have backed his proposal. Full Story
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Will bragging rights in the Republican primaries for Texas House seats go to the management now in place or to those opposed to the current leaders? Watching these races involving incumbents will provide some answers. Full Story
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During the 2015 legislative session, the Tribune kept you updated daily on the various policy debates and legislative votes at the Texas Capitol. Use our Texas Legislative Guide to see that coverage, discover the fate of every bill and learn even more about the session. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday announced the appointment of conservative firebrand Allen West, a former Florida congressman and prominent Fox News contributor, to the state's Sunset Commission. Full Story
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Now that the political candidates have filed, some of the races in the 2016 election cycle have come to an end. It's not that the elections are over, but 75 federal and state lawmakers don't have any major-party opponents. Full Story
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The Republican Party has two factions: Plain old Republicans and the roughly 43 percent who say they would vote for the Tea Party's candidates if that was a separate designation. They'll be testing each other in the GOP primary in March. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus announced Thursday that a new House Committee on Federal Environmental Regulation will examine a litany of new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency efforts that have roiled Texas leaders and industry. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus issued more than 150 interim charges Wednesday, directing committees to study issues such as the effectiveness of border security operations and the impact of the plummeting cost of oil on the local economy. Full Story
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During the keynote sessions of the 2015 Texas Tribune Festival, we featured one-on-one conversations with Dan Patrick, Joe Straus, Nancy Pelosi and Julián Castro. You can watch those interviews and videos of our other keynote sessions here. Full Story
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When one party overwhelms the two-party system, it tends to develop into a two-faction party. That's the case with the Texas Republican Party — as you can see by who the speaker of the Texas House and the lieutenant governor are backing in the presidential race. Full Story
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The State Keynote track at the 2015 Texas Tribune Festival included interviews with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, as well as a pair of panel discussions focused on the Texas Legislature. Full Story
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Here's full video of our conversation with Texas House Speaker Joe Straus on Oct. 17 at the 2015 Texas Tribune Festival. Full Story
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Here's video of our "Really, How Conservative Was the 84th Session?" panel from Oct. 17 at The 2015 Texas Tribune Festival. Panelists included State Sens. Paul Bettencourt and Konni Burton and state Reps. Stephanie Klick, Matt Rinaldi and Jonathan Stickland. Full Story
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As Texas' transportation needs multiply, voters in the rapidly growing state will be asked Nov. 3 to consider a way to pay for those needs. Full Story
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Critics of his leadership should look at the conservative record of the Texas House under three terms of his speakership, Joe Straus told an audience at the Texas Tribune Festival Saturday. Full Story
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Legislation that would have blocked public employees from paying union or association dues with paycheck deductions failed last session. But the Senate is reopening the issue, and it could play against a powerful House chairman up for reelection next year. Full Story
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State leaders are sending a signal that lawmakers are going to continue walking the margins between church and state, and religion and politics, through another election and legislative cycle. Full Story
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It should come as no surprise when political plotters and schemers try to pack a primary election to force an incumbent into a runoff. Their hope is that the runoff's greater concentration of partisan voters will be harder on the incumbents. Full Story
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Anti-establishment Republicans have tried three times to knock House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, out of the top job. Now they're entering an election season nearly five dozen votes short of what they need. Full Story
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An open-seat endorsement from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick could strengthen a conservative core in the Texas Senate, and with it Patrick's position in the Legislature and the Legislature's position in state government. Full Story
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