At Wednesday's TribLive conversation, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, talked about the likelihood of withdrawals from the Rainy Day Fund and whether the state can meet its obligations under the spending cap. Full Story
At Wednesday's TribLive conversation, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, reacted to this week's ruling on the school finance lawsuit and talked about what happens now. Full Story
There will be no pay raise for legislators this year. The Texas Ethics Commission, at the urging of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus, declined to raise the per diem payments lawmakers get when they're in session. Full Story
House Speaker Joe Straus says a new Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations will delve into the finances, compensation packages and public-private partnerships across state government Full Story
Ashton Oravetz, the former Smith County Republican Party chairman, describes the state and national Republican Party leaders of today as "dysfunctional, unethical, crony capitalists." Full Story
The legislative session just started, but it seems clear that state leaders are running low on what a former president from Texas once called "the vision thing." Full Story
Batheja on growing calls for infrastructure spending, Dehn and Rocha report on voters’ legislative wishes, Murphy counts noses in the new Legislature, KUT’s Philpott sniffs out a push for tax relief, M. Smith tracks House Speaker Joe Straus after his re-election, Kalifa’s lovely time-lapse look at the Legislature’s first day, Aaronson on the Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on hopes for immigration reform, Grissom on the tribulations of Kerry Max Cook, Hamilton looks into a college curriculum battle, and E. Smith’s TribLive interview with Michael Williams: The best of our best for the week of Jan. 7, 2013. Full Story
After successfully fending off another challenge to his speakership, Joe Straus faces a tough task in the session. He will have to tackle issues that have been thorny for Republicans in the past, without further alienating the far right. Full Story
In a joint appearance Wednesday, Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus seemed to agree that taxes would go down. Meanwhile, none would commit to restoring education cuts from last session. Full Story
Texas legislators started their 83rd session with leaders who want to focus on water, infrastructure, budget transparency, education — and, perhaps, some tax relief. Full Story
Saying he wasn’t certain of victory and didn’t want to put other members at risk by forcing a vote, Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, withdrew from the race for House speaker on Tuesday. Watch his full comments from the House floor. Full Story
House Speaker Joe Straus faces a challenge on the first day of the 83rd Texas Legislature, and the Senate gets another run at a rule that empowers political minorities and sometimes frustrates majorities. Full Story
House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has at least one opponent in his bid for a third term in that job, but the circumstances that undid his predecessors in the post don't exist now. Full Story
At Thursday morning's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, a declared candidate for Speaker of the Texas House, talked about the challenges and opportunities in taking on the current occupant of the job, Joe Straus. Full Story
At this morning's TribLive conversation, presumptive incoming state Reps. Stephanie Klick, Chris Paddie and Justin Rodriguez were asked if they were prepared to sign pledge cards for Speaker Joe Straus or his challenger, state Rep. Bryan Hughes. Full Story
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, discussed the prospect of a Speaker's race leading up to the 2013 legislative session. Full Story
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, discussed whether Tuesday's primaries were a referendum on Speaker of the House Joe Straus. Full Story