Amid STAAR Upheaval, Panel Working on Fixes
As displeasure with Texas’ standardized testing regime mounts, all eyes are on a special panel the Legislature created to figure out whether to scrap the widely reviled STAAR exam. Full Story
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Straus Orders Texas House to Study School Finance
Citing a recent Texas Supreme Court decision that upheld the state’s public school funding system while deeming it “undeniably imperfect," state House Speaker Joe Straus on Thursday ordered representatives to study the school finance system. Full Story
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![Texas House Speaker Joe Straus was interviewed by Texas Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith at The Texas Tribune Festival on Oct. 17, 2015.]()
Credit: Casey Chapman Ross -
State Rep. Wayne Smith Now Wants Recount in House District 128 Runoff
In a reversal, state Rep. Wayne Smith is now pursuing a recount in his narrow loss in Tuesday's Republican primary runoff. Full Story
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![State Rep. Wayne Smith, R-Baytown, faced off with lawyer Briscoe Cain in the May 2016 GOP primary runoff for House District 128.]()
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Asked About Trump, Joe Straus Points to Paul Ryan's Comments
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, is signaling agreement with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan when it comes to Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Full Story
![Texas House Speaker Joe Straus was interviewed by Texas Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith at The Texas Tribune Festival on Oct. 17, 2015.]()
Credit: Casey Chapman Ross -
With Planned Parenthood Cleared, Lawmakers to Mull Fetal Tissue Laws
Texas lawmakers will meet Thursday to examine policies on how human fetal tissue can be used for scientific research. Full Story
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![The inside of the Texas Capitol Building on March 29, 2016.]()
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Analysis: Texas Lawmaker Says Sunset Process Has Lost Some of Its Glow
If state Rep. Larry Phillips gets his way, the Sunset Advisory Commission could be up for the sort of operational review it's used to dishing out to other state agencies — forcing the agency to justify its existence. Full Story
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![Chairman State Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, sponsor of HB 910 open carry legislation, just before final passage of the bill April 17, 2015 by a 96-35 House vote.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Analysis: Texas Legislative Review Process in Need of a Review of Its Own
House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, is trying to rescue legislative reviews of state agencies from poachers in the lobby and in the Legislature itself. He says they've "made a mockery" of the process. Full Story
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![Speaker Joe Straus on the floor of the Texas House on April 17, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Analysis: Straus Stays Firm but Won’t Raise Voice in Texas House
Buried in a couple of vanilla announcements this week, House Speaker Joe Straus gently telegraphed some of his plans for next year’s legislative session. If you weren’t listening carefully, you probably missed it. Full Story
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![House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, campaigns for re-election at The Barn Door restaurant in San Antonio on Jan. 21, 2016.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Cornyn Lauds Trump-Fueled Republican Turnout
The senior U.S. senator from Texas, a quiet observer of the presidential race thus far, still won't endorse his junior colleague, but he does say increased turnout spawned by Republican frontrunner Donald Trump could work in the party’s favor. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, with the "Texan of the Year" award at the Texas Legislative Conference in New Braunfels on March 18, 2016.]()
Credit: Jamie Lovegrove -
Analysis: Low Voter Turnout in Texas Gets Obama's Attention
Perhaps it’s not in the best interests of the people now in office in Texas — whatever their party labels — to change the electoral setup that put them in office. Full Story
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![President Obama talked about civic engagement in a digital age during an interview with The Texas Tribune's Evan Smith at the South by Southwest Interactive festival on March 11, 2016.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich / Pool -
Analysis: Politics Wasn't at Play With Tax Hearing, Bettencourt Says
After questions about a special Senate committee hearing in San Antonio, and the appearance there of a challenger to House Speaker Joe Straus, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt makes a fairly strong case that there’s nothing to see here. Full Story
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![Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
How Much Texas Politicians Spent per Vote in 2016 Primaries
House Speaker Joe Straus spent $307 for every vote he got in Tuesday's primary election, leading the pack of state candidates. Here's a table detailing how much money selected state candidates spent for each vote they got. Full Story
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Straus, and Most of His House Allies, Survive Challenges From Right
House Speaker Joe Straus sailed to victory in his re-election bid and he avoided a significant net loss in fights between hard right conservatives and his lieutenants elsewhere in the state. Full Story
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![The House of Representatives on May 14, 2015.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
UT/TT Poll: Foreign Terrorists the Greatest Threat to U.S., Texans Say
Foreign terrorist groups and illegal immigration are the greatest threats to the United States, according to voters surveyed for the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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In Final Weeks, Millions Spent in Handful of Texas House Races
As Texas primary races head into the final stretch, the latest campaign finance reports show House Speaker Joe Straus and a handful of his allies are spending big to fight off their Tea Party-backed challengers. Full Story
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Former Lawmakers Vie to Return to Texas House
Whether they were edged out in 2014 by thin margins or bowed out years ago and had a recent change of heart, several former House members want back under the dome next year. Full Story
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Ex-Colleagues Battle for House Seat In Lubbock
Five years ago, they were both embarking on their first legislative sessions in the Texas House. Now, Republicans John Frullo and Jim Landtroop are primary opponents. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Frullo (left) of Lubbock faces former State Rep. Jim Landtroop (right) in the Republican primary.]()
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Bongs and Fruitcakes Infuse Central Texas Republican House Race
Fourteen years after first being elected to the Texas House, state Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, faces what some consider his toughest re-election battle to date. Full Story
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![Republican candidates incumbent Byron Cook, left, and Thomas McNutt, right, run in the 2016 election for Texas House District 8.]()
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Analysis: Primaries Could Hush Reps. Stickland, Martinez Fischer
Republican Jonathan Stickland and Democrat Trey Martinez Fischer, the noisiest pot-stirrers in the Texas House, are in tough March 1 primary contests. Each man is his own best argument, and his worst one. Full Story
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![State Reps. Jonathan Stickland (left), R-Bedford, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, are seen as gadflies by many of their colleagues in the Texas House. Both are locked in tough 2016 primary battles.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera/Shelby Knowles -
In Re-Election Bid, Straus Faces Familiar Attacks
House Speaker Joe Straus finds himself in a familiar position, fending off Tea Party primary challenges to hold his San Antonio seat and, presumably, his grip on the gavel. Full Story
![House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, campaigns for re-election at The Barn Door restaurant in San Antonio on Jan. 21, 2016.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune