The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Abbott’s letter comes on the heels of an inquiry launched by state Rep. Matt Krause, a Fort Worth Republican running for Texas attorney general. Krause sent a letter to certain school districts with an 850-book list that included novels about racism and sexuality. Full Story
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Garza, a former lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, had been running to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville. U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, is now running for Vela's seat after redistricting made Gonzalez's seat more competitive for Republicans. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez announced last week he’ll seek reelection in a new seat, leaving his 15th Congressional District open for the 2022 election. Candidate filing begins Nov. 13. Full Story
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The new political maps drawn by Texas Republicans have run into some criticism from academics studying gerrymandering. That puts the Texans in the same boat with Illinois Democrats. Full Story
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The race pits Republican John Lujan against Democrat Frank Ramirez for the Democratic-leaning seat that former state Rep. Leo Pacheco, D-San Antonio, vacated earlier this year. Full Story
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The highway confrontation between a Biden bus and Trump supporters made national news in the final days of the heated 2020 presidential campaign. The incident involved at least one minor collision and led to Texas Democrats canceling three scheduled campaign events. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott have been at war with locals and federal officials over vaccinate mandates. Earlier this month, Abbott expanded an executive order to block the requirement for any entity in Texas, including health care facilities and private businesses. Full Story
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In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Reese and Brian about Monday’s oral arguments in the Supreme Court over the state’s near-total abortion ban and a lawmaker’s request to investigate books in school libraries. Full Story
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Critics say state Rep. Matt Krause's inquiry targets books about women, people of color and LGBTQ people. The lawmaker says providing specifics about his inquiry "could compromise a potential investigation." Full Story
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State Rep. Matt Krause, a Republican candidate for attorney general, wants public schools to explain some of the books in their libraries. He's got questions about content, along with a way to get some attention from voters. Full Story
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John Scott briefly represented Donald Trump's legal effort to challenge the election results in Pennsylvania. In an interview, he said there’s no question that Joe Biden is the president and he has “not seen anything” to suggest the election was stolen. Full Story
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Cruz has single-handedly delayed dozens of key State Department nominees in retaliation for a Biden decision to drop U.S. opposition to a Russian pipeline to Germany. Full Story
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In 2017, conservative lawmakers failed to pass legislation targeting transgender Texans. Things were different this year. Full Story
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The new political maps drawn by the Texas Senate don't just favor Republicans; that much was expected from a Republican majority. The maps help Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pick which Republicans he wants in the Senate. Full Story
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House Bill 25 will require student athletes who compete in interscholastic competition to play on sports teams that correspond with the sex listed on their birth certificate at or near their time of birth. Full Story
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Abbott criticized an earlier proposal as “micro-managing.” But advocates say the differences between the original bill and the new law won’t affect its impact. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers drew new maps for the state House and Senate, congressional delegation and State Board of Education. Here’s what Texans should know about the 2021 redistricting outcomes. Full Story
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After conservative complaints about the national results in the 2020 election, Texas Republicans have tried to anticipate everything that might play against them in 2022, right down to who’ll be at the helm. Full Story
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The former state Supreme Court justice is one of three Texas Republicans vying to unseat incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
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High Texas property taxes were an issue in the state's 2018 elections, and you can see from their work on a new homestead exemption earlier this week that state lawmakers didn't forget that lesson from voters. Full Story
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