Once the Texas GOP’s “weak link,” Attorney General Ken Paxton is growing more popular and powerful
With his impeachment and securities fraud case behind him, Paxton’s political stock is on the rise. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton endorses David Covey at an event in Beaumont on Monday, Jan 15, 2024. Covey is running against House Speaker Dade Phelan in the Republican primary.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Republicans’ budding interest in Texas’ housing crisis could create strange political bedfellows
Republican lawmakers may try to force Texas cities to allow greater housing density as the state faces a housing crunch. Full Story
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![An Aerial image of a suburban neighborhood in San Marcos on October 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
As Texas students clash over Israel-Hamas war, Gov. Greg Abbott orders colleges to revise free speech policies
The governor singled out pro-Palestine groups and said they should be subject to discipline. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott condemns the recent attacks on Israel during a community gathering in support of Israel at the Congregation Agudas Achim in Austin on Oct. 9, 2023. Abbott also announced efforts for Texas to support Israel, which included funding for increased security at Jewish and Israel-related locations such as synagogues and schools and an Executive Order directing all Texas state agencies to refrain from purchasing goods produced in or exported from the Gaza Strip.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune -
Race to succeed Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi has become referendum on his tenure
Some Republicans and candidates are calling for a serious change, warning that the party could be vulnerable in future elections because of the ongoing disunity that has defined Rinaldi’s two terms. Full Story
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![Texas Republican Party Chair candidates Dana Myers, left, and Abraham George.]()
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Montgomery County directs citizen board to review, and potentially remove, library books
The county north of Houston adopted the guidelines amid a growing number of book bans in school districts and a new state law that supporters claim protects children from inappropriate material. Full Story
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![Books at Vandegrift High School's library on March 2, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
Legal experts say it’s rare to pursue jail time in securities fraud cases like Paxton’s
In 2015, Attorney General Ken Paxton was indicted on three securities fraud felony charges. Experts in securities fraud say those charges are rarely pursued. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton talks with his team in the 185th Criminal District court at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center before his pretrial hearing March 26, 2024, in Houston.]()
Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton agrees to community service, paying restitution to avoid trial in securities fraud case
Paxton, who will not have to enter a plea under the terms of the agreement, faced the prospect of decades in prison if he had been convicted of fraud. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton enters the 185th Criminal District court at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center for his pretrial hearing March 26, 2024, in Houston.]()
Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Supreme Court takes up Texas case challenging abortion pill access
A majority of Supreme Court justices seemed open to keeping mifepristone, a common abortion-inducing drug, on the market despite a Texas ruling revoking its FDA approval. Full Story
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![People visit the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on March 10, 2022.]()
Credit: Eric Lee for the Texas Tribune -
Feds arrest five men accused of smuggling illegally purchased guns to cartels in Mexico
The men were charged with two criminal offenses, including straw purchasing of firearms, created by the 2022 bipartisan gun safety bill authored by Sen. John Cornyn. Full Story
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![A Springfield Saint Victor AR-15 rifle is displayed during the National Rifle Association annual convention in Houston on May 27, 2022.]()
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Gun rights YouTuber Brandon Herrera gains momentum in race against U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales
Gonzales is taking heat from the right for his vote in support of the bipartisan gun safety bill passed after the Uvalde school shooting. Full Story
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![Brandon Herrera, Republican candidate for the US House for Texas’ 23rd congressional district, speaks during a campaign event at the Angry Elephant, a politically themed bar, March 14, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Christopher Lee for The Texas Tribune -
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s securities fraud charges could be dropped under deal, according to report
Paxton has been fighting securities fraud felony charges for nearly nine years. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton leaves the courtroom after appearing for the eight-year-old felony securities fraud case against him at Harris County Courthouse on Aug. 3, 2023, in Houston.]()
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U.S. Rep. Kay Granger to step down from powerful House appropriations leadership position
Her role as as committee chair made her one of the most influential Texans in Congress. Full Story
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![Incumbent U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, spoke to supporters at Blue Mesa restaurant as the 2020 primary election results trickled in on March 3, 2020.]()
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Tom Oliverson announces he is challenging Dade Phelan for Texas House speakership
Oliverson, one of Phelan’s committee chairmen, said the speaker has lost the confidence of the Republican caucus. Full Story
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![State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, announces his candidacy for Texas House speakership during a press conference Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Austin.]()
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President Joe Biden visits Dallas and Houston for fundraisers
Biden landed in Dallas late Wednesday afternoon. He had no public events on his schedule. Full Story
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![President Joe Biden speaks about U.S.-Mexico border security and enforcement during remarks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington on Jan. 5, 2023.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas is two House votes away from passing school vouchers
Abbott called on supporters to push through the primary runoffs to deliver the final pro-voucher members needed to pass his legislation, plus some padding. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during the opening keynote lunch at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Texas Policy Summit 2024 in Austin on March 20, 2024. Gov. Abbott spoke about border security and cartels, school choice for parents of Texas children and the ban of DEI at Texas universities.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ new immigration law is blocked again
Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court had allowed Senate Bill 4 to go into effect, a federal appeals court let an earlier injunction stand. SB 4 lets Texas police arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border. Full Story
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![Migrants walk along the Rio Grande passed the recently installed buoys in Eagle Pass, Texas on July 29, 2023. As there is concertina wire installed along the Urbina’s property, migrants are told to walk to the end of the property. Many make that walk which can be difficult to do through slippery rocks in the water, the current and the inclined river bank, while some find spots through the concertina wire and manage to get through.
Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott appears with embattled House Speaker Dade Phelan for first time in heated primary season
Abbott has so far been silent as Phelan battles for political survival in a tough primary runoff. Full Story
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![Newly-elected House Speaker Dade Phelan greets Gov. Greg Abbott before speaking to the Texas House during opening ceremonies as the 2021 Texas Legislature gets down to work in Austin on Jan. 12, 2021.]()
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They counted primary ballots by hand. Now a Texas county Republican party says they found errors.
After declaring a successful hand count of ballots, Gillespie County Republicans had to fix a series of errors in the results reported from almost every precinct. Full Story
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![Gillespie elections staffer Alan Littman, left, and election worker, Joy Smith, review precinct totals at the county’s election office to aggregate election results before submitting them to the Texas Secretary of State’s office on March 14, 2024.]()
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Texas GOP chair candidate tried to confront wife’s alleged lover with a loaded gun, police say
Abraham George is running to lead the state party with backing from current Chair Matt Rinaldi, who announced last week he will not seek reelection. He was not arrested or charged. Full Story
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![Abraham George, chairman of the Collin County Republican party, speaks at the Labor day picnic in Plano, Texas on Sept. 2, 2023.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott wants the Texas Legislature to rein in investors behind large-scale home purchases
So-called institutional homebuyers noticeably ramped up home purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. But housing experts point out investors have retreated amid high interest rates. Full Story
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![A construction worker, who declined to give their name, rolls up hosing as they work on building a home at a new housing development Saturday, March 12, 2022 in Odessa, Texas.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune