Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi won’t seek reelection
Rinaldi’s three-year tenure as chair of the GOP saw vicious infighting and historic gains for the state’s far right. Full Story
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![Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi at a press conference on Aug. 30, 2021, amid talk about punishing House Democrats for breaking quorum.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Pornhub suspends site in Texas due to state’s age-verification law
Legal experts say a 5th Circuit decision to uphold part of a Texas law regulating adult entertainment websites conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court precedent regarding minors’ access to obscene material online. Full Story
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![Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a reception for Jared Woodfill at the Federal American Grill on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Vicente Gonzalez compares Latino Trump supporters to “Jews for Hitler”
The South Texas Democrat said Latinos who support former President Donald Trump are voting against their self interest, but Republicans recoiled at the comparison. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, at his election night watch party in Brownsville on Nov. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Texas sues Colony Ridge development for fraudulent real estate practices
Residents of the Houston-area development, who were maligned by Republicans last year, have complained about the developer for years. Full Story
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![A sign outside of the Colony Ridge development on Oct. 10, 2023, in New Caney, Texas.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Political novice Brandon Gill seeks to be Trump’s biggest advocate in Congress
Rookie candidate Brandon Gill won the Texas GOP primary to succeed longtime U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess. But some Republicans spent big money to keep him away. Full Story
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![Brandon Gill, nominee for U.S. House District 26.]()
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Biden temporarily blocked from diverting border barrier funds
A judge’s ruling is the latest development in an ongoing border enforcement battle between Texas and the president. Full Story
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![Border wall construction resumes near the Eli Jackson Cemetery in Pharr on March 21, 2022. In 2020, Congress exempted the cemetery from border wall construction, but it has started once again and is near completion.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Rep. Randy Weber kicked out of House Freedom Caucus
Weber, who has disagreed with the hard-right caucus’ tactics during the House Speaker election last year, said Caucus Chair Bob Good expelled him after missing some of the group’s weekly meetings. Full Story
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![U.S. Representative Randy Weber, R- Friendswood, speaks at a House Freedom Caucus press conference about the Equality Act on Feb. 25, 2021 in Washington.]()
Credit: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Performers, speakers pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship
More than 80 musicians and panelists say they will no longer appear at the nine-day festival, citing the U.S. Army’s support for Israel amid war with Hamas. Full Story
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![From left: Fernando Antunes and Bruno Stefani, both of Sao Paolo, Brazil, video record themselves on the escalator at SXSW at the Austin Convention Center on March 8, 2024.]()
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Texas legislative committee to investigate cause of Panhandle wildfires
The panel of three lawmakers and two residents will also look at disaster preparedness. Full Story
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![Charred ground left by the Smokehouse Creek fire after the fire burned through Currie Smith’s ranch Sunday, March. 3, 2024, in Hemphill County, Texas.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Henry Cuellar launches new border security group for Democrats
The new task force is advocating for the bipartisan legislation that died after Donald Trump turned on the package. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, speaks at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Sept. 23, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
El Paso judge blocks Ken Paxton’s efforts to subpoena Annunciation House
The judge questioned Paxton’s true motives to investigate the shelter, saying there is “a real and credible concern” the state has a predetermined goal of shutting down Annunciation House. Full Story
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![205th District Judge Francisco Dominguez speaks during a motion hearing with in the 205th District Courtroom in El Paso on Thursday, March 7, 2024.]()
Credit: Gaby Velasquez/El Paso Times/USA TODAY Network via REUTERS -
Amid white supremacist scandal, far-right billionaire powerbrokers see historic election gains in Texas
All told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May. Full Story
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![Tim Dunn, CEO of CrownQuest Operating and chairman of Empower Texans, speaks during The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 24, 2016.]()
Credit: Brett Buchanan for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats cringed when Biden referred to migrant who killed student as “an illegal”
President Joe Biden used the term during the address in response to heckling by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia. Full Story
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![President Joe Biden delivers his third State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2024.]()
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Navy demoted Ronny Jackson after probe into White House behavior
Trump’s former physician and GOP ally is now a retired captain, not an admiral Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, listens to speakers during a press conference on border security with other House Republicans, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2023.]()
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House Speaker Dade Phelan took a risk on Paxton’s impeachment. It may end his career.
The May 28 runoff promises to be an expensive, high-profile contest that will help reshape the political dynamics of the Texas House. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan gavels out the 88th session Sine Die on May 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
A petition to recall Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson fails
The former Democratic state lawmaker announced he was switching party affiliations last year — prompting the recall by community activist Davante Peters. Full Story
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![Dallas mayor Eric Johnson speaks with Chad Hasty about his second-term agenda and partisanship at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Sept. 22, 2023.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Veteran State Board of Education member loses her seat, two other Republican incumbents face runoffs
The results of Tuesday’s primary elections could foreshadow a further push to the right for the body that sets the state's educational standards. Full Story
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![State Board of Education Member and State Rep. Patricia Hardy, R-Fort Worth, listens in on testimony during an SBOE meeting on Nov. 13, 2019 regarding the addition of an African-American course to high school as part of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar for The Texas Tribune -
School voucher supporters bask in primary wins, say goals are within reach
Gov. Greg Abbott called the results “an unmistakable message.” His allies said the state is “closer than ever” to a voucher program. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to students, parents and staff at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth while trying to build support for school vouchers legislation on April 19, 2023.]()
Credit: Amanda McCoy/Fort Worth Star-Telegram via REUTERS -
Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine narrowly survives heated primary centered on judicial ethics
Devine will face 281st District Judge Christine Vinh Weems in November’s general election. Full Story
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![Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine listens to Douglas Alexander make oral arguments in the cases Abbott v. City of San Antonio, Abbott v. Jenkins, and Abbott v. Harris County, Feb. 22. 2023 in Austin. The cases were consolidated for oral arguments, as they all concern whether an executive order barring local mask mandates falls within the scope of authority granted to the Governor under the Texas Disaster Act.]()
Credit: Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman via REUTERS -
Republicans in a Texas county ditched technology and counted votes by hand. Here’s what happened.
The Texas Secretary of State and other election experts warned Gillespie County Republicans the process would be expensive, time-consuming and less reliable. Full Story
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![Gillespie County Elections Administrator Jim Riley speaks in the hallway of the Elections Office in Fredericksburg in the early morning of Mar. 6, 2024.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune