Texans discuss health of state’s democracy at Tribune event
Sessions at the event, held at the University of Houston-Downtown, tackled voter turnout, local governance, community news and more. Full Story
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Speaker Dade Phelan forcefully defends Ken Paxton impeachment in campaign ad
Facing heat for presiding over the impeachment of the attorney general, Phelan is addressing the issue head-on and citing an alleged Paxton extramarital affair. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan beckons at another member of the House during a special legislative session at the state Capitol in Austin on Nov. 17, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
School voucher opponents are unpopular with Texas GOP primary voters, poll finds
In a University of Houston poll, nearly half also signaled they didn’t support Republican incumbents who voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
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![Bonham Middle School students eat lunch in the school’s cafeteria Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Why this South Texas county closed half its early voting sites for 2024
A new law requires small counties to increase early voting days and hours — with no new money from the state. Full Story
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![The Kiva Hut Community Center in Taft, Texas on Jan 26, 2024. The community center has been the town’s only early voting site for years. It won’t be available for early voters in March or in November following the passage of House Bill 1217. The new law is forcing the San Patricio County elections administrator to shut down four early voting locations.]()
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Texas Democrats and Republicans split on border proposal — not necessarily on party lines
The deal would also provide money to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, another priority for many Texas lawmakers. Full Story
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![Migrants seeking refuge in the U.S. cross the Rio Grande, bags and children in tow, back into Ciudad Acuña, Tamaulipas, Mexico from their camp in Del Rio on Sept. 21, 2021.]()
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House Speaker Dade Phelan, enemy of the far-right, faces toughest reelection yet
Attorney General Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and former President Donald Trump are accusing Phelan of being a “RINO,” even as Phelan has overseen the passage of some of the most conservative bills in recent history. Full Story
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![Beaumont, Texas: Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dade Phelan poses for a portrait at his office in Beaumont on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. Mark Felix/The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Today is the last day to register to vote in the upcoming primary election
New voters must complete and submit a paper voter registration application by today, Feb. 5, to vote in the March 5 primary election. Full Story
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Senate negotiators release sweeping border and military aid bill
The $118 billion national security package is a top priority for President Biden, but Trump and his allies oppose it. Full Story
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![U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC - The U.S. Capitol is seen on Thursday, January 6, 2022.]()
Credit: Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott defends migrant tactics in Eagle Pass amid escalating legal battle with Biden administration
DPS tells visiting governors that efforts to deter migrants are effective and razor wire and buoy barriers “save lives.” Full Story
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![Flanked by Republican governors, Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to the press in Eagle Pass on Feb. 4, 2024.]()
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U.S. Rep. Kay Granger’s legacy looms in race to replace her
Rep. Craig Goldman faces off against John O’Shea, backed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, in the crowded primary for congressional district 12. Full Story
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![Incumbent U.S. Representative Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, spoke to supporters at Blue Mesa restaurant as the 2020 primary election results trickled in March 3, 2020.U.S. Representative Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, spoke to supporters at Blue Mesa restaurant as the 2020 primary election results trickled in March 3, 2020.]()
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Colin Allred outraises Ted Cruz campaign at end of 2023
Allred also dominated in fundraising over state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who had the second highest haul among the Democrats running Full Story
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![From left: U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas; and state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio. The two men, running for the U.S. Senate in the Texas Democratic primary participate in a debate in Austin on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
In Texas House special election, big endorsements weren’t enough for Brent Money
Money fell short in the runoff for House District 2, despite winning the support of a who’s who of Texas Republican leaders. Full Story
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![From left: Jill Dutton and Brent Money. Dutton won the race to replace Bryan Slaton in HD-2, the state House district east of Dallas, but they'll face off again in the March primary.]()
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Ken Paxton could face public trial in whistleblower lawsuit after judge’s ruling
A Travis County judge denied the attorney general’s attempt to decide the case without a jury. Full Story
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![Attorney General Ken Paxton sits between his attorneys Tony Buzbee, left, and Mitch Little, right, during final prosecutor arguments as both sides have rested in the suspended Attorney General's impeachment trial September 15, 2023 in Austin.]()
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House panel advances impeachment charges against Mayorkas with Texas Republicans backing
A member of the president’s cabinet has not been impeached in nearly 150 years. The full House is expected to vote next week. Full Story
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![U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas listens to U.S. Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz near the border with Mexico in La Joya on May 17, 2022.]()
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Texas Republicans who defied Gov. Greg Abbott on school vouchers face mounting primary attacks
As promised, the governor is going after members of his own party after some of them tanked his top legislative priority. Full Story
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![A protester, left, pauses to leave a boot at the steps of the Governor's Mansion during a rally to "boot vouchers" on Oct. 7, 2023. Hundreds gathered to protest two days before a special session was slated to begin on Oct. 9, 2023.]()
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Under Ken Paxton, Texas’ civil Medicaid fraud unit is falling apart
After the chief of the attorney general’s Civil Medicaid Fraud Division was forced out last year, two-thirds of attorneys have quit the unit, leaving it at its smallest size since Paxton took office. Full Story
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![Nearly two-thirds of the lawyers for Texas’ Civil Medicaid Fraud Division have quit under Attorney General Ken Paxton, which former staffers say will leave the elite unit less equipped to weed out fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court pauses depositions in Paxton whistleblower case
The ruling by the all-Republican court came after former President Donald Trump told justices to leave Paxton alone. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, center, speaks with defense attorney Dan Cogdell before starting the ninth day of his impeachment trial in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Austin.]()
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Texas' standoff with the feds in Eagle Pass is igniting calls for secession and fears of violence
The calls for Texas to defend itself and defy the federal government have set fire to a long-simmering fight over states’ rights, emboldening right-wing figures. Full Story
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![A Texas National Guard humvee parked at the gates of Shelby Park, in Eagle Pass, on Jan. 16, 2024. Texas has closed off Shelby Park, cutting access to federal agents to part of the Texas-Mexico border and escalating tensions between the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott.]()
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Donald Trump endorses challenger to Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan
Phelan’s reelection campaign has become a referendum on the power of the far-right faction of the state Republican Party. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump speaks at an event at the South Texas International Airport in Edinburg, on Nov. 19, 2023, after Gov. Greg Abbott announced his endorsement of President Trump. “We need Donald J. Trump back as our president of the United States of America,” the governor proclaimed.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Voters in northeast Texas choose Jill Dutton over Brent Money for special election runoff
The contest has served as a bellwether in the Texas GOP’s warring factions. Full Story
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![Jill Dutton, Republican candidate for House District 2, the seat formerly held by Brian Slaton, who was expelled from the Texas House.]()
Credit: Campaign website