The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Williamson County’s top official said a voter fraud activist was responsible for “almost costing someone their life.” Under pressure from her lawyer, he retracted the statement. Full Story
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The governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker generally agree on building more border barriers and making illegal border crossings a state crime. But disagreements over strategy and personal animosity mean those measures face long odds this special legislative session. Full Story
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Abbott traveled to the Middle Eastern country as his priority legislation over school vouchers was stalling and with less than a week before the special legislation session he called is set to conclude. Full Story
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Judge Andrea Beall ruled Tuesday that the prosecutors, Brian Wice and Kent Schaffer, are owed the $300-an-hour rate by the county that they were promised when they started on the case in 2015. Full Story
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The mothers, who are counting on state legislators to reach a deal on education savings accounts, say their public schools were not equipped to create a learning space that is safe for Black kids. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott just announced he’d reached a deal with the House to advance school vouchers, but with less than a week before the Legislature must adjourn the lower chamber took no action on the governor’s priority legislation. Full Story
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The chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee has held her seat since 1997. She was the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House. Full Story
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Along with the money to build more border barriers, Senate Bill 6 would devote $49 million to beef up law enforcement of the Colony Ridge development that’s become a target of far-right media. Full Story
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A deal between the governor and House would be a breakthrough after months of talks. But whether they actually have a deal is unclear. Full Story
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At stake in next week’s constitutional amendment election is $13 billion in infrastructure spending. Supporters say it’s an opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime investment. Full Story
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For the first time in a generation, Texans were more likely to die of gunshot wounds than car crashes in 2021. Experts worry a lack of research on the issue has hampered the search for solutions. Full Story
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The charges stem from accusations that in 2011 Paxton tried to solicit investors in a McKinney technology company without disclosing that it was paying him to promote its stock. The attorney general has pleaded not guilty. Full Story
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With rural Texas relatively underserved by private schools, the potential for expansion could play a role in the debate over whether to let families use taxpayer money to pay for private education. Full Story
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The far-right political action committee is getting involved in a critical special election for the Texas House, the first major test of its influence since its then-leader was spotted meeting with a prominent white supremacist. Full Story
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Matt Rinaldi has been defiant amid calls for him to cut ties with political ally Jonathan Stickland after meeting with white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Rinaldi is also accused of embracing antisemitic leaders of a new young Republicans organization. Full Story
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The East Texas town is one of 218 local governments asking voters to approve new debt for repairs and upgrades to city infrastructure. Local leaders say inflation isn’t helping them keep up with capital needs. Full Story
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Two Texans — a Jewish man, a Muslim woman — want more support from the federal government to bring their loved ones home. Their families are stuck in a war zone, along with hundreds of other Americans. Full Story
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This isn’t the first time a state audit flagged such discrepancies. Last year, the state found similar inconsistencies when reviewing Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, and Collin counties’ 2020 elections. Full Story
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Jackson Lee has sought to rally her party’s base, vowing to stand up to “MAGA Republicans.” Whitmire has relied on a more bipartisan coalition while also defending his Democratic credentials. Full Story
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If approved, the new fund would provide tens of millions of dollars to the University of Houston, Texas Tech, Texas State University and University of North Texas. Full Story
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