TEXAS SENATE

Texas lawmakers on both sides of the aisle talked schools, abortion and guns in advance of next year’s session in a range of panels at The Texas Tribune Festival.

For example, members of the Railroad Commission don’t deal with railroads. Here’s what the many officials elected statewide do with the power voters give them.

The endorsement comes after Patrick’s Democratic opponent, Mike Collier, received endorsements from two Republicans, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley and state Sen. Kel Seliger of Amarillo.

Advocates for transgender people say a federal ruling that gender dysphoria is covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act could hurt conservative political efforts to restrict access to gender-affirming care.

Republicans are starting to pay more attention to Texas Senate District 27 — the only competitive Senate seat in November — but whether they will go all in remains an open question.

U.S. congresswoman Sylvia Garcia from Houston has proposed legislation that would require a minimum amount of breaks for construction workers, after similar legislation failed to pass through the Texas Senate in 2017.

State and local Uvalde officials have fought the release of records that could provide clarity on the botched emergency response to the shooting that killed 19 children and two educators.

Texas has more than 1,200 school districts, but the education commissioner promised plans for the review will be completed this summer.

McCraw testified before a Texas Senate committee, laying blame on local police officers in Uvalde for not acting faster to save children in school shooting.

The head of the Texas Department of Public Safety says three minutes after a gunman entered a school where he slaughtered 19 elementary students and two teachers there was sufficient armed law enforcement on scene to stop the gunman.

The senators said they would support proposals like raising the age to legally own an assault weapon from 18 to 21, creating red flag laws and regulating private gun sales.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had asked House leaders to support his push for arming school police officers with bulletproof shields after the Uvalde shooting. House Speaker Dade Phelan is also asking for more money for mental health and school safety programs.

Gutierrez, a Democrat who has been critical of the state’s response to past shootings, said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also snubbed state senators whose districts were affected by shootings in El Paso and Santa Fe.

The question moving forward is whether Democrats, outnumbered in the Texas Legislature for two decades, will be able to put enough pressure on lawmakers to move on a previously intractable issue in gun-friendly Texas and that Republicans, who support looser gun laws, will fight tooth and nail.

All 13 Senate Democrats demanded lawmakers pass legislation that raises the minimum age to purchase a firearm and requires universal background checks, among other measures.

Collier came within 4 percentage points of unseating the incumbent in 2018. But this year, Democrats face even stronger headwinds in trying to unseat Texas Republicans.

Democratic primary runoffs for two congressional districts and two legislative seats in South Texas highlight the candidates’ divergent visions for the party in a region the GOP is heavily targeting.

Texans who don’t vote in primaries and primary runoffs are missing a chance to choose who goes to Congress and the Texas Legislature. Thanks to the political maps drawn by lawmakers last year, only a handful of those contests will be competitive in November.

Reyes faces Pete Flores in the May 24 Republican primary runoff for the open state Senate seat. Flores is backed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

It was also revealed at a special Texas Senate committee meeting that the Texas foster care worker who allegedly sold nude pictures of girls is also accused of dating a child trafficker.

Almost all the preferred candidates of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan nabbed enough votes to head into the November general election. And nearly all sitting House and Senate members seeking to return to the Texas Capitol kept their seats.

In Hidalgo County, Lamantia earned 4,754 votes, or 49.37%, over Stapleton-Barrera, Alex Dominguez and Salomon Torres. Dominguez earned 1,711 votes in Hidalgo County, or 17.77%, while Stapleton-Barrera earned 2,365 votes and Torres earned 800 votes. In the Republican race for State Senate District 27, Adam Hinojosa earned 51.53% of the vote with 12,748 votes to Raul Torres’ 5,419 and Isreal Salinas’ 2,177. The Republican ticket for State Senate District 20 saw ​​Westley Wright with a commanding lead over Johnny Partain with 74.45% of the vote, 10,413 votes to 3,701. In Hidalgo County, Wright took 4,484 total votes over Partain’s 2,512 votes.

Watson was mayor of the city from 1997 to 2001 and is focused on tackling the rising cost of living, homelessness, public safety and transportation.

Patrick urged former Gov. Rick Perry to mount a challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term. He’s taken the already considerable power concentrated in the state’s No. 2 job to another level, forcing opponents from races and tightening his grip on the Senate.

The race to replace state senator Eddie Lucio Jr. features four candidates, each with a competing vision for the future of their party.

The two will face off in a primary to represent Senate District 15, which includes Bellaire, The Heights and Humble.

The redrawn state Senate District 10 splits Black and Hispanic voters in Tarrant County. A full trial on whether GOP lawmakers intentionally discriminated against voters of color is expected later this year.

The lawsuit alleges a GOP-drawn map of Texas Senate districts dilutes the voting power of minorities in North Texas. Attorneys say it could be a preview of what’s to come in the larger legal battle facing the state’s controversial new political boundaries.

Two of three candidates in the Texas Senate District 27 Republican primary race took part in a forum hosted by the citizen group Futuro RGV on Jan. 19.

Here’s something Democrats and Republicans have in common: When lawmakers are deadlocked, leaders turn to the rulebooks, searching for angles and rule changes that would turn things their way.

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct had admonished Eckhardt in 2020 for her actions as Travis County judge.

Patrick’s office said he tested positive for COVID-19 last week and experienced mild symptoms but has since tested negative.

Hays County will continue to be a part of Senate District 21, represented by Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo following the completion of the redistricting process for the Congressional, Texas Senate, Texas House and State Board of Education maps.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Every statewide office, legislative seat and U.S. House district will be on the ballot next year when the state’s new political maps are expected to be used.

Critics of the Chapter 313 corporate tax incentive program say it lacks accountability and is burdensome to taxpayers in the state.

Texas’ population has grown 40% this century, and 91% of the new Texans are people of color. Federal judges now have to decide whether those monumental changes are reflected in the state’s political maps.

It remains unclear whether Gov. Greg Abbott — the only official with the power to convene special sessions — will order state lawmakers back to Austin, or what issues he would include on the agenda.

A new state law requires the secretary of state's office to audit results in four randomly selected counties every two years.

Whitmire, the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate, will first run for reelection to the chamber in 2022 before his mayoral run the following year.

At least three other Democrats and four Republicans are vying for the office that GOP incumbent George P. Bush is leaving to run for attorney general.

Lucio is retiring from the Rio Grande Valley seat, and Dominguez wants to continue his legacy of focusing on education in the region. But he suggested he would take a different approach to at least a couple issues, including abortion.

The Carrollton Democrat hopes Beto O’Rourke’s run for governor will help down-ballot Democrats next year.

It’s unclear why the governor tasked the state's education agency, which does not employ law enforcement officers, to perform the investigation.

Lucio announced Thursday that he is not seeking reelection after three decades in the Senate.

Analysis: After months of legislating, ranking the 2021 Texas House and Senate from right to left

The October poll found that the percentage of Democrats who said voting rules should be less strict increased significantly, with 64% of voters taking that position compared to the 51% in August.

HARLINGEN — Long-serving state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election after three decades in the job.

The Brownsville Democrat, who made the announcement Thursday, has served in the upper chamber since 1991.

These rankings across the ideological spectrum are based on roll-call votes in the Texas House and Senate during this year’s regular and special sessions.

In Texas, the Legislature draws political maps — with results that predictably favor the party in power. Do independent commissions do any better?

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.

Most elections, experts warn, could be over during primaries — which means fewer voters will be choosing candidates.

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.

The third special legislative session has wrapped up. Here’s a look at the lawmakers who’ve announced they won’t return to their seats in the 88th legislature.

The redistricting process in the GOP-dominated Legislature made many political districts less competitive, which some experts believe might hurt civic engagement.

As secretary of state, Fort Worth attorney John Scott would oversee election administration in Texas.

The fast-growing region likely will see a considerable number of new state and federal lawmakers after the 2022 election. And in many cases, they will be representing districts whose boundaries have significantly shifted.

Seliger has served in the Senate since 2005 and led the higher education committee. He was seen as a champion of public education and local control but was derided as too soft on social conservative issues near the end of his tenure.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s office says there’s no plan for a fourth special session at this time. If this was the final special session of the year, what did we learn from it?

Lawmakers approved new political maps and decided how to spend COVID-19 relief money. But they didn’t pass bills about vaccine mandates or the criminal penalty for illegal voting.

If voters approve the measure next year, it will raise the state’s homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000 for school district property taxes, netting the average homeowner about $176 in savings.

The Texas Senate approved a bill Friday that would issue $3 billion in bonds to fund higher education construction programs hours after Gov.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The Texas Senate approved a bill Friday that would issue $3 billion in bonds to fund higher education construction programs hours after Gov. Greg Abbott appeared to clear the way for the issue to be passed in the final stretch of the Legislature's third special session this year.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The controversial bill, which passed in the House on Thursday, heads to Governor Greg Abbott's desk next.

Far West Texas was hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the pandemic placing a greater strain on the region’s already limited medical infrastructure, Far West Texas is in need of help. The support provided for rural hospitals, regional infusion centers and the West Texas mental health facility will help Far West Texans receive the medical treatment they need to live happy, healthy lives. From Marfa’s art scene to the McDonald Observatory and Big Bend State and National Parks, tourism is a vital part of Far West Texas’s economy. Help is on the way for Far West Texas!

The state climatologist recently predicted that Texas will continue to get hotter and for longer periods of time during the next 15 years.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The bill would allow county party leaders, candidates, judges and political committees to formally ask the Texas secretary of state's office to review any "irregularities" in an election.

The Brownsville City Commission will hold its regular commission meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday where the commission is expected to vote on two resolutions pertaining to the Brownsville Police Department.

Senate Bill 9 would make illegal voting a second-degree felony, after a last-minute change to Texas' controversial voting law rendered it a Class-A misdemeanor.

As proposed Senate redistricting went under scrutiny, the state’s first congressional map, featuring two additional congressional districts, was released.

AUSTIN — President Donald Trump on Thursday pressed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to add an item to the agenda of the year's third special session: adopting an Arizona-style election audit of 2020 ballots.

Redistricting is one of the items on the third special session, and the state Senate released proposed maps on Sept. 18.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will convene a third special legislative session Sept. 20 at 10 a.m., according to a Sept. 7 news release.

Social media companies can’t ban Texans over political viewpoints under bill headed to governor’s desk.

The legislation's passage ended a months-long standoff with Democrats, who stalled the bill by leaving the state.

Democrats opposed the legislation because they say it will make it more difficult for some to vote.

Democrats opposed the legislation because they say it will make it more difficult for some to vote.

Texas Democratic legislators’ walkout only postponed the inevitable. After leaving the state Capitol in May and breaking a quorum to stop passage of controversial bills — a walkout that ended the regular session and lasted through one 30-day special session — lawmakers started trickling in, and on Thursday enough had returned to make quorum and enable action on the bills.

Limits on Texas mail-in and curbside voting would be a burden to people in wheelchairs or those with sight and hearing impairments, advocates say.

There are still not enough House lawmakers present for a quorum because more than 50 Democratic representatives have not been at the Capitol Building since mid-July.

The Texas Senate voted to advance a major Republican voting bill on Thursday in an 18-11 vote, along party lines.

One headline pretty much sums up how an already divided America has become even more fractured since the Jan. 6 insurrection in the nation’s capitol.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he would recommend her portrait hang in the Senate chamber at the Texas Capitol.

Teachers’ ‘hands will be tied’, say Democrats

Texas House Democrats’ dramatic fly-out to Washington, D.C. last week left the state House at a standstill. But across the hall in Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s Senate, Republican lawmakers were undaunted, rapidly passing a conservative laundry list of legislation that's all but assured to die at the special session's end.

The Texas Senate passed a Republican-led elections reform bill Tuesday night after dozens of House Democrats fled the state to avoid voting on the measure.

Amazon, Starbucks and Pepsi are among the companies that signed onto a letter calling on Congress to pass legislation that would expand the Voting Rights Act.

If the House Democrats who skipped town to block voting legislation don’t return before the special session ends, the Senate bills will languish without becoming law.

In addition to the controversial voting bill, the agenda includes bail reform, restrictions on transgender youth sports participation, and funding for the Legislature itself.

"It's a little like Groundhog Day here, senator," Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said before the bill passed.

Her perseverance led to the federal Juneteenth holiday

Election legislation, critical race theory, border security and transgender athletes are all on the list.

Longtime Texas Senator Jane Nelson, a Flower Mound Republican, is not seeking reelection in 2022.

The city of South Padre Island is kicking off the summer season with beach and bayside fireworks displays running through Labor Day.

Lawmakers faced blackouts, a pandemic, and their own worst impulses. Amid the chaos, we plucked out the leaders—and the losers.

The 87th Texas Legislature concluded Monday, and the Senate's highest-ranking woman and...

The Texas House and Senate both approved negotiated versions of Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 3, the two sweeping bills to change the state’s power grid and the people who oversee it.

The move by Democrats in the state House of Representatives denied Republicans a quorum. Governor Greg Abbott said he'll call a special session to restart the process.

Instead of enjoying Memorial Day weekend, Texas lawmakers have been working through the night in a sprint to push forward several big-ticket bills before the legally-mandated closing time of the 2021 legislative session at 11:59 p.m. Monday. Most notably, the Republican-majority Legislature is still on track to...

The revolt torpedoed the measure which would have reduced polling hours, empowered poll watchers and scaled back ways to vote in Texas, which already has some of the nation's strictest voting laws.