Spurred by a groundswell of far-right support, the Texas Senate has passed all of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority LGBTQ bills — and then some. What the House does next will impact queer Texans’ lives and could determine Speaker Phelan’s future.

Two bills that advanced in House and Senate committees on Wednesday both exempt any lawmaker who has already taken advantage of the benefit.

In the 2023 legislative session that convened Tuesday, 70% of lawmakers are men. More than half of the Senate and House members are white, and nearly half are white men.

Houston area leaders hosted a prayer vigil Thursday afternoon to honor the 10 Black people who were killed at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.

Texas Republicans have again authorized using law enforcement to find Democrats who are still refusing to come back to the state Capitol in a bid to stop new voting restrictions.

Texas Democrats are still refusing to return to the state Capitol.

A new Texas law will make buying sex a state felony instead of a misdemeanor. The new law takes effect September 1 and is part of a sweeping piece of legislation aimed at further cracking down on human trafficking.

Three Texas House Democrats testified before a congressional committee on their efforts to thwart voting restrictions — and were met with heat from their Republican counterparts.

Democratic members of the Harris County Delegation discussed why Texas Democrats broke quorum and talked about what their next plans are during a virtual meeting Tuesday.

Texas Democrats are starting a second week of holing up in Washington to block new voting laws back home.

All they could get was a temporary win. But the lawmakers said taking the extraordinary measure of breaking quorum was justified by the harm they felt their mostly Black and Hispanic constituents would face under the GOP's voting bill.

Police officials lamented that House Bill 88 could remove that protection, called qualified immunity. Police officials were the main opponents of removing qualified immunity, a court-established protection intended to prevent government employees from frivolous litigation. Until the recently renewed nationwide criticism of American policing and its disproportionate harm against Black people, qualified immunity garnered little public attention. Last month, a conservative federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit against two Texas police officers, citing qualified immunity. The hurdles have been labeled by qualified immunity critics as a Catch-22 and nearly impossible to overcome.

HOUSTON – Many local businesses and organizations have opened food and water distribution sites in the Houston area in the wake of the recent winter storms. Various distribution sites pop up daily, so please keep checking this list if you’re in need. Houston Community College-North Forest CampusTexas State Representative Senfronia Thompson, NACC Disaster Services, Teamsters Union, Houston Community College (HCC)- North Forest campus, HCC Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Peoples United Summit, and other volunteer groups host water and food distribution in northeast Houston. The organizers will provide food and water for about 1,000 vehicles. Pet owners will receive free pet food, supplies, and information on additional resources such as the Houston Humane Society’s free spay/neuter program.

Evan Smith, CEO of The Texas Tribune. (Audio unavailable. Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith talks to state Rep. Senfronia Thompson—affectionately known as "Mrs. T" to colleagues and other Capitol goers—about COVID-19, race, public ed and that young whippersnapper Dade Phelan. Rep. Thompson has served in the chamber since 1973, making her the longest-tenured woman and Black person in the House. This episode of Point of Order, a podcast about the Texas legislature, was recorded on Jan.15, 2021.

Giuseppe Colasurdo, president of UTHealth, opened the news conference asking people to have patience when it comes to getting the vaccine. That group includes those over 65 and people 16 and older dealing with certain health issues. Turner emphasized the importance of getting the vaccine and how impactful it is for leaders to set an example for the communities. Many people in communities of color, and other communities, are reluctant to get the vaccine, Turner said. Coleman said he wants people who have health issues to see him getting the vaccine and feel encouraged to get it.

State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, listens to public testimony in 2019. Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas TribuneState Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, filed Tuesday for Texas House speaker, becoming the eighth candidate in what’s quickly become a crowded race. In a statement, Moody said he was running to change the "impenetrable and transactional" nature of the House. Moody joins fellow Democratic state Reps. Oscar Longoria of Mission, Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio and Senfronia Thompson of Houston in the race. Candidates are running to replace GOP House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, who will retire at the end of his term after a political scandal last year. Morrison has picked up support from state Rep. John Cyrier — a Lockhart Republican who filed for speaker Thursday but withdrew from the race the next day — and state Rep. Phil King, a Weatherford Republican who chairs the powerful House Redistricting Committee.

State Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, and state Rep. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall. Credit: Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneTwo Republicans declared their candidacies for speaker of the Texas House on Thursday, becoming the first from their party to enter the race. State Reps. Trent Ashby of Lufkin and Chris Paddie of Marshall join two Democrats in seeking the gavel: Senfronia Thompson of Houston and Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio. Candidates are vying to replace Republican House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, who will retire after serving one term thanks to a political scandal last year. Thompson, the longest-serving woman and Black person in the history of the Texas Legislature, filed Friday to run for the gavel.

State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, is the second Democrat to announce a bid for speaker of the Texas House. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas TribuneState Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer on Monday announced he is running for Texas House speaker, becoming the second Democrat in the lower chamber to launch a bid for the gavel. Martinez Fischer, from San Antonio, joins state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the longest-serving woman and Black person in the history of the Texas Legislature, in the race. In a statement, Martinez Fischer said the “number one job of the Speaker is to protect the House and its members.”“Members know that I have been a defender of the House rules and wielded them to protect the institution and the people we serve,” Martinez Fischer said. “My vision for the Texas House is an independent body that will work respectfully in a bi-partisan manner with the best minds at the table.

State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, speaks on the opening day of the 86th session of the Texas Legislature. Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas TribuneState Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the longest-serving woman and Black person in the history of the Texas Legislature, filed Friday to run for speaker of the Texas House, making her the first to enter what’s been a quiet race so far to replace retiring Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton. Thompson, a Houston Democrat, has filed ahead of a November general election in which Democrats are confident they will regain control of the House for the first time in nearly two decades. If elected, she would be the first woman to serve as speaker. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

That’s quite the departure from the last speaker’s race two years ago, when seven candidates were already in the running by the first week of September. The speaker’s race is a numbers game, a contest to see which member can put together 76 votes in support of their candidacy. Of course, members could break ranks and file their candidacy for speaker with the Texas Ethics Commission before November. Howard has also suggested that she hopes Thompson is the first Black woman speaker of the Texas House. Democrats are expected to meet in Austin the day after Election Day to discuss the speaker’s race and other session-related issues.