INSIDER
Democrats think they can flip Texas House seats by going after GOP’s education funding and school voucher policies
Read full article: Democrats think they can flip Texas House seats by going after GOP’s education funding and school voucher policiesMuch of the House battlefield is centered in districts with struggling schools, where Democrats hope public education will resonate at the ballot box.
Texas Democrats try to unify against GOP “extremism” as their own challenges and strife persist
Read full article: Texas Democrats try to unify against GOP “extremism” as their own challenges and strife persistThe party faces internal tension over the Israel-Hamas war and Biden’s new immigration policy heading into November.
How Tennessee GOP's majority used power to expel Democrats
Read full article: How Tennessee GOP's majority used power to expel DemocratsThe expulsion of two Tennessee Democrats over a gun control protest is an extraordinary showcase of how the levers of single-party power in America’s statehouses can be pulled not only to shut down opponents, but also to punish them.
House panel advances new Texas budget with property tax cuts, teacher pay raises
Read full article: House panel advances new Texas budget with property tax cuts, teacher pay raisesThe proposal recommends spending billions on programs including property tax cuts, teacher pay raises, mental health services and border security. It leaves out requests for pay raises for retired state employees and funding for rent relief and childcare programs.
Here’s what you need to know about the fight over property tax cuts in the Texas Legislature
Read full article: Here’s what you need to know about the fight over property tax cuts in the Texas LegislatureRepublicans are wrestling over how much of the state’s nearly $33 billion budget surplus to spend on property taxes. Democrats have their own ideas about what to do with the cash.
Two years after Texas’ voting rights showdown gripped the nation, lawmakers again push dozens of elections bills
Read full article: Two years after Texas’ voting rights showdown gripped the nation, lawmakers again push dozens of elections billsState policymakers have mapped out familiar territory early in the legislative session, with Democrats seeking to expand voting access and Republicans pledging to make elections more secure.
The Texas Legislative session begins today. Here are 6 things we’re watching
Read full article: The Texas Legislative session begins today. Here are 6 things we’re watchingLawmakers begin work today for their biennial legislative session. They’ll debate over the state budget, school issues, border security and property taxes, among other issues.
Texas House Democrats enter session with bipartisan hopes — and a new leader who’s prepared to fight
Read full article: Texas House Democrats enter session with bipartisan hopes — and a new leader who’s prepared to fightThere are 64 Democrats in the 150-member House, one fewer than before the election. There is also one fewer Democrat in the Senate.
In fast-growing Central Texas, redistricting sparks political reshuffling in upcoming statehouse and congressional races
Read full article: In fast-growing Central Texas, redistricting sparks political reshuffling in upcoming statehouse and congressional racesThe 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.
First special legislative session ends without any bills passed and Democrats still in D.C.
Read full article: First special legislative session ends without any bills passed and Democrats still in D.C.House Democrats are still camped out in the nation’s capital hinting that many may not return to Austin immediately as the next overtime round starts Saturday.
Number of infected Texas lawmakers who fled state rises to 5
Read full article: Number of infected Texas lawmakers who fled state rises to 5Two more Texas lawmakers who left their state to hobble efforts to pass new voting restrictions have tested positive for the coronavirus, raising to five the number of infected people in the delegation.
5 Texas House Democrats who traveled to Washington, D.C., have tested positive for coronavirus
Read full article: 5 Texas House Democrats who traveled to Washington, D.C., have tested positive for coronavirusThree lawmakers tested positive on Saturday and two more on Sunday. All of the lawmakers are fully vaccinated.
Democrats in the Texas Legislature planning to leave state in effort stop GOP from passing new voting laws, source says
Read full article: Democrats in the Texas Legislature planning to leave state in effort stop GOP from passing new voting laws, source saysAP source: Democrats in the Texas Legislature planning to leave state in effort stop GOP from passing new voting laws.
Texas GOP advances voting restrictions as hundreds push back
Read full article: Texas GOP advances voting restrictions as hundreds push backTexas Republicans have advanced bills that would make voting harder in a state that already has some of the nation’s toughest restrictions after hundreds spoke against the proposals.
Senate Democrats press ahead on voting bill despite dim odds
Read full article: Senate Democrats press ahead on voting bill despite dim oddsSenate Democrats are pledging to move ahead with a vote on their sprawling elections and voting bill next week, even as it faces universal opposition from Republicans as well as from a key senator from their own party.
Texas GOP’s voting bill passes key House vote
Read full article: Texas GOP’s voting bill passes key House voteTexas has become the latest Republican-dominated state to advance sweeping new limits on voting, despite no evidence of any problems with last year’s vote and a coalition of state and federal officials calling the 2020 presidential election the most secure in history.
Texas GOP’s voting restriction bill passes key House vote
Read full article: Texas GOP’s voting restriction bill passes key House voteTexas has become the latest Republican-dominated state to advance sweeping new limits on voting, despite no evidence of any problems with last year’s vote and a coalition of state and federal officials calling the 2020 presidential election the most secure in history.
Texas' factory of conservative legislation may be at risk
Read full article: Texas' factory of conservative legislation may be at riskAUSTIN, Texas – Win or lose in Texas on Tuesday, Republicans will still run plenty of America's state capitols. For a decade the Texas Legislature has been America's foremost factory of conservative legislation. Voting restrictions, expanded gun rights, immigration crackdowns and limits on abortion have passed out of the state House. So did Texas’ longest-serving female lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Senfronia Thompson, who would be Texas’ first House speaker who is female or Black. “It allows, us, frankly, to finally have an opportunity to really set policy at the state level of Texas," he said.
Trey Martinez Fischer becomes second Democrat to announce run for speaker of the Texas House
Read full article: Trey Martinez Fischer becomes second Democrat to announce run for speaker of the Texas HouseState 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.