Abbott vows pay raises for teachers and more property tax relief

The governor’s speech sets a broad agenda for the Legislature, including a nuclear renaissance and a Texas Cyber Command.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune February 3, 2025February 17, 2025

The governor’s speech sets a broad agenda for the Legislature, including a nuclear renaissance and a Texas Cyber Command.

News

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick names private school vouchers as his top legislative priority

School voucher supporters say they have the votes to get a bill across both the Texas Senate, led by Patrick, and the House, which has repeatedly blocked such proposals.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune November 9, 2024December 18, 2024

News

Donald Trump wins Texas’ 40 electoral votes

The win continues the state’s streak of going red in every presidential election since it went for Jimmy Carter in 1976.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune November 5, 2024April 21, 2025

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Texas civic group wants judge to block Ken Paxton’s investigation into voter registration efforts

Jolt, which advocates for more Latino voting participation, says the attorney general’s probe has spurred threatening comments online.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune September 14, 2024October 12, 2024

News

Colin Allred keeps Kamala Harris at arms length as he makes a play for the center

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who is facing off against Allred in his reelection campaign, has worked to tie Allred to Harris’ political record.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune August 2, 2024September 8, 2024

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In Austin, Biden slams ‘extreme’ U.S. Supreme Court

Biden asked Congress to pass a constitutional amendment to end to presidential immunity during a speech to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune July 30, 2024September 10, 2024

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With new rules, the Texas GOP seeks to keep its elected officials in line

The state party plans to limit primaries to registered Republicans and keep elected officials it censured off the ballot. It’s unclear if it can without legislative approval.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune June 10, 2024June 15, 2024

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Former Texas Sen. Carlos Uresti, convicted for his role in Ponzi scheme, released from prison

The Democrat from San Antonio was initially sentenced in 2018 to 12 years in federal prison. His sentence was later reduced, and he will stay in a halfway house until December 2024.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune July 1, 2023December 14, 2024

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State Rep. Bryan Slaton resigns ahead of expulsion vote over inappropriate relationship with aide

Slaton faced the prospect of becoming the first Texas House member to be expelled since 1927.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune May 8, 2023October 28, 2023

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Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate COVID-19 vaccine makers

Long an opponent of vaccine and mask mandates, the Republican said pharmaceutical companies may have misrepresented data. Pfizer strongly disagrees.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune May 2, 2023June 26, 2024

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Legislature has little appetite to fund Ken Paxton’s settlement with whistleblowers

A lack of lawmaker support jeopardizes the attorney general’s $3.3 million settlement, which would resolve a lawsuit alleging Paxton fired high-ranking deputies who accused him of misconduct.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune March 13, 2023August 26, 2024

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Ken Paxton’s whistleblowers ask Texas Supreme Court to take up their case as $3.3 million settlement in jeopardy

Lawyers for four former employees who accused the attorney general of firing them for reporting alleged crimes to authorities say Paxton won’t agree to finalizing the deadline by the end of this legislative session.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune March 9, 2023August 3, 2023

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D.C.-based DOJ investigators take over corruption probe into Attorney General Ken Paxton

Paxton’s lawyer had argued that federal prosecutors based out of San Antonio had an “obvious conflict” in the investigation.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune February 17, 2023September 12, 2023

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Attorney General Ken Paxton agrees to apologize and pay $3.3 million to whistleblowers in settlement

Paxton and the four whistleblowers asked the Texas Supreme Court to defer consideration of the case until they can finalize the settlement, after which they’ll move to end the case.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune February 12, 2023July 2, 2025

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Texas Senate leaders signal intent to spend big on border security

The state has spent $4 billion on border initiatives in the past two years, including $40 million to bus migrants out of Texas into Democrat-led cities.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune February 4, 2023August 17, 2023

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Texas lawmakers want to end state holiday commemorating Confederate veterans

For the third straight legislative session, state Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, has filed a bill to end Confederate Heroes Day as a state holiday.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune January 19, 2023August 17, 2023

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Texas Senate to ban reporters from chamber floor

The move to take news reporters off the Senate floor was implemented in 2021 as a COVID-19 precaution, but an official said Friday the measure would continue in the upcoming session.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune January 8, 2023August 3, 2023

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Texas GOP lawmakers warming to opioid harm-reduction policies they once opposed

Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans have expressed support for legalizing fentanyl test strips, which help users identify whether the drugs they are planning on taking contain the deadly synthetic opioid.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune January 2, 2023September 14, 2024

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Beto O’Rourke returned $1 million check from FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried

O’Rourke’s campaign said they gave the money back before the company’s scandals became widely public, because they were taken aback by such a large unsolicited donation.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune November 29, 2022March 2, 2025

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Beto O’Rourke has lost three races in four years. Is his political career over?

He has been the Texas Democratic Party’s great hope. But after failed runs for senator, president and governor, observers wonder if he has a political future.

by James Barragán, The Texas Tribune November 9, 2022November 14, 2024