I learned yesterday that the House Press Corps has a lemming streak to them. I was covering the House yesterday - the first time I spent more than an hour in the press box, which was pretty cool - when...
Spent some time in the Senate this morning, and saw first hand the famous differences between the two chambers. Senate votes, though, still confuse the life out of me. The House, historically, is louder and more crowded than the Senate....
There was a Miller-off on the House floor today. Rep. Doug Miller, R-New Braunfels, (right) was at the front mic introducing a bill when he was confronted by Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, (below, left) at the back mic. "Mr....
The House, it turns out, can go from zero to 60 in nothing flat. That's interesting, since - apparently - their pick-ups are held together by duct tape. Rep. Joe Crabb, R-Atascocita (near Houston), took the mic this afternoon to...
I had to make the most difficult decision of the session this morning. In the House, representatives were honored Shiner beers for the 100th birthday of the Spoetzl brewery in South Texas. In the Senate, former Supreme Court Justice...
Sometimes, Legislatures argue about important things ... other times, eh, not so much. When Waco Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson sponsored an honorary resolution welcoming President George W. Bush back to Texas, he didn't expect Fort Worth Rep. Lon Burnam to...
Breaking news - apparently, I am taller than Tom Craddick. Not by very much, but I am - and I'm only about 5'6". I saw him up close for the first time yesterday on the House floor, talking to...
53:08:27:48 The Texas Legislature is very quickly turning into an episode of "24." There's suspense, intrigue, a few heavy ultimatums here and there - and an all-important timer that's ticking away with a "beep, beep ... beep, beep." And...
Something strange happened on the way to the House today. I happened to walk in just as Speaker Joe Straus was calling for a quorum - read: "attendance" - and I saw a number of lawmakers shuffle toward their...
The madness is on - on the court, and in the Governor's office. Gov. Rick Perry released an NCAA men's tournament bracket yesterday, and even made it interesting - folks can challenge his calls, and once the tournament is...
Breaking News - A state representative, speaking from the central podium in the House yesterday, took time put from his busy schedule to announce that his daughter's boyfriend was seated in the gallery. Apparently, he always opens the door for...
My friends and I have developed a ritual. We'll be chilling at a bar or watching basketball, and one of them will ask, "So what's the Lege up to?" And I'll respond with the type of delightfully loquacious forte known...
Spent some time in the tank yesterday ... sort of. Deep in the Capitol catacombs - I mean, uh, annex/basement - lies a circular, open-air chamber that stretches two floors up to the surface. It's lined with glass, so...
Remember back in grade school, when kids used to tape "kick me" signs to each other? Well, I found the digital equivalent. The kids these days use "n00b," short for "newbie who can't use a computer to save his life,"...
So, apparently, big rigs + journalists = mass carnage. I hopped into the passenger's seat of a big rig this afternoon, and a fellow journalist found his way to the driver's seat. He handled the wind and the rain...
An open letter to Capitol tourists, Thank you so much for visiting the Texas Capitol, and I hope you have a wonderful visit. The buildings are full of famous paintings and historic architecture. I haven't actually had time to...
I may or may not have broken the law today ... or so I thought at the time. Which is a shame, 'cause it would've been pretty cool. I went over to Speaker Joe Straus' media briefing/tour of the...
Ever wonder what wandering in a foodless mall is like? I found out today. The basement of the Texas Capitol looks like the Houston Galleria on steroids. It's got the same crisp tile that lines the floors of many...
Went fishing for senators today. It's actually pretty similar to real fishing, except you don't have to wake up at some ungodly hour. Most of the Senate floor is blocked off to everyone but elected officials and aides, so...
There was, apparently, a mariachi band playing in the Capitol today. I know because I got out of class right when the State of the State address was supposed to begin, and I hustled down here a bit late -...
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