Former state Rep. Rick Green, a staunch social conservative and Republican who drew criticism for ethical lapses while in the Legislature, is announcing this evening for Texas Supreme Court. According to his Web site, Green is unveiling his candidacy...
Former George W. Bush adviser Karen Hughes has signed on as one of two "strategic counselors" to Texas House Speaker Joe Straus as he seeks re-election and girds for the next session of the Legislature, Straus' office announced this afternoon....
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has $1.2 million in the bank and 123 pledges of support for re-election in his pocket, his office just announced. Straus raised $721,050 between the session's end and June 30, the end of...
House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam of Waco says changing consultants and operatives won't fix what ails the Texas GOP -- lousy stands on insurance regulation, health care and public schools. Dunnam, responding to our earlier post about the state GOP's...
"We worked together. We attacked problems, not people. We disagreed, but we never became disagreeable. On perhaps two of the most important issues, the budget and education, we reached a consensus and we passed legislation without a single no vote....
The state GOP and some leading conservatives in the Texas House are laying plans, perhaps separately, to stop the erosion of the party's House majority over the past three election cycles. Last night the Republican Party of Texas announced the...
In the past hour, Joe Straus' office released 8 more names of House members who've pledged to back him for a second term as speaker: Joe Driver, R-Garland; David Farabee, D-Wichita Falls; Jessica Farrar, D-Houston; Patricia Harless, R-Houston; Donna Howard,...
House Speaker Joe Straus has released the names of House members who are supporting his reelection -- far more than he needs to assure a second term as speaker next session. "As of this morning we have received 98...
The House passed a "technical correction" resolution late this afternoon that would allow the session to end tonight without dismantling key state agencies. If the Senate agrees, the move would greatly reduce chances that Gov. Rick Perry will call lawmakers...
House leaders have apparently averted a likely special session by reaching a tentative deal on salvaging big agencies threatened by closure. House Democratic leader Jim Dunnam of Waco (right) laid out this end of session scenario, which was confirmed by...
House Higher Education Committee Chairman Dan Branch, R-Dallas, won House approval of a resolution capping tuition increases for undergraduates at state universities in each of the next three academic years at 3.95 percent or $280, whichever is greater. Then, for...
House members are still straggling in after a long night, so it's unclear yet whether a deal can be cut to salvage several state agencies and avoid a special session. Here's the key political complication: Many, though not all, Democrats...
Here's a story I just filed about Rep. Edmund Kuempel's return to the House. Noting Kuempel's German-American heritage, Lufkin Democratic Rep. Jim McReynolds said this as he bear-hugged his colleague: "Well, you hard-headed Kraut, God didn't want you, did he?"...
Dallas Democratic Rep. Yvonne Davis just got to make her case about bypassing the budget process. Speaker Pro Tem Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, answered her questions. And the last hurdle was cleared for the tier one university bill to pass. It...
Rep. Yvonne Davis, D-Dallas, blocked early consideration of Dallas Republican Rep. Dan Branch's tier one university bill. Davis objected to the process by which -- not the purpose of -- bonds for rebuilding Galveston's medical school were added to the...
A House-Senate deal on rejiggering the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, the insurer of last resort for coastal homeowners, just won the House's blessing. Gov. Rick Perry signaled last week that he would call them back before the start of hurricane...
Rep. Edmund Kuempel, from an Austin rehab hospital, is following House action closely. Since at least Wednesday, Kuempel has been text-messaging colleagues. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Pearland (below left), said one he got from Kuempel today was particularly amusing. "How long...
House members just approved and sent to Gov. Rick Perry the two year, $182.3 billion state budget. The vote was 142-2, with the only "nays" cast by Republicans Joe Crabb of Atascocita and Sid Miller of Stephenville. "The approved budget...
The House just honored DPS troopers Diane Riojas, Antonio Rico and Edwin Carpenter and others who helped resuscitate Rep. Edmund Kuempel after he collapsed at the Capitol during a late night session 17 days ago. Members passed a resolution praising...
Speaker Joe Straus took heat from Democratic leaders today for refusing to recognize their bid late last night to force a quickie vote on unemployment insurance. In a phone interview, he returned fire. From Friday through Tuesday, Straus said he...
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