Tag Archives: Joe Straus
The ‘Liberty-Loving Latino’ Who Uses Talk Radio to Make Texas Great Again
"As a Latino American I want American citizens to be put first; all immigration should be halted until this government takes seriously the threat of illegal immigration."
Editor’s note: With the far right ascendant in Texas politics, once-marginal ideas and people have found a place in the political mainstream. Our recurring F...Read More
One Last Kick in the Nuts: On Joe Straus’ Republican Censure
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up men to gather wood, divide work and to give orders,” said Amy Clark, vice chair of the Republican Party of...Read More
Loon Star: Li’l Lawmakers
To see more political cartoons from Ben Sargent, visit our Loon Star State section, or find Observer political reporting here....Read More
Greg Abbott Declares War on Moderate Republicans
The Texas governor endorsed a primary opponent of Representative Sarah Davis, who is probably the GOP’s best chance to retain the district in upscale west Houston.
In the latest episode of Texas Politics, God’s dumbest reality show, Governor Greg Abbott celebrated the beginning of Republican primary season by going to wa...Read More
Burning Down the House: Joe Straus and the End of the Moderate Texas Republican
A tremendous amount now depends on whether a Straus-type successor can be elected speaker.
Joe Straus’ reputation is that of a boring and studious moderate, but that’s dead wrong. The speaker of the Texas House is a freak, a space oddity, an aberr...Read More
Religious Right Takes Bathroom Fight Back to Schools after Defeat at Capitol
After failing to pass a “bathroom bill” at the Legislature, religious-right conservatives target LGBT-inclusive policies at schools.
On Monday, Allan Parker stood outside the San Antonio Independent School District’s David G. Burnet Center and asked everyone gathered to imagine Caitlyn Jenn...Read More
New San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Priorities, Progressives and the Legislature
Nirenberg doesn’t identify with a specific political party, but thinks future-focused candidates are in a prime position to take back the state.
Ron Nirenberg assumed office in June after defeating former Mayor Ivy Taylor with 54 percent of the vote in a runoff election. Like Taylor, Nirenberg’s job pe...Read More
Never Say Sine Die: Legislature Returns to Ideological Special Session Agenda
As if the regular session wasn’t terrible enough, Governor Greg Abbott has called lawmakers back for another 30 days of hell.
If your town suddenly seems emptied of crooks, scoundrels and liars, it’s probably because state lawmakers are trickling back into Austin for a very special l...Read More
Dan Patrick Accuses Joe Straus of Ponzi Scheme Ahead of Special Session
Patrick seemed to suggest that spending money on ESL and special needs students is a waste and should be spent on teacher pay.
For once, Dan Patrick didn’t mention bathrooms at a press conference. Instead, the lieutenant governor stepped into the spotlight ahead of next week’s speci...Read More