Texas Legislature
As Democrats Divebomb, the Texas Legislature Remains as White and Male as Ever
The legislative body’s makeup stands in stark contrast to the diverse state’s demographics.
Senfronia Thompson, a long-time Democratic legislator from Houston, was one of the first to throw her hat in the ring for House Speaker when it appeared in Nove...Read More
Texas Democrats Thought 2020 Would Be a Banner Year. Instead, It Was a Catastrophe.
Republicans will now lock in their majority for years to come.
Headed into election night, Democrats were bullish about their chances of flipping the Texas House, seizing a handful of GOP congressional seats, and maybe even...Read More
Historic Runoff Turnout Sets Stage for Texas Democrats in 2020’s ‘Biggest Battleground’
MJ Hegar won a contested Senate runoff and Democrats broke their record for runoff turnout as nearly 1 million voters cast ballots.
The Texas primaries in March feel like a lifetime ago. Soon after Super Tuesday, the coronavirus pandemic spread across the country and ground political campaig...Read More
Hemp Snafu Offers Texas Cities a Way to Decriminalize Marijuana
Austin leaders will consider a proposal to effectively end enforcement of misdemeanor pot possession.
Last year, police groups killed marijuana reform in Texas, which both political parties now support, with a Reefer Madness-style misinformation campaign. But a ...Read More
Bonnen’s Downfall Proves Politicians Don’t Mind Dirty Laundry—So Long as It’s Never Aired
The Texas House Speaker announced his resignation, becoming another example of the trite adage: it’s the cover-up, not the crime.
The political scandal known as Bonnghazi has, over the past couple months, slowly engulfed House Speaker Dennis Bonnen. After having outmaneuvered and marginali...Read More
Michael Quinn Sullivan’s Recorded Conversation with Speaker Bonnen Exposes the Texas GOP for What It’s Always Been
The secret recording confirms the cynicism, vindictiveness, and ugliness at the heart of the Republican politics.
In June, Empower Texans leader Michael Quinn Sullivan revealed that he had secretly recorded a meeting with House Speaker Dennis Bonnen during which, the right-...Read More
Rent By Another Name
As rent continues to rise across the state, an increasing number of Texas tenants are also saddled with mandatory fees for everything from doorstep trash collection to cable television.
On July 1, Mario Queroz came home to find a notice on the door of the one-bedroom apartment he shares with his wife in north Dallas. They’d lived at Three Fou...Read More
Senator Lucio Draws Serious Primary Challenge
The Texas Senate’s most conservative Democrat faces two opponents. Is the Valley ready for change?
Democratic state Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. starts choking up over the phone. The 29-year veteran of Texas’ upper chamber is recalling legislation he passed in 2...Read More
Texans Can Finally Buy Beer Directly From Breweries
The Beer-to-Go law went into effect September 1 after a long, protracted legislative battle.
On Sunday, September 1, just in time for Labor Day, breweries across the state toasted to a long-awaited landmark moment: The Beer-to-Go law finally went into e...Read More