The editorial below by Chairman Chris Turner originally appeared in the Texas Tribune: On January 8, 2019, the 86th Legislature will convene and the 150 members of the House of Representatives will cast what may be their most important vote of the entire session, a vote prescribed by the Texas Constitution: “The House of Representatives …
Next Texas House speaker will be elected with bipartisan support Read More »
In the House chamber Monday, Texas Rep. Helen Giddings (D-DeSoto) called on the membership to stand with her as she denounced hatred, bigotry and terrorism in the wake of Saturday’s deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. “Members, this past weekend, we witnessed a white supremacist hate group infiltrate the town of Charlottesville, Virginia, carrying torches on …
Texas Rep. Helen Giddings Denounces Hate, Calls for Moment of Silence in House Chamber Read More »
Legislation that would extend the life of a state task force studying Texas’ high maternal morbidity rates was tentatively approved by the Texas House late Sunday night. Under Senate Bill 17, the state’s Task Force on Maternal Mortality and Morbidity would continue its work until 2023. The task force, launched by the Legislature in 2013, …
Texas House votes to extend life of maternal mortality task force Read More »
State Rep. Shawn Thierry told her House colleagues that she feared she would die when she gave birth, feeling as though her heart would “beat right out of me,” as she asked them to approve legislation Monday to extend and expand the role of a maternal mortality task force. “No woman who chooses to bear life in …
Amid divisive issues, Texas lawmakers find unity in fighting pregnancy-related deaths Read More »
For the last seven months, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott have obsessed over who uses which bathroom in Texas. While these political games have dragged on, thousands of Texas living in rural and colonia communities lack basic wastewater infrastructure and clean water in their own bathrooms. This is embarrassing, shameful, and yet …
Gonzalez: Let’s talk bathrooms, Gov. Abbott (Op-ed) Read More »
Did Gov. Greg Abbott hire an armed paramilitary group to run security on a recent campaign stop? That’s what Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, is trying to find out through two open records requests. The stop in question was held on July 15 in McAllen. When he stopped into the border town for lunch, the Rio Grande Guardian reported that the …
AUSTIN — Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott called a special legislative session, declaring, “If I’m going to ask taxpayers to foot the bill for a special session, I intend to make it count.” He proceeded to lay out 19 items for our consideration, including a new “bathroom bill” to regulate local school district policies, a …
Giddings: Why is emergency special session ignoring Texas’ student debt crisis? (Op-ed) Read More »
Upon receiving their property tax notices, Texas homeowners seem ready to channel Peter Finch in the 1976 movie “Network” by throwing open their windows and yelling, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” But at whom should that ire be directed? Some wolves in sheep’s clothing at the Texas …
Howard: Amendment would make Texas shoulder more school funding (Op-ed) Read More »
AUSTIN – Texas House Democrats on Tuesday vowed to use “every conceivable tool” at their disposal to fight discriminatory legislation during the special session, including the so-called bathroom bill and a ban on ‘sanctuary cities.’ Members of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and other House Democrats wasted no time targeting the legislation. To …
House Democrats, business groups push for repeal of ‘sanctuary cities’ ban Read More »
House and Senate Democrats on Monday unveiled their priorities for the upcoming special legislative session, including some measures that fall in line with the agenda Gov. Greg Abbott laid out in his call and some that depart entirely from it. In a joint press conference, Democratic leaders in both chambers vowed to champion the issues “that matter to all …
Texas Democrats lay out their own special session priorities Read More »
