Politics & Policy
July 6, 2023
How to Lose Friends and Alienate the Legislature
The governor has long suffered from the reputation that he’s a policy lightweight. He’s turning it around this year in five easy steps.
Politics & Policy
Reporting and commentary on the Legislature, campaigns, and elected officials
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101-150 of 7070 Articles
Politics & Policy
July 5, 2023
This Democrat Is Back in the Texas Lege After 40 Years. He Can’t Believe How Bad Things Are.
On property taxes, school funding, and more, “Democrats are not even in the conversation,” Dallas representative John Bryant says.
Energy
June 29, 2023
Without Solar Power, This Texas Heat Wave Would Burn Much Worse
Thank goodness the state GOP's war on renewables has, so far, failed.
Politics & Policy
June 22, 2023
“The Most Abusive Environment I’ve Ever Worked In”: Former Employees of a State Legislator Tell All
Two high-profile workplace complaints made headlines at the Capitol this year, but insiders say others against Houston representative Shawn Thierry have been ignored.
Politics & Policy
June 20, 2023
In the Ken Paxton Impeachment Trial, GOP Megadonors Are Free to Tamper With the Jury
As celebrity lawyers feud in the press, Republican groups have launched an influence campaign in the Texas Senate.
Politics & Policy
June 16, 2023
A Fort Worth Couple Challenged the Indian Child Welfare Act. They Lost.
The Brackeens sued after their initial petition to adopt a Navajo and Cherokee boy was denied. A 7–2 Supreme Court ruling represents a major win for tribal sovereignty.
Politics & Policy
June 16, 2023
A German Flag Went Missing in WWII. It Was Recently Found in Houston—Then Went Missing Again.
The treasured banner was discovered in a Texas gun store, sparking questions about the repatriation of artifacts.
Best and Worst Legislators
June 13, 2023
2023: The Best and Worst Legislators
Our scorecard of the Eighty-eighth Texas Legislature’s noisy scoundrels and quiet heroes.
Politics & Policy
June 12, 2023
Asylum Seekers Anticipated the End of COVID-Related Restrictions on Entry to the U.S. But Strict New Rules Leave Many With a Difficult Choice.
Weeks after the Biden Administration ended the Trump-Imposed Title 42 regulations, the border near El Paso remains unexpectedly quiet.
Politics & Policy
May 31, 2023
Voter Fraud Is Rare. But 15 Illegal Votes in Laredo Have Thrown the City Council Into Turmoil.
Despite a judge’s ruling that her opponent rightfully won the election, Daisy Campos Rodriguez stubbornly clings to her office.
Politics & Policy
May 29, 2023
As the Son of a Soldier, I’m Proud. As a Latino, My Feelings Are More Complex.
My father spent twenty years in the Air Force. I value his service, but generations of Latinos have sought equality through the military only to remain suspect citizens.
Politics & Policy
May 27, 2023
The Texas House Has Voted to Impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton
The state’s top attorney will be suspended from duties, pending a trial in the Texas Senate.
Politics & Policy
May 26, 2023
The Texas Legislature Finally Comes for Ken Paxton
The Texas House has voted to impeach the attorney general. After nearly eight years under indictment—during which he won two elections—why now?
Politics & Policy
May 26, 2023
Two Texas Indie Developers Made It Big on Twitter a Decade Ago. Now They’re Fighting It.
After Elon Musk killed their Twitter app, two software developers in the North Texas suburbs are trying to shape the future of social media.
Agriculture
May 26, 2023
If a Texas Bee Summers in California, Is Its Honey Still Texan?
HB 590 wants only honey “exclusively” made in Texas to be labeled as “Texas honey,” but that’s not as sweet a deal as it seems.
Politics & Policy
May 24, 2023
Is Ken Paxton Finally in Real Trouble?
The attorney general, under indictment since 2015, now faces potential impeachment from the Texas House.
Politics & Policy
May 24, 2023
Hours Before an Investigating Committee Hearing Into AG Ken Paxton’s Office, Paxton Calls on Speaker Dade Phelan to Resign
Phelan’s office called Paxton’s late-Tuesday statement a ploy and “a last-ditch effort to save face.”
Health
May 23, 2023
OB-GYN Residents Are Required to Receive Clinical Abortion Training. They Can’t Do That in Texas.
Abortion restrictions running in conflict with training requirements are pushing lifelong Texans to leave the state—maybe for good.
Energy
May 22, 2023
How a Powerful Texas Lawmaker and His Family Made Half a Million for a Few Phone Calls
Depositions in a recent lawsuit reveal that state rep Tom Craddick, his wife and son, and his daughter, Christi, who leads Texas’s oil and gas regulating agency, profit from industry deals not available to just anyone.
Politics & Policy
May 19, 2023
Cruz Watch: The Senator Calls for an Investigation Into Bud Light for Some Reason
Ted Cruz wants the Beer Institute, the industry’s self-regulatory body, to investigate whether Bud Light broke the law by reaching out to a transgender influencer.
Politics & Policy
May 16, 2023
The Killing of These Texas Children Was National News. But We Didn’t Know the Half of It.
Dallas journalist Roxanna Asgarian’s new book, ‘We Were Once a Family,’ examines a murder-suicide that made national news—and finds that the story behind the story is even worse than we thought.
Politics & Policy
May 16, 2023
Rick Perry Is Thinking of Running for President for a Third Time!
The longest-tenured governor of Texas, who is famously great with groups of three, aims for a failed campaign hat trick.
Politics & Policy
May 15, 2023
How an Airbnb Party House Near Austin Became a Legislative Priority for a West Texas Politician
Rarely are special-interest bills in the Texas Lege quite so special as in Brooks Landgraf’s bill targeting the tiny town of Volente.
Politics & Policy
May 15, 2023
Do Texas Democrats Have Stockholm Syndrome?
An unusual number of lawmakers have crossed the aisle to support Republican bills this year. Party operatives are furious.
Politics & Policy
May 12, 2023
The Texas House Voted to Advance Sports Gambling. It’s Still Unlikely to Become Law.
Legal sports gambling in the state still faces a long and complicated path that would require a constitutional amendment.
Politics & Policy
May 11, 2023
Since the Lege Has Been in Session, There’ve Been Eighteen Mass Shootings in Texas
The gun bills most likely to pass aren’t restrictions but those that further protect firearm ownership.
Health
May 11, 2023
Texas Refuses to Expand Medicaid. Here’s What We’re Missing Out On.
These benefits could be ours, if the Lege would just help insure a million more Texans.
Politics & Policy
May 11, 2023
Traditionalists Protest What Some Consider a “Woke” Takeover of the Texas State Historical Association
Inside the arguments, lawsuit, and angry outbursts that are dividing a key authority on historical matters.
Border & Immigration
May 10, 2023
If All the Officers Assigned to the Texas-Mexico Border Stood Side By Side, How Far Apart Would They Be?
Hint: if one of them were Baker Mayfield, he could pass a football to the folks on either side of him.
Politics & Policy
May 8, 2023
Whenever Texans Die in Mass Shootings, Greg Abbott Likes to Talk About Immigration
After the latest bloodbaths in Allen and Cleveland, the governor turned to a familiar playbook of deflection.
Energy
May 8, 2023
The Texas GOP’s War on Renewable Energy
What’s behind the Legislature’s relentless campaign against wind and solar power, which are saving Texans billions?
Uvalde
May 7, 2023
Amor Eterno
One year ago, before the school shooting in Uvalde, Kimberly Mata-Rubio had never been on a plane or given a public speech or scolded a U.S. senator right there in his office. A year in the life of a grieving mother.
Politics & Policy
May 5, 2023
Does a “Family Values” Agenda Include Keeping New Moms Healthy?
Progressive faith leaders and women’s health advocates are adopting the messaging to push for a 12-month Medicaid extension for postpartum care.
Business
May 3, 2023
It’s No Surprise SpaceX Blows Up Rockets in Texas. That’s Why It Came Here.
Environmentalists have filed a suit looking to block Elon Musk’s company from doing what state leaders invited him to do at Boca Chica.
Politics & Policy
May 2, 2023
Who Is Colin Allred, the U.S. Rep Planning to Take on Ted Cruz?
The former Baylor linebacker and NFL player has won the last three elections in his Dallas congressional district.
Politics & Policy
April 27, 2023
Opinion: Texas Needs Leadership on Its Student Mental Health Crisis
In my small East Texas town, students are struggling with mental health issues while dealing with the constant threat of gun violence. Little is being done to address either.
Politics & Policy
April 25, 2023
For Texas’s Antiabortion Movement, the Chilling Effect Is Working
While extremely limited, avenues for abortion access exist in Texas. That’s where fear tactics from antiabortion activists come into play.
Politics & Policy
April 25, 2023
Dan Patrick Tries Out a Trumpy Nickname for Texas Speaker Dade Phelan
Amid a debate over competing property tax–relief plans, the lieutenant governor isn’t holding back. But is “California Dade” a good insult?
Politics & Policy
April 21, 2023
Sex, Threats, and Late-Night Phone Calls: The Allegations From Inside Jolanda Jones’s Legislative Office
Last month, the entire full-time staff of the state representative from Houston resigned. They broke their silence to tell Texas Monthly their story.
Politics & Policy
April 20, 2023
Texas Secessionists Rail Against Censorship. Now One Is Suing a Republican Lawmaker for Calling Her Treasonous.
A right-wing First Amendment lawyer is representing a plaintiff suing representative Jeff Leach of Plano for harsh tweets about a TEXIT backer.
Politics & Policy
April 19, 2023
“Our Resolve Has Never Been Stronger”: The Relatives of Uvalde Victims Advocate for Gun Control in the Lege
Families of Texas mass shooting victims waited more than twelve hours to testify on a bill that would raise the age to purchase certain guns.
Politics & Policy
April 14, 2023
Cruz Watch: The Senator Attempts to Dunk on Pop
Our man picks a fight with a San Antonio icon. Maybe they should settle this on the court—or in the 2024 election?
Business
April 14, 2023
Buying a Home in Texas Often Requires Outbidding Big-Money Investors
A pair of bills at the Lege seek to help Texans compete for real estate against these deep-pocketed companies.
Politics & Policy
April 13, 2023
Texas Cattlemen Have Taken Their Beef With Cell-Cultured Meat to the Lege
Scientists have figured out how to grow meat in a lab. Cattle farmers insist it’s not the real thing.
Politics & Policy
April 12, 2023
San Antonio’s ‘Justice Charter’ Vote Is Another Fight Between State Power and Home Rule
In a post-Roe Texas, cities such as San Antonio have tried to protect reproductive health care—but a state government big on preemption has other plans.
Politics & Policy
April 12, 2023
In Texas, You Can Rent a Machine Gun for the Price of Dinner
Customers “tell me it’s better than therapy, actually, and cheaper, too,” said a trainer at one rental facility.
Politics & Policy
April 11, 2023
Now That He’s Ruled on the Abortion Pill, What Will Judge Kacsmaryk Do Next?
Coming up on the docket of Matthew Kacsmaryk, the Amarillo judge: cases involving ESG investing, press freedoms, and workplace harassment.
Politics & Policy
April 10, 2023
One Angry Man
Governor Greg Abbott wants to overrule a jury’s conviction of Daniel Perry, who murdered a man at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.
Politics & Policy
April 7, 2023
A Federal Judge in Amarillo Just Suspended Approval of a Key Drug Used in Medication Abortions. But the Situation Is Complicated.
The unprecedented move means that access to abortion across the country could, in some ways, be restricted like it is in Texas.
Politics & Policy
April 7, 2023
As Lawmakers Turn Their Sights on Drag Shows, LGBTQ Spaces Have Been Disappearing Across Texas for Decades
There are fewer gay bars in Texas today than there were in the eighties. Owners of those that remain say they aren’t going anywhere.