The Latest
Katy ISD Adopts New Pro-Parent Gender Policy
After 6 hours of public comment and heated debates, the board voted 4-3 in favor of the new policy.
Y’All Answered: Impeaching Paxton
Readers offer their insights and experiences.
Austin & Houston to Eliminate Meat and Dairy Consumption by 2030?
Both Austin and Houston are part of ‘C40 Cities,’ an alliance of mayors seeking to impact climate change and “cut their emissions in half by 2030.”
Dan Patrick Appoints New Counsel for Paxton Impeachment Trial
Patrick’s previous choice declined the offer after campaign finance reports revealed a close relationship with those seeking to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The Archive
Post Oak Bus Lanes
Imagine a gridlocked Rodeo Drive, or 5th Avenue in NYC filled with frustrated commuters. Speckled in this congestion are nearly empty buses intended to ease the traffic but are, instead, exacerbating the problem. That is what many in Houston are envisioning when...
Limited Budget Growth
Within the next day or two, members of the Texas Senate and House will finalize a state budget. Remarkably, it is one that meets the minimum threshold of “not spending everything.” Last year, conservative groups joined together as the “Conservative Texas Budget...
Cook Pushes New Filming Ban
Under legislation passed late last night by Texas House Democrats and a minority of the GOP caucus, it would be unlawful for citizens or journalists to record conversations with lawmakers at the Capitol without the consent of the politicians. Of course, Texans living...
Lawmakers Shield Themselves, Attack Rights of Citizens
As was widely expected, House Republicans took what was an ethics bill and flipped it on its head. Authored by State Sen. Van Taylor (R-Plano), SB 19 was passed unanimously in the Texas Senate and included notable measures such as transparency and disclosure...
Red Light Camera Ban Ushers in New Mayor
Local activists in Arlington pushing to ban the controversial red-light cameras emerged victorious in May, spurring record turnout for the city in which there was also a contested mayoral election. Nearly 2,000 new voters and over 7,000 new municipal voters made their...
Weakened Campus Carry Bill Proceeds
Half an hour before midnight, when pending legislation would have died to legislative deadlines, the Texas House passed a measure that would expand concealed carry on college campuses. Though the measure passed with a bipartisan majority of (101-47), the road to...
The Republican Who Protected Unions (And Democrats)
It’s an issue that united small business, big business, the Republican establishment, and the conservative grassroots. It drew the ire of the Democratic Party and labor unions. The legislative initiative was killed not by parliamentary tricks organized by Democrats,...
Taylor Criticizes House ‘Distortion’ Of Ethics Package
State Sen. Van Taylor (R-Plano) expressed astonishment on Wednesday night for the elimination of meaningful ethics reforms of elected officials in the House. Instead of finding additional opportunities for ethics reform focused on elected officials, the House elected...
The Broken Promises of Campaign Finance Reform
Texas is currently considering sweeping changes to its system of campaign finance and government ethics laws. The drive behind these changes, we are told, is to eliminate corruption and bring transparency to the public. But some pause should be taken to examine...