As Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign treasurer, one would assume that Houston businessman John Nau III would provide backing to candidates seeking to implement the priorities Abbott laid out during the legislative session. However, it appears more and more often that Nau...
On the 140th day of the legislative session, the last day for work to be completed under Texas’ constitution, we generally start gearing up for the release of the Fiscal Responsibility Index, which measures lawmakers’ records on fiscal and governance issues. Not this...
With just hours left in the 85th regular session of the Texas Legislature, lawmakers will be heading home with tales of their governing prowess. For members of the Texas House, that’s exactly what it will be: tall tales. The House failed to deliver on key reforms...
Things are looking bad for State Senator Carlos Uresti of San Antonio. Democrat State Sen. Carlos Uresti of San Antonio turned himself into federal authorities on Wednesday. He is facing felony charges for securities law violations and money laundering relating to an...
A senior Austin-area Democrat is facing serious jail time, as earlier today a grand jury handed down an indictment for corruption charges. Longtime local lawmaker Democrat Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin) may face as much as 28 years in prison, having been indicted earlier...
Surprising nearly everyone, an embattled lawmaker who had previously announced her resignation has decided at the 11th hour to rescind her announced resignation, staying in office for the session and pulling the rug out from under those who would have tried to fill...
A senior Democrat lawmaker is attempting to strike a deal with prosecutors in order to dodge the consequences of a criminal corruption investigation that has been going on for months. State Rep. Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin) announced in late September that she would resign...
With criminal investigators hot on her trail, one Austin lawmaker is announcing that she will “retire” from the legislature – but not before doing her best to cash out. As a member of the Texas House for over twenty years, State Rep. Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin) has never...
Say NO to Expansion! Despite numerous repudiations by the GOP rank and file, leadership in the Texas House continue to move closer to Medicaid expansion. A bill authored by a key Straus lieutenant pushing for a “Texas Solution” will now see the light of day on the...
With more than 84 percent of Republican primary voters saying they wanted more academic freedom and parental choices in education, GOP members of the Texas House decided to maintain the status quo … and explicitly forbid any efforts to expand options for students and...
