Hundreds of candidates in dozens of local government entities vied for elected office around the Metroplex on May 6. But as usual, the local elections drew relatively small numbers of voters. Only one of four DFW-area counties reported double-digit turnout. And one...
After Saturday’s election, there is no question whether or not Odessa residents are tired of the status quo. Voters elected to unseat three Ector County Hospital Board incumbents, while an additional trustee position was uncontested and filled by a write-in candidate....
Houston’s pension reform plan has cleared its second hurdle, passing the Texas House with 112 votes. After pushback from conservatives, bill author State Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Canton) substituted his original bill for that of State Sen. Joan Huffman’s. The differences...
Voters sent a loud message to Midland City Council on Saturday. Of 6,781 total votes cast, 54-percent of voters elected to end the city’s 4B sales tax indefinitely. Midlanders also defeated a tax increase placed on the ballot last fall by MISD, meaning this is the...
Although you won’t find many Texans who’ll say nice things about the Sooner State, Suezette Griffin will. Suezette was born in Oklahoma but moved to Texas early in life, and she says she loves crossing the Red River – in both directions. Griffin works in IT sales, but...
This week the Texas House approved legislation to tackle the latest growing area of lawsuit abuse—hailstorm litigation. In the latest swing of the Whack-a-Mole mallet, lawmakers voted 91-55 to approve House Bill 1774 by State Rep. Greg Bonnen (R–League City) which...
Citizens in the border city of McAllen have an opportunity to dramatically change their local government with tomorrow’s elections. For several weeks, McAllen voters have already cast 5,476 in-person ballots in just two contested races, with five candidates running...
A jury has found Liberty County Commissioner Mike McCarty guilty on two charges of Abuse of Official Capacity after a three-day trial. Although McCarty was sentenced to six months in jail plus two years’ probation, he will be allowed to stay in office until his appeal...
The tedious and laborious task of getting your car inspected could be going out the window thanks to a bill passed by State Sen. Don Huffines (R–Dallas). If enacted into law, Texas would join the thirty-six other states that have abandoned similar regulations. On...
When City of Allen voters go to the polls on May 6, they won’t be voting on whether the city should adopt term limits for its mayors. But they will be deciding whether to choose a brand new mayor who supports term limits or re-elect a 20-year incumbent who doesn’t....
More and more Texas cities are seeking additional revenue by placing special-purpose taxes on the local ballot – a type of sales tax that, unlike income tax and property tax, is actually determined by the voters. Unfortunately, sports venues, convention centers and...
Reforming Child Protective Services has been a priority for many in the Texas Legislature this session, and the center of heated debate. The Texas House is now set to debate another piece of legislation in this long battle to fix a broken system: House Bill 1549. But...
With Texas House lawmakers set to approve several aspects of ethics reform this week, conservatives walked away with a victory but also a bad taste in their mouths after pro-transparency amendments were rejected. Up this week were two“stand-alone” bills to provide...
After only a brief debate, the Texas House finally voted to pass a resolution calling for an Article V Convention of States to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution to rein in the federal government. After the vote, Texas became the eleventh of 34 states needed...
With increasing frequency, the cronies of House Speaker Joe Straus are attempting to hoodwink and browbeat lawmakers into passing bad legislation by abusing a legislative process designed to minimize debate and sneak bills through before they can be fully vetted. Most...
Taxpayers in one North Texas school district are already on the hook for $1.5 billion in outstanding debt – over $28,000 per student – that they’ll have to repay with property taxes. Now the district is asking voters in 2017 for an additional $1 billion. School bonds...
After a marathon debate in both chambers of the Texas Legislature, legislation to ban sanctuary cities and compel local law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities to enforce immigration law is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. On Wednesday, the Texas...
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s marquee initiative, convening a convention of the states to limit the federal government, is on life support after loyalists to House Speaker Joe Straus inserted language designed to kill the proposal. Article V of the US Constitution provides...
In the wake of various attacks on the First Amendment by radical far-left groups on university campuses, State Sen. Dawn Buckingham (R–Lakeway) is seeking out a way to protect students’ rights on public university campuses. Buckingham’s legislation, Senate Bill 1151,...
