https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jasper-scherer/The latest news by Jasper Scherer.enSat, 04 May 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/04/texas-elections-2024-special-senate-district-15-harris-county-houston/Cook will fill John Whitmire’s unexpired term — but will face Johnson again in a Democratic primary runoff for a full four-year term.By Jasper SchererSat, 04 May 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/04/texas-elections-2024-special-senate-district-15-harris-county-houston/Molly Cook, an emergency room nurse, is running for Texas Senate District 15.Molly Cook, an emergency room nurse, is running for Texas Senate District 15.Molly Cook for Texas Senatehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/01/jarvis-johnson-molly-cook-texas-senate-election/State Rep. Jarvis Johnson and emergency room nurse Molly Cook are duking it out in a sleepy special election to briefly occupy the seat vacated when Whitmire was elected mayor.By Jasper SchererWed, 01 May 2024 11:28:19 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/01/jarvis-johnson-molly-cook-texas-senate-election/Molly Cook, an emergency room nurse, and state Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, are facing facing each other in a special election to replace former state Sen. and Houston Mayor John Whitmire in Senate District 15.Molly Cook, an emergency room nurse, and state Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, are facing facing each other in a special election to replace former state Sen. and Houston Mayor John Whitmire in Senate District 15.Campaign websiteshttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/24/greg-abbott-trans-teachers-texas/Abbott made the remarks as he recounted the story of a male teacher in North Texas who wore a pink dress for his school’s spirit day earlier this year.By Jasper SchererWed, 24 Apr 2024 13:47:46 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/24/greg-abbott-trans-teachers-texas/Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during the opening keynote lunch at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Texas Policy Summit 2024 in Austin on March 20, 2024.Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during the opening keynote lunch at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Texas Policy Summit 2024 in Austin on March 20, 2024. Gov. Abbott spoke about border security and cartels, school choice for parents of Texas children and the ban of DEI at Texas universities. Maria Crane/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/24/texas-senate-runoff-brent-hagenbuch-jace-yarbrough/The battle to succeed retiring state Sen. Drew Springer has come down to a May 28 runoff between Brent Hagenbuch and Jace Yarbrough.By Jasper SchererWed, 24 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/24/texas-senate-runoff-brent-hagenbuch-jace-yarbrough/From left: Brent Hagenbuch and Jace Yarbrough will face each other in the runoff to replace retiring state Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster.From left: Brent Hagenbuch and Jace Yarbrough will face each other in the runoff to replace retiring state Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster.Campaign websiteshttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/09/texas-house-speaker-contract/The two dozen Republican signatories called on the next House leader to commit to their list of conservative demands that served as a repudiation of Speaker Dade Phelan.By Jasper SchererTue, 09 Apr 2024 13:16:04 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/09/texas-house-speaker-contract/An empty House chamber, prior the start of the special session on Thursday, July 8, 2021.An empty House chamber, prior the start of the special session on Thursday, July 8, 2021.Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/04/tim-dunn-joe-straus-christian-texas/Straus, who is Jewish, publicly confirmed the conversation for the first time Thursday. It had previously been reported by Texas Monthly.By Jasper Scherer and Robert DownenThu, 04 Apr 2024 15:43:04 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/04/tim-dunn-joe-straus-christian-texas/Joe Straus speaks at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 25, 2022.Sandi Villarreal, deputy editor for digital at Texas Monthly, moderates a panel with US Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and former speaker of the Texas House Joe Straus at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 24, 2022 in Austin, TX.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/01/dade-phelan-border-immigration-primary/The Beaumont Republican’s foes are trying to paint him as soft on the border, even after last year’s passage of far-reaching laws and record border funding.By Jasper SchererMon, 01 Apr 2024 16:56:23 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/01/dade-phelan-border-immigration-primary/Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, at a press conference at the Capitol on Nov. 4, 2020. Phelan was the first sitting Texas House speaker forced into a runoff for his House seat in more than 50 years.State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, announces he has the votes to be elected the next speaker of the Texas House at a press conference at the Capitol in Austin on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020.Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/28/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton/With his impeachment and securities fraud case behind him, Paxton’s political stock is on the rise.By Jasper SchererThu, 28 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/28/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton endorses David Covey at an event in Beaumont on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton endorses David Covey at an event in Beaumont on Monday, Jan 15, 2024. Covey is running against House Speaker Dade Phelan in the Republican primary.Mark Felix for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/25/ken-paxton-plea-deal-securities-fraud-felony/Paxton, who will not have to enter a plea under the terms of the agreement, faced the prospect of decades in prison if he had been convicted of fraud.By Jasper SchererTue, 26 Mar 2024 09:13:10 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/25/ken-paxton-plea-deal-securities-fraud-felony/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton enters the 185th Criminal District court at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center for a pretrial hearing Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Houston.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton enters the 185th Criminal District court at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center for his pretrial hearing March 26, 2024, in Houston.Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/22/ken-paxton-texas-securities-fraud-felony-plea-deal/Paxton has been fighting securities fraud felony charges for nearly nine years.By Jasper SchererFri, 22 Mar 2024 16:10:22 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/22/ken-paxton-texas-securities-fraud-felony-plea-deal/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton leaves the courtroom after appearing for the eight-year-old felony securities fraud case against him at Harris County Courthouse on Aug. 3, 2023, in Houston.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton leaves the courtroom after appearing for the eight-year-old felony securities fraud case against him at Harris County Courthouse on Aug. 3, 2023, in Houston.Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via REUTERShttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/21/tom-oliverson-dade-phelan-texas-speaker/Oliverson, one of Phelan’s committee chairmen, said the speaker has lost the confidence of the Republican caucus.By Zach Despart and Jasper SchererThu, 21 Mar 2024 10:08:44 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/21/tom-oliverson-dade-phelan-texas-speaker/State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, announces his candidacy for Texas House Speaker during a press conference on March 21, 2024 in Austin.State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, announces his candidacy for Texas House speakership during a press conference Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Austin.Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune