Here are some of the Texas Democrats eyeing statewide runs in 2026
Democrats will need to sort through a pileup of potential candidates who see an opportunity to harness backlash to the Trump administration in next year’s midterms. Full Story
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![Beto O’Rourke speaks at the Texas Democratic Convention Reception Kick-Off in El Paso, Texas on June 6, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s push to ban THC in Texas draws rare backlash from the right
It’s an unusual situation for the lieutenant governor, long viewed by GOP activists as a stalwart conservative responsible for driving the Legislature rightward. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks about Senate Bill 3 during a press conference in the Texas Capitol on May 28, 2025. Patrick, joined by representatives from the House and Senate, spoke about the bill and how its passage would be a service to Texans, saving their lives. The bill is set to head to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, which Patrick said he wasn’t worried about.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans pioneered in-state tuition for undocumented students. Now they’re celebrating its end.
In 2001, Texas Republicans saw expanding college access for certain undocumented students as a way to build an educated workforce. Now, some GOP lawmakers feel only U.S. citizens should receive those benefits. Full Story
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![Governor Rick Perry delivers his State of the State speech to a joint session of the Texas Legislature on Feb. 12, 2003.]()
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Speaker Dustin Burrows, once tagged as “liberal,” kept skeptics at bay by leaning into a conservative agenda
At the same time, some Democrats acknowledged the Lubbock Republican let them leave their mark on some of the GOP bills they disagreed with. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, gavels out the 89th Texas Legislature at the Texas Capitol on Sine Die, Monday, June 2, 2025]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas won’t force private companies to use E-Verify to check workers’ immigration status, despite leaders’ tough talk
Texas’ conservative Legislature has again and again refused to mandate that most private businesses use E-Verify. Experts say that Republican resistance is rooted in how the system could impact the state’s labor supply and economy. Full Story
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![A photo illustration showing Texas politicians superimposed against images of immigration documents and construction work, in a pattern that mimics torn paper, in green, orange, and black and white.]()
Credit: Photo illustration by Emily Scherer for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica. Source images: The Texas Tribune, Reuters and public documents. -
Texas lawmakers voted to ban consumable THC products. Will Gov. Greg Abbott sign — or veto — the bill?
Abbott faces pressure from both sides of the aisle. The prohibition was a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, but some hemp farmers and veterans want it killed. Full Story
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![Displaying boxes of petitions, members of the Texas Hemp Business Council hold a press conference calling for Gov. Greg Abbott to veto SB 3, a bill which would ban THC products, at the Texas Capitol on June 2, 2025.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Effort to curb personal injury lawsuit payouts dies in the Texas Legislature
The goal of the bill, according to the author, was to curb “nuclear verdicts” — ones that award victims $10 million or more. Full Story
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![The interior of a CareFlite ambulance vehicle outside the Johnson County County Commissioners office in Cleburne on November 8, 2024.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Dan Patrick and Greg Abbott are getting what they want this legislative session
In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor talk with politics reporter Jasper Scherer about education funding, a THC ban and the success of conservative priorities this year. Full Story
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![The Texas House of Representatives debates and votes on bills on the House floor at the Texas Capitol on Monday, May 26, 2025.]()
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After years of tension, Texas House emerges as cooperative partner for Dan Patrick and his conservative agenda
A 2024 war among Republicans tilted the House to the right. Now more closely aligned with the Senate, Speaker Dustin Burrows has accelerated action on bail, school vouchers and social issues. Full Story
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![Lt. Governor Dan Patrick speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Eviction bill now focuses on squatters in Texas House rewrite
The chamber jettisoned a provision tenants’ advocates warned would make it easier for Texas landlords to evict renters. Full Story
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![A tenant walks her puppies outside of an apartment where the tenants were evicted and the apartment emptied at the Life at Jackson Square apartments in Houston on April 11, 2023.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
"See how we do things": Austin cannabis shop invites Texas lawmakers wanting to ban THC
A bill that would make it illegal to sell THC products could soon head over to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. For a cannabis store employee, lawmakers don't know enough about the industry they're trying to shut down. Full Story
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![Topical CBD products sit on display at Sweet Sensi, a THC shop five blocks away from the Capitol in Austin, Texas, on May 22, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Texas is about to ban THC products. Here’s what to know.
The ban aims to remove products — made legal through a 2019 loophole — that provide a similar high to marijuana and are easily accessible to the general public. Full Story
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![Various Delta 8 THC products at a Valero station on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 in Spring Branch TX. Delta 8 products are currently legal in Texas due to its low amount of THC but often the amount of THC is not tested and simply possessing THC products can be enough to be arrested and charged with possession. (Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Water bills face deadline threat as Texas lawmakers negotiate spending priorities
Gov. Greg Abbott and other leaders have called for a major investment to save the state’s water supply. How to spend the money has caused friction at the Capitol. Full Story
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![Workers conduct maintenance on the Fred Hervey Water Reclamation Plant El Paso, Texas on March 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Bill that would give the Texas Lottery “a two-year lease on life” gets Senate approval
Senate Bill 3070 would allow the Texas Lottery’s games to continue under a new department, abolish the agency and create restrictions on ticket purchases. Full Story
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![A Texas Lottery display at Winners Corner, a board game, lottery and gift store, in Austin on Feb. 20, 2025.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune -
New Senate bill offers last-minute reprieve for troubled Texas Lottery
A key Senate critic threw a lifeline to the Texas Lottery when he proposed moving its oversight to a new agency instead of eliminating it entirely. Full Story
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![Lottery tickets sit near the entrance of Hyde Park Market in Austin on May 5, 2025.]()
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Texas lawmakers want to spend millions on Child ID kits. Experts say there’s no evidence they work.
Texas legislators slipped millions for child ID kits into a 1,000-page budget proposal. The move comes two years after they quietly cut funding for such kits following a ProPublica and Texas Tribune report that showed there’s no evidence they work. Full Story
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Credit: Lauren Crow for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica -
UT System announces $100 million investment into civic leadership school
The money will help pay for a permanent home for the school on UT-Austin's campus. Conservative donors and lawmakers, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, helped create the school in 2023. Full Story
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![From left: Interim President Jim Davis, Gov. Greg Abbott, UT System Chairman Kevin Eltife, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and UT Dean of the School of Civic Leadership Justin Dyer sit during a press conference in the Life Sciences Library at the University of Texas campus on Thursday, May 8, 2025. They spoke on a new $100 million investment the state would make in UT’s new School of Civic Leadership.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to lead Trump’s commission on religious liberty
The commission includes Ben Carson, “Dr. Phil” McGraw and religious figures. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speak at a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden at the White House on May 1, 2025 in Washington, D.C.]()
Credit: Samuel Corum/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Dan Patrick endorses Texas House’s voucher plan, clearing path to final approval
The lieutenant governor proposes that the Texas Senate adopt the House bill, which would eliminate a negotiation over the two versions and cement the victory for supporters. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks during a press conference regarding school vouchers on March 25, 2025.]()
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announces he’s running for fourth term
President Donald Trump offered an endorsement of Patrick on Truth Social. Full Story
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![Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick during a Texas Senate meeting on March 25, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune