Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Trumpโs man in Texas, has quietly amassed influence โ to the detriment of fellow Republicans
Patrick urged former Gov. Rick Perry to mount a challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term. Heโs taken the already considerable power concentrated in the stateโs No. 2 job to another level, forcing opponents from races and tightening his grip on the Senate.
Texas violated voting rights law during redistricting, retiring state GOP senator says in sworn court statement
A three-judge federal panel is hearing arguments in a lawsuit claiming that Texas Republicans violated the Voting Rights Act when they redrew state Senate District 10 in Tarrant County to lessen Black and Hispanic voting power.
Texas state Sen. Kel Seliger, a Republican willing to buck his party leadership, will not seek reelection
Seliger has served in the Senate since 2005 and led the higher education committee. He was seen as a champion of public education and local control but was derided as too soft on social conservative issues near the end of his tenure.
GOP senator says Gov. Greg Abbott should lose line-item veto after cutting Legislatureโs funding, jeopardizing staffersโ jobs
The bill is largely symbolic, as the Legislature is currently at a standstill, unable to move any legislation because House Democrats broke quorum two weeks ago when they fled to Washington, D.C., to block GOP voting bills.
Gov. Greg Abbott has set his legislative agenda. These lawmakers could influence how much is accomplished.
But to get anything done on his list, heโll need help in the Texas House and Senate. AdA hardline conservative faction in the HouseThe Texas House has 67 Democrats and 82 Republicans. One seat remains open after former state Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, resigned to join the state Senate. Both the Texas House and Senate preliminary budgets both call for $119.7 billion in discretionary spending. In the House, meanwhile, state Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, will again chair the committee on criminal jurisprudence.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick awards committee chair to Texas senator who previously faced sexual harassment allegation
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas TribuneTwo years ago, Texas Sen. Charles Schwertner voluntarily relinquished a prominent post chairing the Senateโs Health and Human Services Committee after an allegation of sexual harassment. @DanPatrickโs trust in my ability to lead this important committee.โThe Senate committee Schwertner will lead is not as prominent as the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services he once oversaw. โNo one works harder than the members of the Texas Senate,โ Patrick said in a statement. Houston Democrat John Whitmire, the Senate longest-serving member, will continue to chair the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice. Democrat Eddie Lucio Jr. of Brownsville will serve as vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee, a change Patrick announced in December.