PHIL KING

The Senate also passed a bill that would set prayer and Bible reading times during the school day.

Conservative activists have pushed for legislative leaders to ban Democrats from leading committees.

The new political maps drawn by the Texas Senate don't just favor Republicans; that much was expected from a Republican majority. The maps help Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pick which Republicans he wants in the Senate.

Within half an hour of declaring his bid, King got the endorsement of the Senate's presiding officer, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

After Texas workers were praised during the pandemic, many thought lawmakers would increase protections or benefits. But advocacy groups say they spent a lot of time playing defense on bills that could hurt workers.

This one is about redistricting — how the state draws its political maps — and it fits the pattern. Political maps are the foundation of who does and doesn’t have a voice in a democracy. Asked whether a Republican House and Senate, with a Republican governor, can be expected to draw maps that favor Republicans, neither lawmaker agreed. Sure enough, they draw maps that increase their chances of success — not only in elections, but in the government decisions that follow. Republicans draw Republican maps.