Well, January 2023 is about to come to a close. That’s hard to believe… I guess time flies when you are having fun! 120 days remain in the 88th Legislative Session. As we reported last week, Senate Committees have been appointed by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. Some observations on that: The number of Senate standing…
In Texas, we keep “Getting on Down the Road”. After the election and smooth swearing in, the Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan is ready to begin a second term! Senate and House rules are set and the inauguration last week of Governor Abbott and Lt. Governor Patrick, our three Leadership offices, are now solidified. Not…
November 9, 2022 While the rest of the Country awaits election results, those of us in Texas have ours! There weren’t any real surprises. In Texas, it was a Red Wave as all Statewide Officeholders are still Republicans. The last Statewide Democratic Governor was Governor Ann Richards in 1990. On the Legislative side, that’s still…
Regardless of how tomorrow goes, the one thing we can reliably note, is that come Wednesday, you won’t have to watch anymore political adds or receive mail and emails from Candidates! Yay! The last day of early voting was Friday, November 4th and statewide, a cumulative 5,490,019 people voted early either through mail or in-person.…
I hope everyone had a happy Halloween! It’s now November 1st. After a year full of Primaries, Primary Run-off, and the General Elections in one week – It’s a scary time! While most in America are focused on the mid-term elections, in Texas it’s Major League time (go Astros!) as our Statewide Elected officials are…
Well, it is officially August! We are 90 days away from statewide elections and right after, bill filing for the next Regular Session of the Texas Legislature begins. The summer headlines have focused on school shootings and the resulting investigations, the electric grid capacity with historic Texas heat indexes, the Texas Border, abortion rights, and…
Last night and into early this morning the Texas Primary Run-Off Election results came to fruition. As we have previously discussed, these elections are vital in determining who will be in Austin come January. In Texas, many elections are decided in the primaries. The primary run-offs were the last elections to be held before the…
Early voting ended this Friday, May 20th. Election Day is Tuesday! Please be sure to vote and remind your friends! If you don’t vote – you can’t complain! And when it comes to the Texas primary run-offs, these are the elected officials that will be governing our state in 2023! Here are some “fun facts”…
Two things of importance are happening at once in Texas! First, the Primary Run-off’s in Texas are underway. With 22 House and 2 Senate races up for grabs, those campaigns are in full swing. The Run-off election will be held in just a month on Tuesday, May 24th. With many races in Texas decided during…
Today – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked the Texas Senate to study 84 charges during the interim, before the 88th Legislative Session begins. That gives us seven months to study the issues before the prefiling of legislation begins! “The interim charges I released today reflect my priorities, the priorities Texans shared with me as I…
The 2022 Primary elections finally took place yesterday and looks like we’ve got a lot of run-offs on our hands. After the brutal cycle of the 2021 Covid/Winter Storm Legislative Session, three special sessions, redistricting, unprecedented retirements and the usual scandal laden campaign season, this is the bottom line: It…will…never…end. Most of the drama last…
Early voting starts today! February 14th. (Don’t forget Valentine’s Day as well!) Primary Election Day is March 1 here in Texas. In Texas, we are off to the races! The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is February 18th. At the top of the ticket, current Governor Greg Abbott (R) raised $18.9…
After a year of Legislative Session(s) – Regular and Special – Campaign Season is in full swing! The Texas primaries begin early voting on Valentine’s Day, February 14th. It’s “Go Time!” for the Texas political season. (And don’t forget your Valentine on this day… you will have to deal with the results the rest of…
With filing deadline for the next election cycle ending today at 5pm, below is a comprehensive list of lawmakers coming and going in the next season/next Session. With new maps, a grueling 2021 of multiple legislative sessions – as well as retirements – the list grows everyday. Knowing more is to come, we wanted to…
After one Regular Texas Legislative Session and 3 Special Sessions (that’s 230 days and weekends) the “part-time” Texas Legislature has adjourned. Now we move on to campaign season and agency rulemaking! The question of a fourth called special session appears at this moment to not be likely. Of course, we never say never around here!…
As we enter the last two days of the third called special session, the members have been working all weekend into the wee morning hours of the morning. It appears the two Houses are coming into agreement on “must pass” items. I think it’s safe to say that everyone is ready to go home to…
It’s officially October – and short of a few small breaks the Texas Legislature is still going since their regular session January start. Members are tired, families fed-up with spouses not at home, and their employers want to know when they are coming back to work. Texas was meant to be a “part time legislature”. …
Hang in there, folks, for the Texas 87th Legislature’s third special session! Lawmakers return to the Capitol this morning during one of the longest legislative sessions in Texas history – the one to beat is the 71st legislative session which had six called sessions after the close of the regular session. On a personal note,…
Austin, Texas August 23, 2021 On Friday, the House finally got a quorum to conduct their business and set Committee hearings for this week! When you think things can’t get stranger during the Texas 87th Second Special, they do. Sadly, the Governor got Covid, as did two other House members, bringing the total to 8.…
It’s a big hot summer at the Take 2 Texas Lege! The Texas 87th Legislature is back again for its second special session. This past week, the legislature has seen a filibuster, the signing of civil arrest warrants, the reinstitution of temporary legislative funding, court rulings and so much more! The wheels are off the…
The first special session may be in its final hour – but don’t go too far! The Texas 87th Legislature has been called back by Governor Abbott for a second special session starting Saturday at 12 pm. All the need-to-know is below. Special Sessions Today marks the last day of this year’s first special session.…
There’s just one week left in the Texas 87th Legislative Special Session. Despite D.C. Democrats staying put, Texas had no shortage of excitement – legislators filed in response to the Governor’s line-item veto, the Longhorns and Sooners announced their departure from the Big 12, and election season gained momentum with key endorsements. Stay tuned! Special…
Summer’s first special session is hot! More than fifty lawmakers left the state this week as the legislature discussed election integrity, power grid reform, and more. With such a headline-making summer, we have all the need-to-know here for you. Special Session The past week has truly put the “special” in “special session.” The House Select…
Welcome back to the Capitol! Tomorrow marks the first day of the special session and lawmakers will meet once again to discuss key legislation and address ongoing issues. With subjects like border security, property tax relief, protection against cybersecurity threats, and more, this session is sure to be a most fascinating one. Stay tuned! Special…
Big news came this week with the announcement of the first special session for the Texas 87th. The session will begin July 8, so keep an eye out for future messages about topics on the agenda. Election season is also in full swing, Governor Abbott makes good on his promises, and the final numbers are…
The election season has already begun! The regular session may be over, but certainly our journey continues. There are rumblings of a special session or two, and a number of announcements precede upcoming primaries. We’ve got June’s headlines here to keep you in the know – stay cool! Special Sessions Governor Abbott has suggested that…
T-minus 17 days to the end of the session and alcohol to-go is here to stay. This past week we celebrated Small Business Week, and there have been major movements on legislation ranging from future pandemic procedures to permitless carry to bail reform. Hang in there – this wild ride is almost over! Powering Texas…
There are just 10 days left to Sine Die, and news from the capitol is coming out faster than we can print it. From bills signed by Governor Abbott to the budget of the biennium, here are the highlights of this week, with a little something extra for you at the end. The Texas Economy…
With just under three weeks left to Sine Die, the Legislature is working as fast as ever. We have for you this mid-week report which provides a comprehensive overview of this year’s Leadership Bills. Through Monday, this is where each bill stands. We’ll have more for you Friday with all of this week’s news from…
There are 24 days left to Sine Die, and this past week has left us in a breathless whirlwind! Eye-catching headlines include the passage of the Firearm Carry Act, the Texas Heartbeat Bill, and the Omnibus Elections Bill. Additionally, the conference committee on the budget is almost done with its work. Hold onto your hats…