“Just my luck”: Houston begins clean up after Beryl rips through Gulf Coast
Across the Gulf Coast, fences toppled, awnings ripped, business signs soared away and traffic lights twisted askew. Full Story
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![Two sisters watch flooded Whiteoak Bayou waters flow next to downtown Houston on Monday, July 8, 2024. Rains from Hurricane Beryl overflowed the bayou but were not as significant as Hurricane Harvey.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Molly Cook holds on to Houston-based Texas Senate seat in Democratic primary runoff
Cook was up 74 votes, according to unofficial results. Johnson has not conceded. Full Story
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![Molly Cook, an emergency room nurse, is running for Texas Senate District 15.]()
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Molly Cook beats state Rep. Jarvis Johnson in special election to fill open Texas Senate seat until January
Cook will fill John Whitmire’s unexpired term — but will face Johnson again in a Democratic primary runoff for a full four-year term. Full Story
![Molly Cook, an emergency room nurse, is running for Texas Senate District 15.]()
Credit: Molly Cook for Texas Senate -
Two Houston Democrats face off in back-to-back elections for John Whitmire’s open state Senate seat
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. Full Story
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![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.]()
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Houston-area Democrats line up in competitive primary to succeed John Whitmire in the Senate
Whitmire held the Senate seat for four decades. Six Democrats are now competing for the seat in the upper chamber. Full Story
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![The Texas Senate gallery as technical staff prepares communications for next week's start in the impeachment trial of Ken Paxton on September 5th. Paxton is accused of several ethics violations during his three terms as Texas Attorney General.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
After years of losing battles with GOP leaders, some big city Texas mayors strike friendlier tone
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and incoming Houston Mayor John Whitmire, two veteran Democratic legislators, are trying to repair their cities’ fraught relationships with the state’s GOP leadership. Full Story
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![Left: Senator John Whitmire, D-Houston, speaks at a press confrence to announce legislation aimed at reforming the state’s bail system on Feb. 4, 2019. Right: Austin Mayor Kirk Watson speaks with the press to discuss the city's response to mass power outages after a ice storm, at the Combined Transportation, Emergency, and Communications Center in Austin on Feb. 3, 2023.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune, Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
State Sen. John Whitmire elected Houston mayor, AP reports
Whitmire defeated U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee to be the next mayor of Texas’ largest city and the fourth largest city in the U.S. Full Story
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![Senator John Whitmire speaks to supporters during a campaign watch party during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in downtown Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
In Houston mayoral race, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire head to a runoff
The two well-known Democrats led a crowded field, but neither captured a majority of the vote. The runoff will be Dec. 9. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, and state Sen. John Whitmire speak at their watch parties on Election Day, Nov. 7, 2023, in Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
In crowded field, Houston mayor's race centers on prominent Democrats Sheila Jackson Lee and John Whitmire
Jackson Lee has sought to rally her party’s base, vowing to stand up to “MAGA Republicans.” Whitmire has relied on a more bipartisan coalition while also defending his Democratic credentials. Full Story
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![Houston mayor candidates State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune | Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Sheila Jackson Lee expresses regret after audio leaks of her berating, demeaning staffers
Jackson Lee is running for Houston mayor, and the recording of her expletive-laden rant toward an employee was sent from an anonymous email account to multiple news organizations, three days before the start of early voting. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, speaks during an EPA meeting on April 20, 2023 in Houston.]()
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Political dominoes could fall in Houston as 2 longtime Democrats campaign for mayor
State Sen. John Whitmire, first elected in 1982, and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, in office since 1995, could be vacating seats that haven’t been open for decades. The election calendar, however, may bring a tough decision for one or both. Full Story
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![Houston mayor candidates Sheila Jackson Lee and John Whitmire]()
Credit: Kylie Cooper/Sophie Park for The Texas Tribune -
Protesters decry stalled fentanyl test strip bill; Texas House passes get-tough criminal penalties
Stuck in committee, the test-strip legislation has support from Gov. Greg Abbott and bipartisan lawmakers, who see it as a way to save lives. Full Story
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![State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on April 3, 2019.]()
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Former elections chief Chris Hollins drops bid for Houston mayor
Facing a crowded field, Hollins, who served briefly as Harris County clerk in 2020, announced Thursday he will instead run to be Houston’s chief financial officer. Full Story
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![Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins at election headquarters inside the NRG Arena on Oct. 5, 2020.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Bills advance to close loophole allowing some lawmakers to increase their pay to $140,000
Two bills that advanced in House and Senate committees on Wednesday both exempt any lawmaker who has already taken advantage of the benefit. Full Story
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![State Representatives and their families sit on the House floor on the opening day of the 88th Legislative Session at the state Capitol in Austin on Jan. 10, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Why three longtime Texas lawmakers are now eligible for an extra $140,000 a year
A few of Texas’ most veteran lawmakers may have seen their part-time legislative compensation skyrocket from $7,200 to nearly $150,000 annually, thanks to a law passed quietly at the end of the 2021 legislative session. Full Story
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![From left: State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, State Reps. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, and Tom Craddick, R-Midland.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune; Todd Wiseman/The Texas Tribune; Bob Daemmrich -
Texas senators seem open to major change in state’s public education funding formula
Senators in the finance committee asked questions Monday about the pros and cons of basing the amount of money that schools get per student on enrollment instead of attendance. Districts say the change could mean millions in additional funding. Full Story
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![The sun sets over Lufkin High School in Lufkin on Jan. 29, 2023. Public school officials in rural areas like Lufkin face budget challenges because of proposed school choice legislation, which provides taxpayer-funded alternatives to sending a child to a local public school.]()
Credit: Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unveils committee assignments with one Democratic chair
Conservative activists have pushed for legislative leaders to ban Democrats from leading committees. Full Story
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![State. Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, listens to State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, filibuster against Senate Bill 1 on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
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Former U.S. Senate candidate Amanda Edwards announces run for Houston mayor
Edwards joins a field that already includes two well-known names: veteran state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and Chris Hollins, the former Harris County clerk who oversaw election changes in 2020 that became a lightning rod for Republicans. Full Story
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![Houston City Councilwoman and U.S. Senate candidate Amanda Edwards outside of 919 Congress Avenue in Austin on Feb. 7, 2020.]()
Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune -
State Sen. John Whitmire announces he will run for Houston mayor in 2023
Whitmire, the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate, will first run for reelection to the chamber in 2022 before his mayoral run the following year. Full Story
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![State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, speaks at a press conference held by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus regarding Democrats breaking quorum and voting legislature at the Texas Capitol on July 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott prioritized changing how bail is set. He isn’t addressing people stuck behind bars because they can’t afford to pay.
Multiple federal courts have found Texas' cash bail practices discriminatory against poor people. The governor has said his priority bill will instead focus on keeping "dangerous criminals" in jail before they're convicted. Full Story
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![An Austin Bail Bonds II sign near Interstate 35 on Feb. 5, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune