Jef Rouner
Jef Rouner is an award-winning freelance journalist, the author of The Rook Circle, and a member of The Black Math Experiment. He lives in Houston where he spends most of his time investigating corruption and strange happenings. Jef has written for Houston Press, Free Press Houston, and Houston Chronicle.
Which Republicans Are Spending the Most on Ads in 2021?
Both Facebook and Google have lifted their bans on political advertising recently, and Texas politicians are spending big money even when they aren’t up...
First Look at the Texas GOP’s Legislature Scorecard
Back in May, the Republican Party of Texas announced that it would be issuing a “scorecard” to rate how the legislature had achieved the top conservative...
The Redistricting Fight Begins
The 2022 midterm elections are likely to be an absolute bloodbath. Not only do Democrats hold very slim majorities in both chambers, but entire...
What is the Process of the Upcoming Special Session?
Texas has a remarkably short legislation session (about five months every two years), so special sessions to accomplish unfinished business are fairly common. It’s...
The Abortion Bills of Freshman Rep. Shelby Slawson
Now that the 87th Texas Legislature is (kind of) over, it’s worth looking back at some of the work the freshmen members did in...
New Voter Residency Law Gets Legal Challenge From Latino Voters
Texas Republicans might not have gotten their giant omnibus bill of voter right restrictions passed thanks to a mass walkout of House Democrats, but...
Rural Texas Unemployed Struggle as Abbott Cuts Federal Aid
It is a truism for Texas Republicans that unemployment assistance is no longer necessary as the state now has a large number of unfulfilled...
Texas Democrats, Energized by D.C. Visit, Look to Preserve Voter Access
The Texas legislature was thrown into the national spotlight last month when the minority Democrats staged a mass walkout to deny the House the...
Influence Looms as Texas Political Fundraising Moratorium Ends
The Texas Ethics Commission places a moratorium on political donations during the regular Texas legislative session as a way to minimize financial influence on...
Gov. Greg Abbot’s Veto Day Is Coming, Here’s What to Expect
“Veto Day” is a tradition in Texas. By constitutional law, the governor has 20 days (excluding Sundays) to issue vetoes once the legislative session...
