RA Staff
Going into the 86th Legislature, House Members Have $33.7 Million Cash on Hand
Collectively, House members have maintained $33.7 million entering the regular session, led by Speaker Bonnen who maintains $4.5 million in contributions, 83 percent of which came in the weeks following his press conference on Nov. 12 announcing he had secured the votes to become Speaker.
FEW CAST BALLOTS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SPECIAL ELECTION EARLY VOTING
Monday, January 14th was the first day of early voting in two special elections for the Texas House of Representatives. And while the two...
Inaugural Festivities Raise Questions About Donor Influence
With Abbott just inaugurated for a second full term, questions about donor influence and the culture of pay-to-play are once again a top concern in the quest for better governance.
FIVE FILE FOR TEXAS HOUSE DISTRICT 125 TO REPLACE JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ
Five candidates have filed to run for the special election for State House District 125, which was called by Governor Greg Abbott to fill the vacancy created when State Representative Justin Rodriguez (D – San Antonio) resigned.
State Comptroller Ups Revenue Estimate Ahead of 86th Session
Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar released his Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) today, projecting higher than expected revenue for the Legislature to work with just prior to the opening of the 86th legislative session. Hegar projects the state will have just over $119 billion available for general-purpose spending in the 2020-2021 biennium, an 8.1 percent increase from the previous 2018-2019 biennium.
Rep. Justin Rodriguez Appointed Bexar County Commissioner, Special Election Set for Feb. 12
State Representative Justin Rodriguez (D - San Antonio) was selected by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff last Friday, January 4th to replace County Commissioner Paul Elizondo, who died two weeks ago. Rodriguez was sworn into office immediately thereafter, and is leaving his seat in the Texas House.
A Preview into Possible Issues Tackled During the 86th Legislature
The 2018 election season was different from any midterm in recent memory. A polarizing national political climate spurred many retirements among incumbent officeholders, and...
Eight File to Run for Texas House District 145 Seat to Replace Carol Alvarado
(From left to right, top to bottom: Elias De La Garza, Oscar Del Toro, Christina Morales, Melissa Noriega, Alfred Moreno, Ruben Gonsalez, Martha Fierro,...
THREE FILE TO RUN FOR TEXAS HOUSE DISTRICT 79 SEAT TO REPLACE JOE PICKETT
(From left to right: Art Fierro, Dr. Michiel Noe, Hans Sassenfeld)
Three candidates have filed to run for the January 29 special election for State...
Texas Teachers Deserve A Livable Wage
Instead of supporting Texas teachers and their vitally important job, state officials have been removing resources from classrooms and shortchanging educators’ pay. Many teachers today are forced to work multiple jobs, just to earn a living.