U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, was one of several insurgent candidates to challenge House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio for Speaker of the House. The common thread among the challengers was dissatisfaction with Boehner's perceived willingness to work with Democrats on legislation. Boehner ended up winning re-election with Gohmert receiving a total of three votes, including his own.
Voting ended Tuesday night in three crowded elections — in Senate District 26, House District 17 and House District 123 — and all are now headed for runoffs. In SD-26, two state San Antonio Democratic representatives — Trey Martinez Fischer and José Menéndez — will square off, while former San Antonio City Councilman Diego Bernal, a Democrat, faces off against Republican Nunzio Previtera in the HD-123 runoff. Two Republicans, John Cyrier and Brent Golemon, qualified for the HD-17 runoff. Dates for the runoffs have yet to be determined.
As they weigh the constitutionality of a Texas abortion law, federal appeals court judges on Wednesday challenged arguments presented by the state and abortion providers in tough questioning that buoyed hopes among some abortion rights supporters that new restrictions on abortion facilities might be overturned.
A swarm of small earthquakes started shaking the Dallas area a few days ago, leading teams to head to the area to find out what exactly is behind the sudden occurrence of the temblors.
Gov.-elect Greg Abbott on Thursday called for a citizen panel on government waste to replace the Sunset Commission. He said the Sunset system “seldom eliminates unnecessary agencies.” In addition, he called for an end to local bans, ranging from prohibitions on plastic bags to tree removal to fracking.
The Texas Water Development Board's three members on Thursday unanimously voted for the 72,000-acre Marvin Nichols Reservoir — which the thirsty Dallas Fort-Worth region hopes to build in Northeast Texas — to stay in the State Water Plan. The vote, though, dismayed opponents from counties where some of the land would have to be flooded to make way for the reservoir.
State or local government employees giving out same-sex marriage licenses would stop receiving their salaries under a bill filed Wednesday for the 84th legislative session. The bill, filed by state Rep. Cecil Bell, R-Magnolia, is an attempt to stop the courts from overturning the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Oral arguments are set for Friday in a federal appeals court on the constitutionality of the ban.
Gun rights advocates announced this week that they will use a 3-D printer to manufacture weapons at the Texas Capitol during an armed rally set for the opening day of the 2015 legislative session.