Politics

After bolting the state Monday in order to sabotage the bill by denying a quorum in the Texas House of Representatives, the more than 50 state legislators find themselves balancing a punishing schedule of political lobbying, outside work and family obligations, all under a national spotlight.

Whose voices will be heard in Texas halls of power? That question beats at the heart of the Democratic quorum break that has brought the Legislature to a halt and focused national attention on GOP efforts to make voting in Texas harder.

In an interview with the Standard, the governor says he’ll call “special session after special session” until the Republican-backed legislation passes.

With over 50 House Democrats in Washington — along with 12 paid staff — the costs are quickly mounting and the party's funds are not unlimited.

While Democrats were in Washington, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 1, one of the sweeping voting bills House members are blocking from passage.

In addition to the controversial voting bill, the agenda includes bail reform, restrictions on transgender youth sports participation, and funding for the Legislature itself.

Democrats are preventing the Texas House from having enough members to pass legislation. We explain what that means, what options Republicans have and what’s in the voting bills Democrats oppose.

San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro, as a state representative in 2003, participated in a similar quorum break to Oklahoma with more than four dozen Democrats at the time to stop redistricting bills. Nearly 20 years later, Castro will assist his legislative counterparts during their potentially weeks-long stay in D.C. and support federal voting legislation.

Republicans tried to shift political power in 2003. Now, they want to preserve it. This time, national Democrats have the power to do something.

In effect, the law could eliminate access to all abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

Merritt officially began his Democratic campaign Tuesday with an emphasis on the voting rights battle that caused state House Democrats to leave Texas a day earlier.

A new attack ad targeting Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock blames a "radical left woke crowd" for moving the game out of Atlanta. It will air during the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.