Dade Phelan is out, and a bruising battle for speaker of the Texas House is set to begin – unless it’s already over? Over the weekend, GOP members backed David Cook, but Dustin Burrows claimed he had enough votes to override the caucus. What does a House speaker do, anyway?
In a stunning turn of events, a coalition of Syrian rebels has overthrown Bashar al-Assad’s regime, ending decades of dictatorship. A top Texas-based expert weighs in.
Has Texas oil toppled Saudi control of the markets?
And: Medical treatments for trans minors are banned under state law; why some trans adults say they’re affected, too.
Speaker of the House
How a Texas constitutional amendment would aid childcare centers
With the House of Representatives on hold in the absence of a speaker, a possible vote today could be a turning point.
Texas voters are about to face a big decision: a constitutional amendment aimed at boosting the availability of child care options. Lina Ruiz of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tells us more.
Two games in for the Astros and Rangers, what’s Major League Baseball’s first All-Texas league championship looking like?
More than 100 homes and businesses are on the fast track to demolition as the state moves to expand a portion Interstate 35.
Texas Standard: March 9, 2021
The Speaker of the Texas House intends to fix everything that went wrong during last month’s winter storm. Dade Phelan has a list of priority bills and will tell us how the state could pay for these reforms. And in the aftermath of the storm, experts are carefully counting those who perished, it’s not as straight forward as it may seem. And we are keenly aware of the need to improve our mental health, we’ll tell you how some Texans are doing it. And one thing that will raise your spirits high is the sound of some Texas birds in song. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 21, 2019
House speaker Dennis Bonnen could be leaving sooner than anyone expected, so says Texas tribune co-founder Ross Ramsey. We’ll have details. Other stories we’re following: a backlog at a major DPS crime lab. The problem: worker turnover. Also, money going up in smoke? What to do about a surplus of natural gas. And is Texas more southern or western? Scholar H.W. Brands invites readers to rethink what they know of the latter, in his epic history of the American west. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 3, 2018
Who will be the next speaker of the Texas house of representatives? The answer could have a big impact on you. We’ll look at how the race is shaping up. Who’s the next Joe Straus? That is: who’s likely to take over as the third leg in the triumvirate of Texas politics, and what will that mean for the rest of us? We’ll explore. Also, guess who’s coming to Dallas: the National Rifle association in the spotlight. And the Texas school that gave out too many scholarships- UT tyler struggles with a perfect storm. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 29, 2018
A vote to censure a prominent Texas lawmaker on his way out of office. What the move says about the state of the state’s GOP. Also, the disaster relief bill that would send tens of billions of dollars to Harvey devastated parts of Texas is still on hold in Washington. Why some of the state’s farmers may be contributing to the delay. And it’s been exactly 100 years since an event in Texas history that you probably don’t remember reading about in school. Why we should remember the Porvenir massacre. Plus, how re-thinking our message about the flu could do more to keep people healthy. All that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 4, 2017
The US Supreme court refuses to hear a Texas case on employer benefits for same sex couples. But what does this mean? We’ll have the latest. Plus, with rising murder rates in cities across Texas, we’re seeing the return of so called gun buyback programs. So how is it that high-powered arms of the law are winding up on the streets of Texas cities? Alain Stephens with the result of our year long investigation: Blowback. Also, why, after more than 2 weeks, are federal investigators still in the dark over what actually happened in the death of an on duty border patrol agent, and the wounding of his partner? Plus the last republicans and the next Texas speaker of the house. All of that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 26, 2017
Some see it as the start of a new chapter in Texas politics, but some so-called moderates fear it could turn into a horror story. Joe Straus was seen as a voice of the republican establishment, a defender of business who steered the house chamber clear of some of the most contentious issues raised by social conservatives. In a state where republicans already hold the reigns of power, what happens next? Also, how much do Texans value a college degree? And with education costs rising, is it still a good value? The results of a new statewide survey. And members of the military in a fight for the right to sue Uncle Sam. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 21, 2017
Two major earthquakes south of the border in the course of two weeks. Should Texans be worried about our tectonic ties to Mexico? We’ll explore. Also, a new battlefront in the debate over just how separate church and state are in the US, and Texas’ Harvey experience is a big part of that discussion, we’ll hear why. Plus the head honcho of the Texas house, Joe Straus has filed for reelection, but a veteran political watcher says the speaker of the house may not return as many think. We’ll hear why and what speaker Straus is and is not saying about the matter. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 8, 2017
A meeting months in the making – with just about a week left for lawmaking in the special session, Speaker Straus and Lt. Gov. Patrick have a face-to-face. We’ll have the details. Plus, after last month’s deadly discovery in San Antonio of migrants smuggled inside a tractor-trailer, Texas is all the talk at the largest truck stop in the nation. And they can detect bombs and bed bugs. What a shortage of specially-trained canines mean for safety here in Texas and worldwide. And some “milk people” in the Lone Star State are none too pleased with President Trump’s comments about immigrants not working for local dairy farmers. We explore their concerns. Turn it up, it’s Texas Standard time:
Texas Standard: October 9, 2015
The chaos on capitol hill, a free for all for the house speakership, what are the stakes? In Texas, the battleground in 2016 looks an awful lot like the Latino vote. What does that mean for next weeks first democratic presidential debate? Also the multi-billion dollar Dell deal…swallowing up a server giant that might be the biggest tech merger ever. And to dream the impossible dream…aka doing the Texas state fair on the cheap. All of that and much more on the Texas Standard: