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James Barragán was a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune with a focus on accountability reporting. Prior to joining the Tribune, James worked as a statehouse reporter for The Dallas Morning News and previously had stints at the Austin American-Statesman and the Los Angeles Times. In 2021, he was a finalist for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Reporting for his coverage of Texas politics during the COVID-19 pandemic. James was selected as a 2023-24 Nieman Fellow at Harvard. A Southern California native, James received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Los Angeles. He was based in Austin and is a native Spanish speaker.
Both chambers convened at noon Saturday for a second overtime round ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott. The first 30-day stretch ended in an impasse after House Democrats left the state to block a controversial GOP elections bill. Full Story
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After Democrats absconded to Washington, D.C., GOP leaders threatened to have them arrested on civil warrants and brought back to the Capitol. Twenty-two Democrats are suing state officials, but their suit does not provide specific details about several allegations. Full Story
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In a letter to the major general of the Texas National Guard, Abbott said “more manpower is needed” at the border. Full Story
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Despite promises from Abbott that transparency in the crowdfunding process for the border wall would be paramount, donor information released to The Texas Tribune for the first week of collections was bereft of any way to verify the identities of the majority of the donors. Full Story
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The plane will be on standby at Dulles International Airport, and Dade Phelan’s team said his political campaign, not taxpayers, will pay for the flight. Full Story
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Moody, one of House Speaker Dade Phelan's closest Democratic allies, is the first Democrat to suffer political backlash after the quorum break. Full Story
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If the House Democrats who skipped town to block voting legislation don’t return before the special session ends, the Senate bills will languish without becoming law. Full Story
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A number of House Republicans indicated that they would support what’s known as a call of the House, a procedural move that would allow law enforcement to track down lawmakers who have already fled the chamber. Full Story
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The House Appropriations Committee voted on Friday 21-0 to move forward a bill that would reinstate the funding after Abbott vetoed it to punish House Democrats who broke quorum in the final days of the session to kill two of his priority bills. Full Story
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Miller is running for a third term. Full Story
![Rep. James White, R-Hillister, speaks at the Women's [In]Justice Day rally on the south steps of the Capitol on March 8, 2019.](https://thumbnails.texastribune.org/QS6lPNOLq4rH6nnluM-VwuzAVRU=/850x570/smart/filters:quality(75)/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/73f9792e693faec14bc3e1bdfc12c237/06%20Women%20Prisons%20March%20TT%20MG.jpg)