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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.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham alleged Wednesday that opioids expert Joy Alonzo told students in a guest lecture that “Your Lt. Governor says those kids deserve to die.” Alonzo denied the claims. Full Story
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The professor, an expert on the opioids crisis, was placed on paid administrative leave and investigated, raising questions about the extent of political interference in higher education, particularly in health-related matters. Full Story
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Paxton’s top aide told senators that an agency-hired lawyer worked with the Travis County district attorney’s office to investigate a complaint by Nate Paul. County prosecutors dispute that. Full Story
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After 18 years as a district and appellate judge, O’Neill returned to private practice in 2010. She called the case against Paxton “clear, compelling and decisive.” Full Story
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The Democrat from San Antonio was initially sentenced in 2018 to 12 years in federal prison. His sentence was later reduced, and he will stay in a halfway house until December 2024. Full Story
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A stalemate among Texas’ top Republicans has dragged on for months. Tax-cut proponents in the House and Senate made their first pitches to end the impasse Wednesday. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott quickly called lawmakers back to the Capitol for round two, hoping to break an impasse that has outlasted the regular session and one overtime period. Full Story
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Sen. Angela Paxton will have no say in deliberations to convict or acquit impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, but she will sit on the Senate court of impeachment. That means 21, not 20, votes will be needed to convict. Full Story
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Senators, who will sit as a court of impeachment for the suspended attorney general, spent two days drafting rules that were adopted late Wednesday. Full Story
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Once high-ranking officials in the attorney general’s office, the four were fired after reporting concerns about Paxton’s behavior to law enforcement. Full Story
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