https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/patrick-svitek/The latest news by Patrick Svitek.enTue, 20 Jun 2023 16:05:24 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/20/ken-paxton-impeach-justified-ut-poll/The attorney general’s fellow Republicans were about evenly split in their approval and disapproval, the University of Texas poll determined.Patrick SvitekTue, 20 Jun 2023 16:05:24 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/20/ken-paxton-impeach-justified-ut-poll/Ken Paxton, suspended as state attorney general after he was impeached by the Texas House in May, recites the Pledge of Allegiance at a Donald Trump rally in Conroe on Jan. 29, 2022.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recites the Pledge of Allegiance at a Trump Rally in Conroe on Jan. 29, 2022.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/20/congress-julie-johnson-colin-allred/Johnson, first elected to the Texas House in 2018, joins a crowded primary to succeed Allred, who is giving up his solidly Democratic seat to run against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz next year.Patrick SvitekTue, 20 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/20/congress-julie-johnson-colin-allred/State Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Carrollton, speaks to the press in Austin on Feb. 5, 2019, to announce the new LGBTQ Caucus.State Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Carollton, speaks to the press in Austin to announce the new LGBTQ Caucus on Feb. 5, 2019.Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/20/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-senate-rules/Senators, who will sit as a court of impeachment for the suspended attorney general, spent two days drafting rules that were adopted late Wednesday.James Barragán and Patrick SvitekTue, 20 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/20/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-senate-rules/Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a news conference at the Houston Recovery Center on October 26, 2021. Paxton was temporarily suspended from office after the House voted last month to impeach him.State Attorney General Ken Paxton, right, speaks at a press conference at the Houston Recovery Center on October 26, 2021.Mark Felix for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/15/greg-abbott-dan-patrick-veto-property-tax/The governor says other issues aren’t as important as breaking a House-Senate stalemate over the best course on reducing property taxes.William Melhado and Patrick SvitekThu, 15 Jun 2023 21:05:51 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/15/greg-abbott-dan-patrick-veto-property-tax/Gov. Greg Abbott addresses the press before signing eight bills during a public safety bill signing session at the state Capitol in Austin on June 6.Gov. Greg Abbott addresses the press before signing eight bills during a public safety bill signing session at the state Capitol in Austin on June 6, 2023Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/15/ken-paxton-impeach-senate-trial/All eyes are on a secretive Senate committee that is drafting rules for an impeachment trial. Those rules are expected to be presented to the Texas Senate on Tuesday.Patrick SvitekThu, 15 Jun 2023 19:12:37 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/15/ken-paxton-impeach-senate-trial/Tony Buzbee, the lead lawyer representing suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton in impeachment proceedings, speaks about his client at a news conference in Austin on June 7, 2023.Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, speaks during a press conference at the Republican Party of Texas headquarters in Austin on June 7, 2023.Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/14/greg-abbott-veto-threat-property-taxes/With several hundred bills awaiting action by the governor, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the veto threat an affront to Texans and the legislative process.Patrick Svitek and Rebecca SchneidWed, 14 Jun 2023 15:30:45 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/14/greg-abbott-veto-threat-property-taxes/Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the recent regular session of the Legislature at the Texas Public Policy Foundation offices in Austin on June 2, 2023.Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the recent 88th Legislative Session to an audience at the Texas Public Policy Foundation offices in Austin, on June 2, 2023. Abbott recounted policy victories in regards to fentanyl and the border crisis, as well as limiting gender-affirming care and banning DEI practices in higher education. Abbott ended the event by promising to call a special session for school choice, after the current special session for property tax resolves.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/14/lose-cruz-democratic-super-pac/Lose Cruz, a new super PAC, promises big spending to help the party’s eventual nominee in the 2024 campaign.Patrick SvitekWed, 14 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/14/lose-cruz-democratic-super-pac/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/12/greg-abbott-property-tax-legislature/The special session churns on with the House adjourned, the Senate still working and the governor welcoming an agreement that has thus far eluded lawmakers.Patrick SvitekMon, 12 Jun 2023 18:00:47 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/12/greg-abbott-property-tax-legislature/Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the recent regular session of the Legislature at the Texas Public Policy Foundation offices in Austin on June 2, 2023.Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the recent 88th Legislative Session to an audience at the Texas Public Policy Foundation offices in Austin, on June 2, 2023. Abbott recounted policy victories in regards to fentanyl and the border crisis, as well as limiting gender affirming care and banning DEI practices in higher education. Abbott ended the event by promising to call a special session for school choice, after the current special session for property tax resolves.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/12/greg-abbott-covid-disaster-renew/Texas appears to be the last state with a broad pandemic declaration, which was begun in 2020, still in place.Patrick SvitekMon, 12 Jun 2023 15:42:33 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/12/greg-abbott-covid-disaster-renew/Gov. Greg Abbott at the state Capitol in Austin on June 8, 2023.Gov. Greg Abbott signs six bills relating to border security at the state Capitol in Austin on June 8, 2023. “Washington D.C. has failed to do its job to secure the border,” Abbott said “As a result, Texas has had to take unprecedented steps in responding to the crisis caused by the Biden administration on the border, and in response the Texas legislature has stepped up to make sure that we will be able to more robustly respond.”Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/09/kelcy-warren-lawsuit-beto-orourke/Billionaire Kelcy Warren claimed that he was defamed by the Democratic candidate’s criticism of the power-grid failure in 2021.Patrick SvitekFri, 09 Jun 2023 11:21:17 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/09/kelcy-warren-lawsuit-beto-orourke/Beto O'Rourke attends a get out the vote rally hosted by the Asian American Democrats of Texas in Asiatown on Oct. 15, 2022.Gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke greets attendees during a Get Out the Vote Rally hosted by the Asian American Democrats of Texas in Asiatown on October 15, 2022.Briana Vargas for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/08/nate-paul-arrested-ken-paxton-impeachment/It is not immediately clear what Paul was charged with, but Travis County officials confirmed he was being held in the jail at the request of the FBI. Paxton’s deputies accused Paul of bribing the now-suspended attorney general in 2020.James Barragán, William Melhado and Patrick SvitekThu, 08 Jun 2023 19:22:10 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/08/nate-paul-arrested-ken-paxton-impeachment/Nate Paul, the Austin real estate developer central to allegations of illegal conduct by Ken Paxton, Texas’ now-suspended attorney general, was booked into Travis County Jail on Thursday afternoon.Nate Paul is the CEO of World Class, a real estate holding company.World Class websitehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/08/rio-grande-buoys-greg-abbott/The governor revealed plans for a floating river barrier at a Capitol signing ceremony for six new laws related to border security. The first 1,000-foot section will be set up near Eagle Pass.Zach Despart and Patrick SvitekThu, 08 Jun 2023 16:13:58 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/08/rio-grande-buoys-greg-abbott/Gov. Greg Abbott used a bill-signing ceremony Thursday at the Capitol to announce that the state will deploy buoys, shown in the photo to his left, to deter migrants from crossing the Rio Grande.Gov. Greg Abbott displays SB 1113, one of six bills he signed during a border security bill signing session at the state capitol in Austin on June 8, 2023. “Washington D.C. has failed to do its job to secure the border,” Abbott said “As a result, Texas has had to take unprecedented steps in responding to the crisis caused by the Biden administration on the border, and in response the Texas legislature has stepped up to make sure that we will be able to more robustly respond.”Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/06/texas-legislature-covid-greg-abbott/The bill, recently signed by Gov. Greg Abbott and set to take effect Sept. 1, does not restrict pandemic rules by private entities.Patrick SvitekWed, 07 Jun 2023 14:04:18 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/06/texas-legislature-covid-greg-abbott/Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to local media before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at Ascension Seton Medical Center on Dec. 22, 2020, in Austin.Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to local media before receiving a dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine at Ascension Seton Medical Center on Dec. 22, 2020, in Austin.Ricardo B. Brazziell/POOL via American-Statesmanhttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/02/texas-legislature-amarillo/At a Texas Tribune event, state Reps. John Smithee and Four Price — who have historically resisted school-choice initiatives — take a wait-and-see approach to a future special session on the issue.Patrick SvitekFri, 02 Jun 2023 12:20:38 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/02/texas-legislature-amarillo/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/01/ken-paxton-impeach-texas-senate/Senators have been publicly silent, citing their role as jurors with a weighty decision: whether to remove one of the state’s top Republicans from office.Patrick SvitekFri, 02 Jun 2023 11:08:47 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/01/ken-paxton-impeach-texas-senate/The Texas Senate during the last day of the 88th regular session on May 29, 2023.The Texas Senate during the last day of the 88th regular session on May 29, 2023.Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/31/dan-patrick-greg-abbott-tension/Always happy to castigate the Texas House, Patrick breaks form to criticize the governor as misinformed and unsympathetic toward homeowners.Patrick Svitek and Zach DespartWed, 31 May 2023 18:38:22 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/31/dan-patrick-greg-abbott-tension/From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott, and Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan.From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott, and Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan.The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/31/texas-legislature-north-texas/At a Texas Tribune event, Republican state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione said his vote to impeach Ken Paxton was akin to being a grand juror who found enough evidence to warrant a trial in the Senate.Patrick SvitekWed, 31 May 2023 16:20:22 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/31/texas-legislature-north-texas/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/30/ron-desantis-texas-fundraising-trip/The Florida governor’s events in six cities are drawing some of the state’s biggest Republican donors.Patrick SvitekTue, 30 May 2023 18:45:52 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/30/ron-desantis-texas-fundraising-trip/Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference at Christopher Columbus High School on March 27, 2023, in Miami.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a press conference at Christopher Columbus High School on March 27, 2023, in Miami.TNS/ABACA via Reuters Connecthttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/30/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-defense/The defense team includes the agency’s chief appellate lawyer and head of its general litigation division.James Barragán and Patrick SvitekTue, 30 May 2023 17:47:22 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/30/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-defense/Suspended state Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to reporters on May 26, 2023, a day before the Texas House adopted articles of impeachment against Paxton.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement to the press May 26, 2023 a day before a scheduled impeachment vote in the Texas House in a long-running ethics complaint.Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/30/bryan-slaton-special-election-november/At least five candidates have already announced their intention to run in the solidly Republican North Texas district.Patrick SvitekTue, 30 May 2023 13:23:27 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/30/bryan-slaton-special-election-november/The sergeant at arms of the Texas House removes Bryan Slaton’s name card from the House voting board after the House expelled Slaton on May 9, 2023.The Sergeant at Arms of the Texas House removes state Rep. Brian Slaton's name card from the House voting board after the House voted to expel Slaton at the state Capitol in Austin on May 9, 2023.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune