After Abbott told #txlege to cut prop taxes solely thru rate “compression,” the House did so on the 1st day of the 1st special session while Dan Patrick held out for a higher homestead exemption. Abbott said the House plan provided more cuts “than any other proposal at this time”

Thank you Texas Tribune for hosting daylong symposium on what Texas communities can learn from El Paso, as state nagivates demographic changes and economic, educational challenges. An honor to join, on behalf of #PuenteNewsCollaborative , colleagues Bob Moore Angela Kocherga &…

Among Dan Patrick's interim charges for the Senate: housing affordability, and it seems like he's open to zoning reform

Patrick wants senators to look at issues around housing supply and 'make recommendations to reduce regulatory barriers, strengthen property rights' #txlege

.Dan Patrick releases interim charges for Senate committees ahead of the 2025 session: ltgov.texas.gov/wp-content/upl…

He says his priorities for next year include 'school choice, continued property tax relief, and strengthening the power grid.” #txlege

NEW review from ALA_Booklist:

My book, “They Came for the Schools,” is a “frightening but all too real piece of reporting” that “belongs in every library.”

Preorder today! 👉 mikehixenbaugh.com

Some news, as they say.

This will be my last week at the Los Angeles Times. Starting later this month, I’ll be writing columns covering policy and politics on the West Coast for Bloomberg @Opinion.

I’m beyond excited, especially given the high stakes of this already crazy election year.

.Texas Tribune⁩ CEO ⁦Sonal Shah⁩, is always asking the biggest and most important questions. We’re proud to be part of the “Trust. News. Democracy.” gathering at ⁦LBJ Library⁩.

Many things wrong w/terrible Berliner column on NPR, including not observing basic fairness. Didn't seek comment from NPR before publishing. Didn't mention many things which could detract from his conclusions. Set up staffers of color as scapegoats: loom.ly/QPLdX1w

🚨🚨Tickets are finally on sale for the 2024 @texastribune Festival — Sept. 5-7 in downtown Austin. It’s gonna be the best fest yet
festival.texastribune.org #TribFest24 #txlege

As his reelection race heats up, Ted Cruz is pitching himself as a bipartisan legislator who frequently reaches across the aisle.
A Georgetown ranking of bipartisanship in the Senate had Cruz at the bottom.
Matthew Choi digs more into Cruz's claims:
texastribune.org/2024/04/10/ted…

Kay Granger’s statement passing the torch after GOP Steering selects Tom Cole for Appropriations Chair

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Monday that America is in a 'battle of darkness and light' with people who 'hate God.' Speech was at his home church, Second Baptist Houston, whose pastor recently said 'garbage' migrants were ushering in a 'godless' dictatorship.
chron.com/culture/religi…

Texas House GOP hardliners issue list of demands for a next speaker texastribune.org/2024/04/09/tex… via Texas Tribune

New: Attorney General Ken Paxton's office has sued Harris County over its guaranteed income program, alleging that it violates the Texas Constitution.

Court filing here: texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/… #txlege

Scoop from Sneha Dey: 25 years after the bonfire collapse killed 12 people, Texas A&M leaders are weighing bringing the tradition back to campus.

One regent has gone so far as to reach out to the parents of 1999 victims to ask for their opinions. texastribune.org/2024/04/09/tex…

We’re no Utah, but two Texas cities, Austin and Dallas, are still ranked among the 10 hottest job markets in America. wsj.com/economy/jobs/u…

I am still in awe. Covering the eclipse was magical. 🌒 The clouds disappeared, opening the sky. Then a curtain of darkness settled in as the moon completely covered the sun, creating a shimmering halo. Read about it via Texas Tribune texastribune.org/2024/04/08/tex…

It's official. L.A. Times Executive Editor Terry Tang solidifies her leadership position w/ a strong endorsement from Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong and his wife, Michele. Tang is the first female editor of Los Angeles Times in the paper's 142-year history. latimes.com/entertainment-…

What can we do when some readers no longer believe our fact-checkers? Discussing news media challenges in 2024 with Brian Stelter Sewell Chan at LBJ Foundation and More Perfect's #TrustNewsDemocracy at the LBJ Library next week. Please join us in Austin or on livestream.

NEWS from me & Andrew Desiderio

CathyMcMorrisRodgers & Maria Cantwell have a deal on a bipartisan data privacy bill they plan to unveil next week.

The proposal would set a national data privacy standard, replacing assorted state standards. Companies would face limits on what data…