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July 22, 2025 4:07 PM
Trump’s declining poll numbers including dramatic drops in his approval among independent voters combined with likely high Democratic voter intensity could spell trouble for Republicans especially if they overreach with new maps
Texas is
once again at the center of a high stakes redistricting battle – a scenario
reminiscent of past political maneuvers but now unfolding under significantly
different conditions.
This
latest effort to redraw Congressional lines in 2025, driven by a desire to
secure additional Republican seats in Washington, carries a distinct air of
desperation and faces a political environment far more volatile than previous
attempts.
The 2003
mid-decade redistricting orchestrated by then-U.S. House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay certainly ignited controversy. Crucially, in 2003 George
W. Bush occupied the White House and remained popular in
Texas, which likely muted public outcry. Furthermore, the Voting Rights
Act stood un-eviscerated by the Supreme Court. Its
pre-clearance requirement under Section 5, though later struck
down by Shelby County v. Holder in 2013, imposed a significant
constraint on Republican mapmakers compelling them to ensure the new districts
did not diminish the voting power of minority groups.
This legal
hurdle, no longer present, gives Republicans a freer hand today though
challenges under Section 2 of the VRA and the 14th
Amendment's Equal Protection Clause remain.
To say the
political landscape has dramatically shifted might be an understatement.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Harvey Kronberg
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Copyright July 22, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 22, 2025 12:20 PM
"The only hemp product that's going to be out there is non-intoxicating hemp, which is below 3 milligrams of THC," he told reporter Hannah Norton on Community Impact News. He repeated similar comments in several interviews today
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Copyright July 22, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 22, 2025 9:48 AM
On the first day of the special, Lt. Gov. Patrick and Sen. West had a brief exchange about the fact that Hancock's new job in the executive branch reduces the membership of the Senate to 30
Lt. Gov. Dan
Patrick on Monday acknowledged something that may prove significant over
the course of the 30-day special session now underway at the Texas
Capitol: The quorum math in the Texas Senate is different
following former Sen. Kelly Hancock’s resignation and subsequent move to
the executive branch as acting Comptroller.
In short,
two-thirds of the Senate is now 20 instead of 21.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright July 22, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 21, 2025 5:09 PM
Members of the HDC said they "refuse to engage in any other legislative work until after adequate flood relief and disaster mitigation legislation are passed and signed by the Governor."
The letter
from the Texas House Democratic Caucus can be
downloaded here.
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Copyright July 21, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 21, 2025 2:40 PM
The Board of Regents also named Jim Davis as sole finalist for President of UT Austin
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Copyright July 21, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 21, 2025 11:33 AM
Chaired by Vasut, Rosenthal Vice Chair along with veteran members Darby, Geren, Hunter, Thompson
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Copyright July 21, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 21, 2025 10:33 AM
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Copyright July 21, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 21, 2025 9:18 AM
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Copyright July 21, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 18, 2025 12:00 PM
Trump’s blanket endorsements of voucher supporters is having the intended effect so far, meantime Commissioner Miller gets a run for his money and Abbott is sitting on a mountain of cash
Editor's note: Since the original publication of this story, more reports have trickled in, so the article has been updated throughout - SB
Three
takeaways from the July semiannual campaign finance reports are this: the
self-funding candidates are the last to file, the lines in top tier races have
largely already been drawn, and this primary cycle may overall could be a
snooze fest down ballot. That, of course, could change if Republicans go
through with redrawing congressional districts to make them more competitive
creating a magnet for national money from both parties.
More on
all that as we shift into the special
session next week. For now, let’s break down the reports we’ve seen from
candidates so far:
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By James Russell
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Copyright July 18, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 18, 2025 11:32 AM
We’re back with lobby moves, staffing up for campaigns, awards, and more
Yes, I
know.
Thanks so
much for all your messages after my decision to step away from the podcast I’ve
hosted for the last decade. I’ll be nice – since that’s my default setting –
and say this: Some excellent programming is coming soon and by that, I mean in
weeks not months.
Meantime,
I’ve been meaning to catch up on People on the Move
but I was traveling and so were many of you after regular session in
anticipation of the special coming up next week. For me, I needed to check in
on my mama. She’s doing great. And my daughter. Same. And now I’m ready to see
all your hopefully smiling faces Monday at the Texas Capitol.
As the
kids say, it’s been a minute since the last POTM. So, here’s a refresher: Back
in 2017 there was a wave of retirements from the lobby following an especially
grueling year at the building. Some subsequent legislative sessions have made 2017
seem like a cakewalk, it’s true. But back then, after Mr. Kronberg
and noticed some of our friends were leaving the business, many of you
wanted to know which gigs had potentially opened up and
where various people had landed. So, QR’s People on the Move was
born.
It wasn’t exactly
a reinvention of the wheel, though. One of our veteran readers pointed out in
2018 that legendary journalist Sam Kinch had done something similar in a
publication called Texas Weekly that was later headed up by Ross
Ramsey. We follow that great tradition by being the most efficient way to
let everyone in the Texas Capitol community know about your new gig or hire. You
can also brag on your friends or tattle on an adversary by sending the scoop to
ksbraddock@gmail.com. Please and
thank you.
Here's the
latest edition of People on the Move.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright July 18, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 18, 2025 9:56 AM
On KSAT TV in San Antonio, Quorum Report Editor Scott Braddock talks about the special session slated to start Monday and the state of play across a host of issues including high stakes redistricting pushed by President Trump
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Copyright July 18, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 17, 2025 8:07 AM
In launch video, Jaworski "Draws Parallels Between
Camp Mystic Tragedy and Battles Jaworski Has Fought for Victims of Catastrophes"
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Copyright July 17, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 15, 2025 5:19 PM
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Copyright July 15, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 15, 2025 5:16 PM
During a call with Republican members from Texas, Trump said the seats would be Cuellar's CD28, Vicente Gonzalez's CD34, Julie Johnsons's CD32, one in the Houston area, and another potentially anchored in Austin. That's according to DC-based Punchbowl News
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Copyright July 15, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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July 15, 2025 9:41 AM
Quorum Report has learned that Jeffries, former AG Eric Holder, and DNC Chair Martin were listed as speakers to the caucus this week, encouraging state lawmakers not to help the GOP redraw Congressional districts in Trump’s bid to avoid another impeachment
With less
than a week to go before a special session is set to start next Monday in Austin,
Texas House Democrats are coming under increased pressure from national leaders
in their party to prevent Republican leadership from redrawing congressional
districts.
The urgency
was underscored by a meeting of the Democratic Caucus in which US House
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others were slated to speak to
legislators about what’s at stake and to strategize about the situation.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright July 15, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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