You’re easily looking at another million dollars for what we have to replace,” said Briggs on their election equipment, which was purchased in 2019.

The Court of Criminal Appeals will rehear a case it threw out last year. Three of the judges became targets of Attorney General Ken Paxton over another ruling and lost reelection.

Collin County appointed a new elections administrator. The elections department has been praised as a model for running elections — but it still faces fraud accusations.

From debating school vouchers and improving the state's water supply to reining in property taxes, the GOP-led body will look to pass its conservative priorities amid fighting within the party.

House Speaker Dade Phelan had been seeking his third session in the leadership role but dropped out of the race on Dec. 6. He’d faced scrutiny from some within the GOP for his leadership, including the appointment of Democrats as committee chairs – a long held House tradition – and the House’s impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The filing window for Tyler City Council and school board elections opened Jan. 15 and closes on Feb. 14. Candidates must ensure they meet eligibility criteria and submit applications on time to secure their place on the May 2025 ballot for city and school board elections.

The speaker election ends a multi-month fight within the Texas Republican Party that began last legislative session.

All 11 Fort Worth City Council seats are up for election this year. And residents are guaranteed at least one new face on council, after District 5’s Gyna Bivens announced she isn’t running for reelection after 12 years in the seat.

In the lead-up to the Nov. 5 election, Attorney General Ken Paxton ramped up efforts to put his imprint on rules governing elections in Texas and other states. Paxton filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of an Arizona law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and Virginia’s late purge of suspected noncitizen voters.

Judge David Newell told the Statesman that turnover on the court and the changing judicial system contributed to his decision not to stay on the bench

The new speaker’s power over the budget and committee assignments is expected to bolster established Republican leaders and some Democrats who supported the winner.