Brandon Formby
Texas Tribune
Dallas, TX, United States
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Past articles by Brandon:
Angelo State University president reportedly steps down
The university set enrollment records under Brian May, who abruptly resigned, according to KTXS. → Read More
Texas Republican lawmaker to Beto O'Rourke: "My AR is ready for you"
State Rep. Briscoe Cain's tweet was taken as a death threat against a presidential candidate from a state that recently experienced two mass shootings. → Read More
A widely circulated photo shows the bodies of a man and his toddler daughter who drowned trying to seek asylum in the U.S.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the photograph “highlights the perils” that thousands of Central Americans face as they travel through Mexico in hopes of reaching the U.S. border. → Read More
In Texas, property tax levies can be as individual as homeowners themselves
State lawmakers are trying to reform a complicated taxing system where everything from suburban growth to gentrification and a homeowner’s age influence how much Texans pay their local governments. → Read More
How do Texas governments calculate your property taxes? Here’s a primer.
Several government entities — from appraisal districts to city councils — play independent roles that collectively determine how much money Texas landowners owe local governments each year. → Read More
Domestic abusers can trap their victims with financial debt. This Texas bill seeks to provide a way out.
A bill authored by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, would make it a felony to threaten a romantic partner into taking on debt or financing expensive items like cars. → Read More
Battles between firefighters and mayors among several down-ballot issues in Texas cities
Houston and San Antonio firefighters are at odds with their mayors over local ballot measures. Austin is asking residents for $250 million for affordable housing. And in Dallas, voters will replace a city council member facing jail time for corruption. → Read More
Texas values collide in fight over Houston-Dallas high speed rail
A proposed high-speed rail line between the state's two largest urban areas represents the collision of two things Texans hold dear: private property rights and an unrestrained free market → Read More
As Texas grows, an affordable housing crisis looms. Here are six things to know.
Demographics, income and location all play roles in the difficulties Texans face finding an affordable home in a neighborhood they like. → Read More
How to know if you’re spending too much on housing in Texas
Texas is booming, and housing costs in many parts of the state are outpacing incomes. How affordable is your neighborhood? → Read More
Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke clash over immigration, Trump, guns during intense debate
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke held a feisty debate Friday evening at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. → Read More
Texas cities want millennials living downtown. So why does the state keep building highways to the suburbs?
As young, educated professionals push away old ideas about how to move around Texas cities, transportation planners’ vision for the future is still largely influenced by the past. → Read More
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has a 40-point plan for improving school safety. Here's what it would do.
The plan includes new gun laws, training for school officials and an app. → Read More
Gov. Greg Abbott announces school safety plan and proposed changes to gun laws after Santa Fe shooting
The governor's announcement follows three days of roundtable discussions about school safety last week at the Capitol. He said he was open to a special session to implement some of his ideas. → Read More
GOP state Sen. Craig Estes ousted; Sen. Bob Hall defeats Burkett
State Rep. Pat Fallon beat state Sen. Craig Estes for a seat in the Legislature's upper chamber, while state Sen. Bob Hall held off state Rep. Cindy Burkett. Meanwhile, Angela Paxton won Texas' most expensive state Senate primary. → Read More
Abbott and FEMA are using Harvey to reinvent disaster response. Some say that makes displaced Texans "guinea pigs."
In the six months since state and federal officials decided to use the biggest housing recovery in modern history to rewrite the nation's disaster playbook, neighborly networks and organized charity have buoyed disheartened Texans on the coast. → Read More
In Texas' urban areas, leaders wrestled property taxes and pension woes
As city officials sought help overhauling pension funds and fought off lawmakers' attempts to legislate local matters, urban Texans continued having trouble finding affordable places to live. → Read More
Some Texans dodge bullet train, others are square in its path
Federal officials identified the likely route a planned Dallas-Houston bullet train will take through rural counties as it connects the state's two largest urban areas. → Read More
How much damage did Harvey do to Texas homes? There may never be an exact answer.
As state officials vie for limited federal disaster dollars, housing advocates fear Texans with destroyed homes my fall through a patchwork of government agencies. → Read More
Abbott, Patrick push back on TxDOT's plans for financing new toll projects
The state's top two elected officials asked transportation officials to drop plans for getting around a constitutional prohibition on some toll projects, saying they oppose what Texans and their lawmakers want. → Read More