Robert T. Garrett
The Dallas Morning News
Austin, TX, United States
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Past articles by Robert:
Must-pass bills of Dan Patrick, Dade Phelan show Texas GOP has warring factions
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Dade Phelan’s just-completed lists of priority bills illustrate not only how the two wings of the Texas GOP remain at fierce... → Read More
Texas House proposes state border unit, enlisting citizens to help with border operations
A bill that would create a Texas Border Protection Unit, allow the governor to declare a migrant “invasion” and let the new border unit enlist the help of... → Read More
Bunking Texas foster kids in CPS offices may have ended, but bed shortage persists
Texas no longer has kids sleeping in Child Protective Services offices. But that doesn’t mean it has all the foster care placements it needs – especially for... → Read More
Texas House plans to pass ‘largest property tax decrease ever,’ Speaker Dade Phelan says
The Texas House will diverge from the Senate and pass a sweeping property-tax relief package this session that includes businesses, not just homeowners,... → Read More
Nonprofit network to take over foster care in Dallas, Collin, 7 other counties
The state has selected EMPOWER, a child welfare collaborative, as lead contractor to provide community based care for foster children in Dallas, Collin and... → Read More
State sales tax would be cut under bipartisan proposal by two North Texas senators
Texas would cut its sales tax haul by 8%, starting Oct. 1, under a new proposal to cut the sales tax rate by a half cent by a bipartisan duo of North Texas... → Read More
Texas Gov. Abbott’s emergency legislative items: property tax relief, border, bail, more
AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott named seven priorities in his State of the State address on Thursday that he wants the GOP-led Legislature to fast track. Unlike... → Read More
Foster children’s lawyers halt lobbying push amid blowback by key Texas lawmakers
After two leading Republican lawmakers blasted the effort and a federal judge signaled surprise, plaintiffs’ lawyers in the long-running Texas foster care... → Read More
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan defies GOP pressure, taps Democrats to lead committees
Speaker Dade Phelan on Wednesday named Democrats as chairmen of some Texas House committees. Phelan, R-Beaumont, defied some in his own party who wanted him... → Read More
Mega surplus gives Texas lawmakers golden opportunity to fix some ills — but will they?
As it writes the next two-year state budget, the Texas Legislature has a record amount of money to spend. But will it? Two longtime observers discuss the ins... → Read More
Judge: Sexual assault, death of teens in foster care shows Texas still needs to do more
A federal judge again is threatening to hold Texas in contempt of court for not bringing its system of long-term foster care up to par. → Read More
House Democrats propose $15k across the board pay raise for Texas teachers
House Democrats filed a bill that would provide Texas teachers with a $15,000, across-the-board pay raise. Other school employees would get a 25% pay increase. ... → Read More
Awash in money, Texas House, Senate align their budgets, try to avoid ‘spendthrift’ label
Legislative leaders began their waltz toward writing a budget this week almost in harmony, avoiding public displays of disunity and hewing to the Republicans’... → Read More
Tax relief, border security, state worker pay raises among Texas lawmakers’ top wishes
School property tax cuts, border security and pay raises for state employees are among the ways House leaders would spend part of the state’s nearly $33... → Read More
Energy, gambling firms, road builders among underwriters of Abbott-Patrick inaugural bash
Who paid for Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s inaugural bash? 81 people, firms chipped in nearly $3.73 million, according to the program. A full... → Read More
Did Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s inaugural speech signal a stay-at-home political future?
If Gov. Greg Abbott is planning to run for president next year, he offered few clues in his inaugural speech Tuesday. Did the three-term Republican governor... → Read More
GOP activists decry Texas House decision to let Democrats run committees — but a day late
Hundreds of staunchly conservative Republican activists descended on the House gallery and members’ offices Thursday to deplore the chamber’s practice of... → Read More
GOP conservative-backed rules changes over LGBTQ issues fail in Texas House
The House on Wednesday sidestepped several proposals from the Republican majority’s right flank, including a demand that the chamber have no Democrats running... → Read More
Beaumont’s Rep. Dade Phelan again elected speaker of the Texas House
Amid post-pandemic hugs and relief over a return to norms, House members on Tuesday re-elected Republican Rep. Dade Phelan as speaker for the second time as... → Read More
Texas’ budget surplus soars to $33B, fueling demand for tax cuts, one-time ‘investments’
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Monday added nearly $6 billion to the state’s projected budget surplus, taking it to nearly $33 billion – and likely setting... → Read More