Chris Essig
Texas Tribune
Austin, TX, United States
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Past articles by Chris:
“Light at the end of the tunnel”: Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations down as omicron wave appears to crest
Texas falls short, again, of the pandemic record for COVID-19 hospitalizations, while daily deaths are expected to continue rising for several more days. → Read More
Omicron pushes Texas ICUs to the brink
A staffing crisis and the surge from the omicron variant have pushed the number of Texas ICU beds to a new record low. The shortage affects not just patients with the coronavirus, but every Texan seeking serious medical care. → Read More
We’ve been tracking COVID-19 trends in Texas for 20 months. Take our survey to help inform what we do next.
Our tracker presents the latest on tests, cases, hospitalizations, people who died and vaccinations. We want to know how this information can be more valuable to readers. → Read More
People of color make up 95% of Texas’ population growth, and cities and suburbs are booming, 2020 census shows
The state’s Hispanic population is now nearly as large as the non-Hispanic white population, with Texas gaining nearly 11 Hispanic residents for every additional white resident since 2010. Those trends set up a pitched battle for political control when state lawmakers redraw legislative districts. → Read More
Polling places for urban voters of color would be cut under Texas Senate's version of voting bill being negotiated with House
Voters in some urban, Democratic areas of Harris and Tarrant counties would see a drastic drop in polling places under the Senate version of Senate Bill 7, a Texas Tribune analysis shows. → Read More
Live streaming video from the Texas Legislature
During the 2021 legislative session, The Texas Tribune is streaming the Texas House and Senate chambers. Tune in here. → Read More
How Texas police use civil asset forfeiture in four counties
A Texas Tribune study analyzed 560 cases from four Texas counties to shine a light on how the controversial practice of civil asset forfeiture is used by law enforcement. → 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
Texas’ savings account is poised to hit $15 billion. How much will lawmakers spend?
As lawmakers debate costly investments in property tax reduction and public schools, they're eyeing the state savings account for a sizable withdrawal. → Read More
Most members of the Texas Legislature are white men — and so are the committee chairs
Four out of every five committee chairs this session are men, and 72 percent of chairs are white. → Read More
Texas State students were likely a key factor in flipping this conservative county to Democrats
Beto O'Rourke surged to a 15-point edge over Ted Cruz Hays County during last week's election, even though the Central Texas county hadn't voted for a Democrat at the top of the ticket since 1992. → Read More
Are Texas suburbs slipping away from Republicans?
In Williamson, Hays, Collin and Fort Bend counties, Republicans saw their dominance falter on Tuesday. → Read More
Gerrymandering backfired for Texas Republicans in Dallas County in 2018
Republicans hoped to keep a majority Texas House seats from Dallas County when they redrew district boundaries in 2011. Seven years later, they've only held onto two of 14. → 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
How a fluke win diminished the political clout of Hispanic voters in this Texas congressional district
After Republicans won this congressional district in 2010, it was redrawn. CD-27’s Hispanic voting-age population dropped from 69% to 44%. Here’s how a fluke win diminished the clout of Hispanic voters and helped set the stage for a Supreme Court case. → Read More
Ahead of 2020 census, Texans are becoming even harder to count
Local officials, demographers and advocates are worried the census could be particularly tough to carry out in Texas in 2020. They are bracing for challenges both practical and political that could make the state, which is already hard to count, even tougher to enumerate. → Read More
Is Texas doing enough to stop moms from dying?
The number of Texas women dying during or soon after giving birth has been rising, and The Texas Tribune spent months investigating possible reasons behind the increase. The bottom line: women’s underlying health plays a key role in maternal mortality, and state health programs for women can make a big difference. → Read More
Here's a look at who's interested in replacing Straus as House speaker
House Speaker Joe Straus has said he will resign at the end of his term, prompting a scramble for control of the lower chamber. Here's who is running to replace Straus as speaker and those who have expressed interest in running. → Read More