AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ last legislative session ended with one lawmaker threatening to shoot another after reporting Hispanic protesters to immigration agents, and corporate giants from Amazon to the NFL issuing warnings over a “bathroom bill” targeting transgender people. More than a year later, comes a test: whether a humbling 2018 for Texas Republicans will soften one of the most conservative statehouses in the country. But they also took their licks: Democrats flipped 14 seats in the Legislature, closing the gap. Of course, calls for bipartisanship and getting to the unflashy business of state governance ring eternal at the start of every legislative session. The last session saw Texas Republicans mostly at war with themselves.

Source: National Post January 06, 2019 17:26 UTC