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STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, narrowly won reelection in a hotly contested runoff race and has vowed to seek his third term as speaker, drawing threats from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to oppose any of his supporters in the 2024 primary. “I’ve done it twice,” Phelan told The Dallas Morning News, “I’ll do it a third time.” But Patrick was quick to threaten opposition to any representative supporting Phelan’s bid. “My message to Austin is clear: to those aconsidering supporting Dade Phelan as speaker in 2025, ask your 15 colleagues who lost reelection how they feel about their decision now,” Paxton said in a statement. “You will not return if you vote for Dade Phelan again.” Two former Phelan supporters already have announced they will run for speaker. Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, announced his plans to do so before the runoff results were known. Rep. Shelby Slawson, R-Stephenvi l le, announced her candidacy on Thursday. Phelan has drawn Paxton’s ire since supporting impeaching the attorney general, who was ultimately acquitted by the Senate last September
FEMA opens more disaster recovery centers
