House Signals Approval for Campus Construction Bonds

Students cross a bridge over a resaca on the University of Texas Brownsville and Texas Southmost College campuses on Monday.
Students cross a bridge over a resaca on the University of Texas Brownsville and Texas Southmost College campuses on Monday.

The Texas House gave tentative approval to billions of dollars in bonds for campus construction projects on Monday. The version it approved totaled nearly $2.7 billion, up from about $2.4 billion initially approved by the Senate.

The Evening Brief: Texas Headlines for May 20, 2013

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, moves away from the podium after moving to briefly postpone discussion on SB1 the budget bill on June 9, 2011.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, moves away from the podium after moving to briefly postpone discussion on SB1 the budget bill on June 9, 2011.

Your evening reading: uncertainty lingers over budget deal as votes loom; dispute over innocence commission bill threatens to derail other legislation; UT regent nominees grilled at hearing

Prison Officers' Union Unhappy With 5% Pay Raise

A sign outside of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Headquarters in Huntsville. Last year, Texas prison officials approved a $3,000 bonus for correctional officers in units where a boom in oil and gas jobs has made it hard to find new hires. They are currently working with state lawmakers to grant all correctional officers a 5 percent pay increase.
A sign outside of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Headquarters in Huntsville. Last year, Texas prison officials approved a $3,000 bonus for correctional officers in units where a boom in oil and gas jobs has made it hard to find new hires. They are currently working with state lawmakers to grant all correctional officers a 5 percent pay increase.

Correctional officers in a statewide union say that a 5 percent pay increase lawmakers have proposed in the state budget is not sufficient to stymie the corruption and reduce physical dangers they face every day. 

Slideshow: John Carona Through the Years

State Rep. John Carona holds up his right hand during his first swearing-in ceremony for the 72nd Legislature on January 8, 1991.
State Rep. John Carona holds up his right hand during his first swearing-in ceremony for the 72nd Legislature on January 8, 1991.

Take a photographic trip through Sen. John Carona's career in the Texas Legislature, from his swearing in as a freshman House member in 1991 to his chairmanship of the powerful Senate Committee on Business & Commerce.