Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich

Senate Finance Committee chairman Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, looks for votes on CSSB1582 a spending bill on April 28, 2011.

Your afternoon reading: budget could hit Senate on Monday; Zaffirini may let higher ed bill die; House committee OKs yacht tax break

Enlarge credit: Bob Daemmerich

Comptroller Susan Combs, whose office exposed the Social Security numbers and other data of millions of Texans, struck a decidedly new tone Thursday.

Enlarge photo by: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

Legislators review redistricting maps on the House floor.

Your afternoon reading: top redistricting fight moments; the U.S. Senate money race; Ogden says budget may have to wait until next week

Enlarge photo by: Muliadi Soenaryo

Texas Capitol

After a 16-hour debate that stretched past 2 a.m. this morning, House lawmakers gave early approval to a map that would reshape their political districts.

Enlarge graphic by: Matt Stiles

The first reading is just an introduction, the second reading is when the action happens, and the third reading is for final passage.

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Your afternoon reading: Wentworth tries to revive campus carry; Berman unsatisfied with Obama's birth certificate; counting inmates

Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich

Wildfire rages along a mountaintop outside of Alpine early in the morning of April 10, 2011

As the wildfires have worsened, costs have mounted at a rate of over $1 million per day. The state will pay the majority, though local governments and the feds will also pay a share.

Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst (l), talks with Sen. Dan Patrick on the floor of the Texas Senate on April 18, 2011.

The Senate will soon take up a budget bill with one proposal that has garnered some high-powered opposition.

Enlarge credit: Bob Daemmerich

Your afternoon reading: attorneys target Combs; Patrick says he's got abortion sonogram votes; how far can Ron Paul go?

Enlarge photo illustration by: Todd Wiseman / Bob Daemmrich

A seemingly benign piece of legislation, up for debate in the House today, has exposed an unlikely rift among lawmakers.

Enlarge photo by: Todd Wiseman

Your afternoon reading: ad campaign pushing for leaner budget; transgender marriage rights targeted; House to take up class size

Enlarge photo by: Todd Wiseman

Though the House has already thrown the first punch, the Senate will enter the ring this week to fight for billions of dollars in state funding.

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For the latest installment of our unscientific survey of political and policy insiders, we asked whether lawmakers or the courts will end up drawing political maps and who they think is angling for the four new seats in the congressional delegation.