Enlarge photo illustration by: Todd Wiseman / Bob Daemmrich

Is Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst drawing more donations from Texas voters than former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz? Which campaign is dominated by money from out-of-state groups? Neither answer is clear-cut.

Enlarge graphic by: Todd Wiseman

Hey, Texplainer: Why are the Texas runoffs being held nine weeks — rather than the usual three to six weeks — after the end of the first balloting?

Enlarge photo by: Todd Wiseman

University of Texas at Austin President, William Powers - Dec. 14, 2011

A Texas Monthly blog post last week ignited controversy over University of Texas President Bill Powers' future at the university — and raised questions about who decides whether he stays or goes. The answer? It's not one person's decision.

Enlarge photo illustration by: Todd Wiseman

The death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin has put self-defense laws like Florida's into focus. What does Texas law say about using deadly force in self-defense? 

Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich

Gov. Rick Perry in his office at the Texas Capitol for a round of press interviews on Feb. 21, 2012.

Why did Gov. Rick Perry opt out of the National Governors Association conference last weekend? The answer is part penny-wise, part political. 

Enlarge graphic by: Todd Wiseman

Hey, Texplainer: Courts of inquiry have been used to exonerate wrongfully convicted Texans and to look at earlier cases. When does a judge call for a court of inquiry, and what else can judges review in these proceedings?

Enlarge photo by: Gage Skidmore

Supporters of business tycoon Donald Trump have filed paperwork to establish the Make America Great Again Party so that "The Donald" might still be able to run for president here. Could he actually win Texas?

Enlarge photo illustration by: Nicolas Raymond / Todd Wiseman

Could the state’s public universities go through the so-called sunset review process, forcing them to periodically defend their existence to state legislators?

Enlarge photo by: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

Gov. Rick Perry during higher education press conference April 14th, 2011

Hey, Texplainer: One of the federal agencies Rick Perry managed to remember during Wednesday's GOP debate is the U.S. Department of Education. He says he wants to close it. But what exactly would that mean?

Enlarge graphic by: Todd Wiseman

Hey, Texplainer: What will happen to Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams now that the video of him beating his then 16-year-old daughter has gone viral?

Enlarge photo illustration by: Todd Wiseman

Hey, Texplainer: With several states racing to move up their primaries, will my vote even matter when Texas holds its primary? Yes, at least for every candidate other than the ones running for president — and maybe for them, too.

Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich

Fireman Bret Deakins of Quinlan puts out a hot spot in a wood pile in Bastrop County on September 9, 2011.

Gov. Rick Perry has said the Rainy Day Fund should be preserved as an insurance policy against natural disasters, but Texas can't actually dip into it until the next legislative session — in 2013.

Enlarge photo illustration by: Todd Wiseman

The Texas Constitution

Hey, Texplainer: Why does the Texas Constitution have so many amendments? The way it's written makes it both fairly easy to amend and highly restrictive in the powers it grants, making frequent and often highly specific changes necessary. 

Enlarge photo by: Robert Chris Daemmrich

Rick Perry for President campaign bus in Iowa on August 15th, 2011

Texans for Rick Perry, his state campaign committee, listed $2.1 million in cash on hand at the end of June, according to its most recent filing. But Perry can't touch it for his just-launched presidential campaign. 

Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich

UT Board of Regents Chairman Gene Powell asks the Board to support Chancellor Dr. Franciso Cigarroa at their Austin meeting on May 12, 2011.

Hey, Texplainer: Gene Powell, the chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, is out raising money for Perry's presidential campaign. Is that okay?