At Thursday's TribLive conversation, former Assistant Travis County District Attorney Mindy Montford talked about ethics investigations and the deterrent effect of prosecution.

A troubled cancer-fighting charity paid a tobacco lobbyist to represent its interests in the Legislature, even as it was winding down its operations and facing the wrath of lawmakers. 

Texas Supreme Court justices are elected by voters, and the campaign contributions they receive from law firms with an interest in their decisions have caused some to worry that justice is for sale.

Since relinquishing their seats in January, 11 former House members and one former state senator have registered as lobbyists with the Texas Ethics Commission — and several of them are working for clients in industries they regulated in the Legislature. 

Beer distributors and craft breweries reached a tentative deal Monday to amend the Texas Alcoholic Beverage code, but the parties declined to provide specific details until legislative language was completed later this week. 

Lobbyists Andrea and Dean McWilliams are big entertainers, and they don't mind sharing details of their big soirees with society magazines. But they haven't disclosed much of it to the Texas Ethics Commission.

Craft breweries and the Texas Beer Alliance, which represents major-brand beer distributors, joined forces to lobby the Senate Business and Commerce Committee on Tuesday, but not all distributing groups are on board. 

Rep. Giovanni Capriglione got a rude awakening in his transparency bill's hearing before the House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday when members suggested his legislation was a political "vendetta." 

Former House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler, now a lobbyist, has taken on publishing and testing giant Pearson as a client, according to recent Ethics Commission reports. The company holds a $468 million contract with the state.

Soon after their replacements were sworn in last month, eight former House members registered as lobbyists with the Texas Ethics Commission.

In a state capital where moving from the Legislature to the lobby — and, sometimes, the other way — is unremarkable, it’s also common to find the relatives of lawmakers lobbying the state government.

While members of the Texas Legislature can no longer act as lobbyists before state agencies, plenty of lawmakers still manage to lobby local governments. Others find work that critics would classify as lobbying by another name.

Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, and Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, both filed legislation on Thursday that would require personal financial statements submitted to the Texas Ethics Commission to be made available online.

Despite strong resistance inside and outside the Legislature, groups representing gambling interests hope that a collaborative approach can help them make a breakthrough this legislative session.

The culture of gift-giving is alive and well in the Texas Capitol, and lobbyists are the chief benefactors. 

The last substantial Texas ethics reforms passed during the 72nd legislative session. It wasn't easy then — and won't be easy now. But members pushing for new rules say they're optimistic that their colleagues will support making the state's business more transparent.

From Gov. James "Pa" Ferguson's impeachment to the Sharpstown scandal, Texas has weathered mighty ethics controversies. Despite reforms, the Legislature still faces criticism over lax disclosure rules and ties with lobbyists. 

The state's Republican leaders each took turns at the microphone on Saturday afternoon to rouse what Gov. Rick Perry called a record crowd at the annual Texas Rally for Life.

Lobbyists are competitive creatures, and don't like it when somebody gets an advantage — like political consultants who lobby during the political off-season. But they haven't found a way to regulate the practice.

Critics say the dean of the Texas Senate, John Whitmire, D-Houston, is a poster boy for a legislative culture in which real and perceived conflicts of interest are commonplace. Whitmire says he's proud of his four decades in office.