At a Glance: Budget Conferees Through the Years
A handy guide of budget conferee rosters for the past six legislative sessions.
Full StoryA handy guide of budget conferee rosters for the past six legislative sessions.
Full StoryAs budget conferees begin work, the two chambers are finding it difficult to get on the same page on taxes and other issues.
Full StoryAlso, another run at changing the name of the Texas Railroad Commission, and a softening job market is attributed in part to the drop in oil prices.
Full StoryFor this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about the upcoming mayoral election in San Antonio, fallout from the state contracting fiasco and who gives way in the latest fed-state showdown.
Full StoryKey meetings and events for the coming week.
Full StorySorry, we didn’t intend to ruin their breakfast, but we’re not going to back down from our opposition.
JoAnn Fleming, chair of Dan Patrick's grassroots advisory board, on her group's letter critical of pre-K legislation that made for a tense breakfast meeting with Patrick, Joe Straus and Greg Abbott
When you’re putting together a campaign for president, like I’ve been, that entails a lot of time. It’s not like I’ve been at the beach sipping a piña colada.
GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz, explaining last month his poor committee attendance as a U.S. senator
For some reason, Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor, wants to bring the same bad Washington, always-politically gaming concepts to Austin instead of solving problems.
State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, the author of the House's border security legislation, criticizing the decision in the Senate to pass its own bill rather than take up his bill
These things are cyclical. You have moments of dissatisfaction, and then you come out of it and it’s OK. But the cycles become longer and maybe more entrenched, and that’s when you realize, ‘OK, I’m on the back side of it now.’
Jon Stewart to The Guardian on one of the reasons why he's stopping work at The Daily Show
This is shaping up to be the worst session for ethics in 30 years.
Tom "Smitty" Smith of Public Citizen of Texas, on the state of ethics legislation this session
The House and Senate each named their budget conferees this week. The 10-member group now sets to work reconciling the differences between the two chambers' approaches to setting the state's spending priorities for the next two years. Among the sticking points are differing approaches to more than $4 billion in tax relief.
The chairman of the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee launched an official inquiry Monday into contracting practices at 11 state agencies. The action is aimed at finding out if contracting irregularities found at HHSC are more widespread in state government than currently thought.
The House this week passed legislation that would move investigation of corruption cases against public officials from an investigative unit in the Travis County DA's office to the official's home counties. In addition, Texas Rangers would be tasked with taking the criminal complaint.
Ina Minjarez captured the runoff special election on Tuesday to fill the vacant Bexar County-based House District 124 seat. The former prosecutor could be sworn in next week. She takes over for José Menéndez, who won election to the Texas Senate in February.
Two Houston attorneys will replace Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis as the Texas Rangers look into his friend and business partner Attorney General Ken Paxton. That relationship has figured into questions as to how an investigation into Paxton's failure to register with the state securities board would proceed.
Lionel F. "Fred" Solis of San Antonio has been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2021. Solis is a retired U.S. Army colonel.
Abbott also appointed a trio of appointments to the board of regents of Texas Southern University:
Their terms expire on Feb. 1, 2021.
Margaret Kripke will retire as chief scientific officer of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas on the selection of a successor, no later than Aug. 31. She was brought on two and a half years ago to help reform the grant awarding process at the then troubled agency.
The University of Texas at Austin has named a provost to replace Gregory Fenves, who was hired as the school's next president this week. Senior Vice Provost Judith Langlois will hold the interim job starting May 26. She currently oversees graduate studies.
Texas Civil Rights Project Director Jim Harrington announced this week his retirement from the organization he founded nearly 25 years ago. He said his plans include "speaking, writing, and perhaps co-counseling a case or two."
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