In this edition of the Newsreel: The conversation in West turns to regulation, the Senate wants to ask voters to use Rainy Day Fund money, the House undoes the state lottery and then puts it back together, and some Texas prosecutors are in hot water.

Hey, Texplainer: Which state and federal agencies were responsible for overseeing and regulating the fertilizer plant in West that exploded last week?

At Monday's TribLive conversation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Bryan Shaw and James Marston of the Environmental Defense Fund talked about the ongoing war between Texas and the Environmental Protection Agency.

At Monday's TribLive conversation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Bryan Shaw and James Marston of the Environmental Defense Fund talked about the causes and implications of last week's tragedy in West.

In the North Texas town of Blue Mound, the water system is owned by a private corporation. Residents say this results in painful rate hikes. Private water companies say their rates reflect the high costs of providing water to far-flung areas.

Several Texas cities have plans to implement potable reuse projects, which put treated wastewater through extra chemical and biological processes before it eventually becomes part of the drinking supply.

We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Energy & Environment track, which includes panels on the future of water in Texas, the state's electricity woes and the upcoming legislative session.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency unfairly disapproved of a Texas permitting program for air emissions. The opinion says the EPA must further consider the program.

Of crucifixions, sagebrush lizards, political primaries and brownouts. 

Texas is one of the nation's only producers of uranium, and mining companies are gearing up for expansion. That's causing concern among environmental groups, some of which have been battling uranium mining for decades.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will vote Wednesday on whether to prohibit state agencies from participating in contested case hearings on permits and licenses issued by the commission.

Mark Vickery, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, will retire in May — and his successor has yet to be chosen. 

Terrence Henry of KUT News and NPR's StateImpact Texas spoke with one longtime resident of Corpus Christi trying to get families to speak out about the health problems they've faced living on what some call Refinery Row.

In the Houston area, several industrial plants have repeatedly violated federal clean air standards. Dave Fehling of NPR's StateImpact Texas reports that while one has been the target of EPA enforcement actions for years, its chemical emissions have only increased.

Even as the Obama administration delighted conservatives last week by pulling back on a broad regulation to combat ozone pollution, the controversial "cross-state" rule that would also reduce smog-forming pollutants in Texas remains on track.

More than 100 Texas refinery, chemical and utility plants have told the Environmental Protection Agency they plan to apply for federal air permits, which Gov. Rick Perry has said will cut jobs. Erika Aguilar of KUT News looks at whether the EPA's new requirements have done that.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new national standard this week that will require coal-fired plants in Texas to reduce mercury emissions. As Erika Aguilar of KUT News reports, the tighter regulations could prove costly for Texas' electric companies.

With drilling on the rise, the Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality answer questions about whether Texans need to worry about radioactivity in their water.