At this weekend's state Democratic Party convention in Corpus Christi, there will be the usual speeches from candidates like gubernatorial hopeful Bill White, a debate over the party’s platform and a vote to determine its next chair. But one of the biggest fights could come when party officials reconsider the system that Texas Democrats use to award delegates in the presidential primary election process. Full Story
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His campaign was criticized this week for failing to detail its expenditures. But Craig McDonald, who filed an ethics complaint on behalf of liberal watchdog group Texans for Public Justice, says there's a larger issue at play: the Perry administration's overall lack of openness. Full Story
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Harris County has a voting problem, and the ethics reform lobbyist and campaign finance lawyer aims to do something about it. As he told the Tribune last week, he's behind a new nonpartisan voter registration drive that targets what he calculates are the 600,000 unregistered adult citizens there. Full Story
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The international attention that came with being George W. Bush's other hometown attracted throngs of media, swarms of protesters and a steady stream of tourists. But as Nathan Bernier of KUT News reports, the small community west of Waco has undergone some big changes since the 43rd president handed over the keys to the White House. Full Story
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If today’s court ruling stands, there will be no Green Party on the November ballot in Texas. Full Story
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The latest victim of the budget crunch at the University of Texas at Austin? Employee raises. Full Story
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Twenty-eight new Texas specialty license plates are up for a public vote by My Plates, the company that markets them. Full Story
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For those who grouse that undocumented immigrants are taking jobs from U.S. citizens and legal residents, the United Farm Workers of America has a challenge: Apply to be a farm worker. Full Story
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After Thursday's lively state hearing, where health advocates told lawmakers they were bracing for massive Medicare cuts, doctors got some rewarding news: Congress had voted to delay a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments six months. Full Story
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A new political action committee is attacking Gov. Rick Perry with a television ad playing on a familiar theme: Perry's high-class living. The ad starts airing tonight in markets across Texas. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading. Full Story
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The recently elected chairman of the Republican Party of Texas has updated his formerly personal website bio. Full Story
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There's restrained optimism in the air today, and that can only mean one thing. Full Story
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Hoping to tackle the long-standing challenge of financing charter school facilities, the State Board of Education is considering taking on a novel and controversial role: landlord. SBOE member David Bradley, R-Beaumont, wants to use $100 million from the $23 billion Permanent School Fund to buy properties and then lease them back to charter schools, which have historically struggled with capital costs. Critics say the elected board can't possibly fulfill the mandate of the Fund — to invest for maximum return — while at the same time cutting charters a good deal. Full Story
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The newest state senator talked to the Tribune on Wednesday about being a 9/11 survivor, whether he's really eligible to serve, his ties to the Tea Party, why he'd eliminate property taxes and the Texas pols he'll model himself after. Full Story
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So far, Republican Rick Perry’s campaign has dominated the governor's race with a steady stream of attacks against Democratic challenger Bill White — but as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, the White campaign is finally fighting back. Full Story
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The latest poll in the governor's race, an ethics complaint over the governor's living expenses and fallout from the special election to replace Sen. Kip Averitt. Full Story
A previously rejected proposal that would give TEXAS Grants to college students based on academic merit, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis, saw the light again on Wednesday — but old tensions still linger about who should get a piece of the nearly $615 million financial aid pie first. Full Story
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The fact that Brian Birdwell, who won election to the state Senate Tuesday night, voted in Virginia in 2006 could put him in an eligibility bind, an Austin election attorney said today. But whether anyone will challenge his residency is another question. Full Story
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The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce today it has approved the deployment of a second unmanned aerial drone to patrol the Texas-Mexico border. Full Story
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