At today’s TribLive conversation, Speaker Joe Straus stopped short of supporting the tapping of the Rainy Day Fund to cover the current biennium’s $4.3 billion deficit, but he left the door open.
March 2011
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Shay Bilchik: The TT Interview
The director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown Public Policy Institute on the factors Texas lawmakers should consider as they seek to make budget cuts while continuing the reforms they started in 2007.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
New Day Rising: The Changing Public Policy Landscape
At the Tribune’s New Day Rising symposium on Feb. 28, four public policy experts talked about criminal justice, education, health care and other issues and the impact of the coming Hispanic majority.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Bill Would Make Restroom Peeping a Felony
State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, filed a bill today that would make it a state jail felony to “lewdly violate” a person’s privacy in a place like a public restroom.
Posted in
State Government
Liveblog: TribLive with House Speaker Joe Straus
This morning’s TribLive event is a return engagement: House Speaker Joe Straus on stage with Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: Top Texas News for March 10, 2011
Gov. Rick Perry, addressing education cuts on Wednesday, had one message for districts facing layoffs: Don’t shoot the messenger.
Posted in
Energy
Texas in Top 10 Solar States, Report Says
A new report says that Texas ranked 10th in installations of solar power in 2010, a jump from the previous year. But this is unlikely to deter solar proponents pushing for more legislative incentives.
Posted in
Health care
Proposal Pits Primary Care Against Specialties
A controversial budget proposal would concentrate the money the state spends on graduate medical residencies into the doctors’ first three years of training — regardless of how long their residencies take to complete.
Posted in
Health care
Video: Lawmakers Unswayed by Pleas to Fund Family Planning Services
Hundreds rallied this week to preserve funds for Planned Parenthood’s family planning services, but their pleas did not sway conservative lawmakers. “They can expect less or even zero funding for their organization this session,” says state Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville.
Posted in
Health care
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 70
This week’s TribCast features Evan, Reeve, Ben and Emily discussing the holdup with abortion sonogram legislation, cuts to public education, and bickering in higher education.