Two death row inmates sued the state today, arguing that the decision to use a new lethal injection drug was made too secretly and too hastily.
March 2011
Health Payment Reform Bills Get Warm Reception
Two sweeping bills to reward patient outcomes — as opposed to the current system that incentivizes overutilization — got a warm welcome in a Senate committee hearing this morning.
Texas Hospitals: Budget Cuts Are Too Deep
Texas hospital officials, anticipating a House budget vote later this week, warned this morning that the current proposal could mean funding cuts of up to 37 percent for some hospitals.
UTSA Prof to Jon Stewart: Obama Right on Libya
Mansour O. El-Kikhia, chair of the political science department at the University of Texas at San Antonio, cited the threat to perhaps 50,000 of his fellow countrymen — including members of his own family.
The Brief: Top Texas News for March 29, 2011
The deck may now be stacked against the legalization of gambling in Texas, thanks to one state senator.
In Texas, an Upside to Higher Gas Prices
Oil prices hit $100 per barrel last month for the first time since 2008, and prices have continued to rise. But as Gretch Sanders of KUT News reports, paying more at the pump might not be bad news for Texas.
Jack Pratt: The TT Interview
The head of the Texas Gaming Association, who’s trying to convince Texas lawmakers to legalize casinos, on what’s different this year, what he says to people who just don’t like gambing, and how his likes his chances.
Calls for University “Entrepreneurship” at UT, Around the Country
In the face of possible changes, the University of Texas community has taken a strong stance in favor of academic research. But prominent reformers acknowledge that public research universities need to change, and one UT professor thinks he has a way.
Jack Pratt: The TT Interview (audio)
An interview with Jack Pratt of the Texas Gaming Association.
Towns Suffer as Private Prisons Struggle to Fill Cells
A few years ago, rural cities and counties in Texas were lining up to incarcerate inmates for profit in private prisons and jails. But today, as Mose Buchele of KUT News reports in partnership with NPR, an increasing number of cells sit empty, leaving many Texas communities struggling with mounting debts.

