Notorious radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones led a raucous protest at the Capitol over the Legislature’s failure to criminalize invasive airport pat downs. “Every one of [those senators] is an enemy of the Republic and the Republic of Texas!” he bellowed.
May 2011
Posted in
Health care
Kolkhorst Holding Nelson’s Health Bill Hostage
Rep. Lois Kolkhorst is holding Sen. Jane Nelson’s health reform bill hostage.
Posted in
Guides
Updated: Texplainer: Is TSA “Groping” Bill Junk Legislation?
Hey, Texplainer: Can Texas really stop the TSA from touching my privates when I go through airport security? Short answer: No.
Posted inState Government
The Midday Brief: May 25, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Perry wants lawmakers, not courts, to draw congressional maps; Simpson blocks salvia bill; Texas vs. feds fight centers on a lizard
Posted in
Higher Education
The Latest Texas vs. Feds Dispute? A Tiny Lizard
Could a brown, beady-eyed, two-and-a-half-inch lizard really threaten millions of barrels of Texas oil? West Texas lawmakers are worried that adding the sagebrush lizard to the endangered species list would do just that.
Posted in
State Government
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 81
On this week’s episode, Evan, Ross, Reeve and Ben talk about the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune polls, continuing speculation about Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential plans and the end of the legislative session.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Data App: 27 New Entities, 30 Updated in Public Salaries Database
We’ve added 27 new entities — including university systems, transit authorities, and appraisal and school districts — to the Tribune’s government employee salaries database and updated 30 others, bringing the total number to 129, with salary data for 660,000 public employees.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: May 25, 2011
One of the state budget’s most notoriously complicated components has lawmakers — just five days from the finish line — clamoring for a fix.
Posted in
Health care
For Clients of Perry’s Advisers, a Troubling State Budget
Gov. Rick Perry has delivered his fiscal message loud and clear: Balance the cash-strapped state budget with cuts, not with the Rainy Day Fund or new taxes. Yet some of his most loyal advisers, past and future, are representing clients beating a very different drum.
Posted in
University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
Immigration and Economy Top Concerns in UT/TT Poll
The most important problems facing the country are economic, while immigration and border security are the most important problems facing the state, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.