State Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, and Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat and former Harris County commissioner, are the front-runners in a special election to to replace state Sen. Mario Gallegos, who died in October. Full Story
In a growing trend across Texas, municipalities and public agencies are reaching out to the private sector for funding. Advocates say it's the only way to meet Texas’ growing water needs, but critics worry about accountability and rising water rates. Full Story
The regents of the University of North Texas System fired Dr. Scott Ransom, the president of the UNT Health Science Center, at a Friday meeting called expressly for that purpose. Full Story
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, unveiled their school choice legislation, without many financial details and hardly a word about vouchers. And last week's schoolhouse shootings in Connecticut prompted Texas legislators to propose changes in the state's gun laws. Full Story
Aaronson on the latest twists in the saga of the state's embattled cancer institute, Galbraith on lawmakers getting serious about water, Grissom on what our bill tracker app says about pre-session legislative activity, Hamilton on an unusual fight over tenure, Murphy interactively charts congressional candidates' finances, Ramsey on guns and Texas, Root on what could be an awkward few months for Gov. Rick Perry and M. Smith on the Texas Senate's plans for education reform: The best of our best content from December 17-21, 2012. Full Story
Your evening reading: Perry issues 14 pardons; Texas' unemployment rate lowest since 2008; judge rules against Texas in Women's Health Program case Full Story
The embattled Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas on Friday appointed Wayne Roberts, the vice president of public policy at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, to serve as interim executive director. Full Story
It's Christmastime, which means it is also time for Gov. Rick Perry to issue pardons in a handful of criminal cases. On Friday, he pardoned 14 people, bringing his career total to roughly 200. Full Story
If there is a silver lining to the intensifying drought, it is that after years of hand-wringing from water experts, Texas seems poised to get serious about financing water projects. Competing proposals are floating around the statehouse. Full Story
Texas is a gun state, more likely to expand gun rights after a mass killing than to restrict them. While there are proposals to buy back guns or restrict sales, Texas leaders are pushing to allow guns in more places. Full Story
After a botched run for the presidency and with growing disenchantment among Tea Party activists, Gov. Rick Perry is facing some potentially strained policy discussions when the Legislature convenes in January. Full Story
Lawmakers took a close look at the state's Railroad Commission during a hearing this week, focusing many of their questions on proposals to limit gas and oil companies from giving political donations to commissioners. Full Story
Lawmakers on Thursday condemned grant policies at the state's cancer institute that left room for potential conflicts of interest, and criticized a lack of transparency at the CPRIT Foundation. Full Story
Your evening reading: Gingrich says he and Perry would have fared better than Romney; lawmakers address future of CPRIT funding; Castro, Gallego, Veasey score plum committee assignment Full Story
Texas Tech University professor James Wetherbe has filed a federal suit against the university, claiming that administrators there have stifled his career advancement because he publicly opposes tenure. Full Story
The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday will hear the testimony of officials from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and address whether the state should fund the embattled cancer institute in the future. Full Story
Ahead of the 2013 legislative session, lawmakers have filed nearly 200 fewer bills than they had filed at the same point two years ago. Use our bill tracker to follow the process, learn more about the proposals or see what your representative has filed so far. Full Story