The Brief: Dec. 20, 2012
Texas officials' response to the Newtown school shooting has incurred the wrath of a Connecticut politician. Full Story
Texas officials' response to the Newtown school shooting has incurred the wrath of a Connecticut politician. Full Story
Your evening reading: state leaders call for moratorium on cancer agency grants; Dewhurst, Patrick reveal details of school choice legislation; Hutchison delivers farewell address Full Story
A bill filed by state Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, would free public schools from concerns that displays of Christmas cheer could land them in a county court. Full Story
State leaders on Wednesday called for a moratorium on grants issued by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. They also want the institute's oversight board to immediately address concerns about its grant-making process. Full Story
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Sen. Dan Patrick gave the first details of what they promised would be a wide-ranging set of proposals for public education policy during the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
A report released Wednesday, the result of a year-long effort from a commission of top education thinkers, offers a sweeping set of recommendations aimed at improving the teaching profession in the state. Full Story
Congressional candidates recently had to file their post-general election campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission. This interactive includes the contribution, expenditure, cash-on-hand and debt totals gleaned from those reports. Full Story
With more car makers adding electric and natural gas vehicles to their offerings, the need for alternative fueling stations is increasing — and the state is grappling with how to respond. Full Story
As the El Paso school district continues to reel from a testing scandal, one district program is focusing on the students who dropped out as a result of pressure from school officials. Full Story
Drawing a stark contrast with the intensifying national debate over tighter gun laws, Texas has moved a step closer to allowing weapons on its public school campuses. Full Story
Your evening reading: Dallas Republican will file bill to allow teachers to carry weapons; Dewhurst, Patrick to unveil school reform legislation; Castros talk gun control Full Story
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, on Wednesday will unveil education reform legislation that some expect to reignite a fiery debate over the potential use of school vouchers in Texas. Full Story
For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about the influence of outside activists — in general, and then specifically on the race for speaker and proposals to change the Senate's procedural rules. Full Story
In response to last week's Connecticut school shooting, state Rep.-elect Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, says he will file legislation to allow public school teachers to carry concealed weapons while on campus. Full Story
The Texas House under Speaker Joe Straus was more conservative in 2011 than in 2009, but not as conservative as in 2003. For opposite reasons, that was good and bad news for lawmakers from both parties. Full Story
State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, a former prosecutor and judge, has filed a bill that would allow prosecutors to include accusations by other victims in child sexual assault cases. Defense attorneys worry it would lead to wrongful convictions. Full Story
Like many other colleges, the University of Houston has seen an increasing number of students needing mental health services. Its counseling center has been creative in meeting the growing challenge. Full Story
When the Texas Legislature convenes next month, lawmakers will be taking a close look at the state’s booming oil and gas industry — which some believe has grown far faster than the state’s ability to regulate it. Full Story
Texas could be the next state to face legal action from a pharmaceutical company that sells a drug designed to prevent pregnant women from delivering premature babies. Full Story
With the Newtown tragedy consuming the national political debate, Gov. Rick Perry on Monday joined the chorus of Texas voices calling for an expansion, not restriction, of gun rights. Full Story