Freshman Lawmaker Gets a Lesson in Pack Behavior
The general rule is that new legislators are supposed to be seen and not heard — especially, as it turns out, when the subject is legislative ethics. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
After Quarter-Century on the Job, UTEP President is Still Making Waves
After 25 years at the helm of the University of Texas at El Paso, Diana Natalicio sees no end to her work in sight. Instead, she has recently taken on a bigger role in the national conversation about higher education. Full Story
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![Diana Natalicio, President of The University of Texas at El Paso, joined higher education leaders for a panel discussion on college completion recommendations in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
Tax Breaks for Country Clubs Come Under Fire
Two Texas lawmakers are taking aim at a law passed decades ago that gives hefty property tax breaks to some private country clubs and golf courses. Full Story
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The Brief: March 11, 2013
Lawmakers waited until the last minute to file several bills that could give rise to some of the most heated debates of this year's legislative session. Full Story
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Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
Years After Innocence Finding, Inmate Remains in Prison for 1987 Murder
A Dallas County judge in 2008 found Ben Spencer innocent of the 1987 robbery and murder for which he is serving a life sentence. The state's highest court disagreed, though, and this month he will mark 26 years behind bars. Full Story
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![Ben Spencer, on the left, at the Coffield Prison Unit during a February 2013 interview. Right, Andrew Wattley, the son of Spencer's lawyer, Cheryl Wattley, demonstrates the dim lighting in which witnesses said they identified Spencer in 1987.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
The Playlist: Taxman
This week, state Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, filed a tax bill. And so, paying homage to that development, our weekly news-themed playlist leads off with Texas' own Stevie Ray Vaughan and his rendition of "Taxman." Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Updated: Bill Would Grant HHSC Power to Address Medicaid Reform
A bill filed Friday by state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, would grant the Texas Health and Human Services Commission authority to craft “a Texas solution” to Medicaid reform. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Newsreel: UT/TT Poll, Bill Filing Deadline
This week in the Newsreel: Highlights from the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, lawmakers work toward completion of the first supplemental appropriations bill and Sylvia Garcia wins the SD-6 special election. Full Story
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
The results of the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll on everything from the top race of 2014 to the gun debate, Aaronson on Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on a financial thaw in the Mexican oil patch, Batheja on cents and sensibility, M. Smith on school choice, Rocha and Dehn on TWIA reform, Galbraith on water and fracking, Murphy’s interactive map of poverty in the state, E. Smith's TribLive interview with House Public Education Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock and Root on a lobby couple living large and reporting small: The best of our best content from March 4-8, 2013. Full Story
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The Evening Brief: March 8, 2013
Your evening reading: hearing exposes divide over Medicaid expansion; Texas' uninsured rate still highest in nation; Patrick files tax credit scholarship legislation Full Story
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The Polling Center: UT/TT Poll Changes With Evolving Environment
By increasing our sample size and providing more analyses of the data in our blog, we hope to provide interested parties with what they seek: in-depth coverage of the actors and issues that are driving important parts of the political process in the state. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at a polling station in the Hancock Center on Tuesday Nov. 6, 2012 in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
TribCast Plus: A Deeper Look at the UT/TT Poll
The guys behind the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll — Jim Henson, Daron Shaw and Joshua Blank — sit down with Reeve for a special edition of the TribCast to shed some light on their process and the significance of their latest numbers. Full Story
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Ellis, Duncan File Compromise Criminal Discovery Bill
Two state senators filed a measure on Friday that they hope will bring more transparency to criminal trials and prevent wrongful convictions by requiring prosecutors and defense lawyers to share information. Full Story
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![Michael Morton at the Williamson County Courthouse, Feb 6, 2013.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
Patrick Presents Details of Tax Credit Scholarship Plan
State Sen. Dan Patrick has filed legislation to create an Equal Opportunity Scholarship Program, which would allow economically disadvantaged and at-risk students who attend public schools to transfer to private schools. Full Story
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![Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Sen. Dan Patrick R-Houston, during press conference to discuss education reform in Texas including school choice.]()
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The Polling Center: Handle Those Perry-Abbott Numbers With Care
There is less to those Rick Perry-Greg Abbott horserace numbers than you might think. It's early, for one thing, and campaigns and voter attitudes change things dramatically. Plus, the two might never face off on a ballot. Full Story
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![A conversation with Greg Abbott, Attorney General, and Evan Smith at The Austin Club October 4, 2012.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
TribLive: A Conversation with Jimmie Don Aycock
Full video of my 3/7 conversation with state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, the chairman of the House Public Education Committee. Full Story
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Legislature May Restrict Use of Cell Phone Records by Law Enforcement
Texas lawmakers are considering a bill filed by Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, that would require police and prosecutors to prove there is a probable cause of illegal activity before obtaining suspects' cell phone records. Full Story
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![Austin Police detectives regularly use cell phone records to track the locations of suspects.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
Conservatives Revive Proposal for Term Limits
With a Republican majority in the state House, Senate and state congressional delegation, it seems like a strange time for conservatives to renew a push for instituting term limits. But some conservatives are doing just that. Full Story
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Fracking Increase Spurs Fears Over Water Use
The amount of water used in hydraulic fracturing has stirred concerns around Texas, especially as the drought wears on. Aware that they are under the spotlight, drillers are testing out recycling and other water-saving techniques. Full Story
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![A water truck parked near a West Texas drilling rig. Oil and gas companies' use of water for hydraulic fracturing has sparked growing concerns.]()
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UT/TT Poll: Texans Show Support for Ending Federal Election Oversight
Texans favor ending federal oversight of state election laws, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. And an overhaul of federal immigration laws that includes a pathway to citizenship for people who are now in the country illegally would have the support of a narrow majority. Full Story
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