With about 90 percent of Texas still weathering drought conditions, climate experts say tropical storm and hurricane landfall could be the best hope to get rain to parts of Texas that will desperately need it this summer.
April 2013
Posted in
Bidness As Usual
Lawmakers in No Rush to Regulate Themselves
Lawmakers, like professional athletes, want to play fair and also want to win. That’s why it’s hard to get them to write their own rules.
Posted inState Government
Parental Rights Bill Stirs Debate in Legislature
The Legislature has taken up a bill that would increase the number of extended-family members who can sue for visitation rights if they believe a parent has put a child’s well-being at risk.
Posted in
Transportation
Hidalgo County Prepares for Rise in Produce Trucks
A highway under construction in Mexico is widely expected to lead to a surge in produce trucks from Mexico’s western growing regions entering the U.S. through Hidalgo County.
Posted in
Politics
The Brief: April 15, 2013
Bob Perry, a behind-the-scenes titan in the Texas political world, has died at the age of 80.
Posted inState Government
Bob Perry, Prolific GOP Donor, Dead at 80
Bob Perry, a wealthy homebuilder and philanthropist who was among the nation’s largest political givers, has died at his home in Nassau Bay, near Houston. He was 80.
Posted in
State Government
TribLive: A Conversation With Two County Judges
At last Friday’s quarterly meeting of the Texas Lyceum, I interviewed Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins about transportation policy and funding at the state and local level.
Posted in
Bidness As Usual
Exotic Trips, Luxury Gifts Are Perks of Office
Many lawmakers are quick to name the sacrifices they make to serve. But life in the Lege is not half bad. The perks associated with the job — from exotic trips to luxury gifts — can dramatically augment their lifestyles.
Posted in
Politics
Texas Weekly Newsreel: School Vouchers, Gambling, Drug Testing
This week in the Newsreel: An effort to legalize casinos is under way in the Texas Senate, Attorney General Greg Abbott wants a redistricting bill, and some lawmakers want to give drug tests to recipients of unemployment and TANF benefits.
Posted inState Government
The Playlist: Kumbaya
At a TribLive event on Thursday, three Texas senators discussed the “Kumbaya” session. Little did they know that, in doing so, they were also selecting the first track of this week’s news-inspired playlist.