With the 83rd Texas legislative session beginning Tuesday, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at the priorities and challenges facing legislators as they head into the 140-day lawmaking scramble.
2013
Posted inState Government
The Brief: Jan. 7, 2013
The approaching legislative session — now less than a day away — has pushed one politician squarely into the spotlight.
Posted inState Government
Video: Cruz, Castro on the Sunday Shows
A few days after they were sworn into Congress, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, appeared on the Sunday talk shows.
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State Government
New Legislature Faces a New Set of Priorities
With improving fiscal conditions and redistricting in the rearview, lawmakers are approaching 2013 with pressing policy questions, from whether to introduce private school vouchers to whether to implement key provisions of federal health reform.
Posted inState Government
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson with the latest on Texas vs. Planned Parenthood, Aguilar on Mexico’s push for sovereignty, Galbraith on water conservation ideas, Grissom on the state’s rape kit backlog, Hamilton on UT’s plans for a new Valley university, Ramsey on legislating interrupting politicking, Ramshaw on how Texans in Congress voted on the fiscal cliff, the first two parts of Rocha and Dehn’s multimedia series on community concerns coming to the Capitol and M. Smith on what the school finance trial means for the 83rd session: The best of our best content from Dec. 31, 2012, to Jan. 4, 2013.
Posted inState Government
The Evening Brief: Jan. 4, 2012
Your evening reading: eight Texas Republicans vote against Sandy relief bill; Cornyn open to government shutdown in debt ceiling debate; Joaquin Castro elected president of freshman Democratic class
Posted in
Energy
Lawmakers Pressed to Act on Energy, Environmental Issues
Lawmakers will descend on the state Capitol next week to kick off the 83rd legislative session, and a host of issues related to energy and the environment — from funding a state water plan to reforming regulatory agencies — awaits them.
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Energy
Red River Water Rivalry Goes to U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court announced Friday that it will hear a major cross-border water case that pits Tarrant County against Oklahoma. North Texas wants water, but Oklahoma doesn’t want to sell.
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Health care
Texas Getting $36 Million in Settlement Over Medicaid Fraud Cases
The Texas attorney general’s office secured $36 million Friday in a lawsuit settlement with Pfizer Inc. and Endo Pharmaceuticals, which had been accused of illegally inflating the market prices of certain drugs in reports to the state.
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Health care
New Women’s Health Program Launches Amid Provider Concerns
State officials are optimistic about the new Texas Women’s Health Program, which launched this week amid a long-running legislative fight. But at least one state lawmaker thinks there’s a problem with the program’s list of providers.