The Brief: March 31, 2015
A busy day is on tap as the state's two-year budget comes up for debate on the floor of the Texas House and a special election takes place to fill the last vacancy in that chamber. Full Story
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![Rep. John Otto R-Dayton, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, during Tribune Conversation event on February 12th, 2015]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Lawmaker Questions What DPS is Achieving on Border
Before it commits millions of dollars more to keep state troopers on the border, lawmakers need to know what DPS has accomplished during the border surge, a border legislator said Monday. Full Story
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Senate Passes A-F Grading System for Schools
Public schools in Texas would begin receiving grades on an A-through-F scale to reflect their performance under a bill that won preliminary approval in the state Senate on Monday. The grading would begin in the 2017-18 school year. Full Story
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House Committee Passes Compromise on Local Drilling Rules
A House committee on Monday approved legislation that would limit local control over oil and gas activities — a committee substitute for a bill that initially stirred anger in city halls across Texas. Full Story
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![A well pad is flanked by Fort Worth's skyline on Sept. 27, 2013.]()
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Lobbyist-Politicians Targeted in Ethics Bill
Elected officials who lobby the Texas Legislature would have to give up one of their gigs under an ethics reform bill considered during a public hearing Monday. Full Story
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Promise, Pitfalls in Cruz’s First Week as a Candidate
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s New Hampshire debut, much like the rest of his first week as a candidate, demonstrated both the promise of his presidential candidacy and the potential hurdles facing his uphill campaign. Full Story
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![Sen. Ted Cruz campaigns in a Barrington, N.H. manufacturing plant.]()
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Powdered Alcohol Ban Sent to Full House
Texas has joined a growing number of states moving quickly to outlaw powdered alcohol, a new product that health officials say could make it easier for minors to conceal and consume alcohol. Full Story
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House Democrats Target Alternatives to Abortion Program
As the Texas House prepares for a floor fight Tuesday over its budget, a flurry of amendments filed by Democrats seeks to defund the state's Alternatives to Abortion program. Full Story
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Lawmaker Wants Eye on Discrimination at Universities
A budget amendment from San Antonio state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer will seek better accounting of discrimination complaints at universities, specifically cases involving fraternities and sororities. Full Story
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![State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Texas Legislative Guide: Budget & Taxes
With the full Texas House set to discuss its proposed budget plan on Tuesday, use our Texas Legislative Guide to catch up on our coverage of issues related to the budget and taxes. Full Story
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Texas House Set to Make Anti-Voucher Play
Lawmakers in the Texas House will have a chance to draw a line in the sand over private school vouchers during the upcoming battle over the budget Tuesday. Full Story
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Health Commission Experienced a Program Failure, Report Says
Leadership problems at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission in the wake of a contracting scandal leave the agency too vulnerable to consolidate at this time, according to a report released Monday by Gov. Greg Abbott's "strike force" team. Full Story
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![Executive Commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Dr. Kyle Janek]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Analysis: Shock Therapy From an Ethics Reformer
A frustrated regulator's letter suggesting the state drop enforcement of its ethics laws might spark some legislative action. That would be a gift for Gov. Greg Abbott, who wants ethics to be a signature issue this session. Full Story
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![Legislators listen as Gov. Greg Abbott delivers his State of the State speech on Feb. 17, 2015.]()
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The Brief: March 30, 2015
The reviews are in for Ted Cruz's first campaign swing this weekend through New Hampshire, a key early presidential primary state. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz attends a "Politics And Eggs" breakfast in Manchester, N.H. on March 16, 2015.]()
Credit: Abby Livingston -
Inside Texas Politics: The 2016 Race Begins
On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics: interviews with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and state Comptroller Glenn Hegar, toll roads, school vouchers, texting-while-driving bans and more. Full Story
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![Tribune reporter Aman Batheja on WFAA-TV's "Inside Texas Politics" on March 29, 2015.]()
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Texas Scientists Find Antibiotic Resistance Blowing in Wind
In a study slated for publication next month, two Texas Tech University scientists may have made their biggest discovery yet: DNA from antibiotic-resistant bacteria in cattle feedlots is airborne. Full Story
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![Thousands of cattle spend their final months at feed yards like this one, located in Hale Center.]()
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Citing Wisconsin Record, Walker Pitches Harris County GOP
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, eyeing a run for the White House in 2016, touted his fighting spirit and Midwestern thriftiness in a Saturday night speech to Harris County Republicans. Full Story
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![Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks at the Iowa Freedom Summit at the Hoyt Sherman Place theater in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015.]()
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In Houston, Scott Walker Denies He Flip-Flopped on Immigration
At a Houston press conference Saturday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker emphatically denied he recently shifted his stance on illegal immigration. Full Story
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![Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (left) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (right) hold a news conference Saturday in Houston. Abbott and Walker, a likely 2016 presidential candidate, discussed their recent tour of the U.S.-Mexico border.]()
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The Playlist: Cruise Control
With a late night tweet, U.S. Sen Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for president then immediately hit the road, so we start our playlist with “Cruise Control” by the Dixie Dregs. Full Story
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Former U.S. Energy Official: Texas Needn't Fret Over Climate Rules
Jon Wellinghoff, the former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman, talks about what looming federal climate regulations mean for Texas, whether the state should link its grid to others and how to incentivize energy conservation. Full Story
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![Jon Wellinghoff, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission]()
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