$25 million proposal would fund bulletproof vests for patrol officers in Texas
A bill in the Texas Legislature would institute a $25 million grant program to pay for bulletproof vests for all patrol officers in Texas. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Attorney General Ken Paxton's trial on fraud charges to begin May 1
Attorney General Ken Paxton is accused of misleading investors in a company from before his time as Texas’ top law enforcement official. His trial is scheduled to start on May 1, according to a recent court order. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton holds a press conference on June 9, 2016 in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to discuss the filing of a lawsuit against the state of Delaware]()
Credit: Bill Clark for The Texas Tribune -
Timeline: Attorney General Ken Paxton's Legal Saga
This week, a judge scheduled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial on criminal securities fraud for May 1. Use this timeline to to keep up with the legal and political drama. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is shown at a news conference in Austin on Jan. 13, 2016, to announce a new unit of the attorney general’s office dedicated to combating human trafficking.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles/ Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Bathroom talk dominates second day of Legislature
On Wednesday, Lt. Gov Dan Patrick shot back at critics of Senate Bill 6, and the House skirmished over which bathrooms Capitol visitors could use. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (right) during a conversation with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith on Jan. 11, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Texas legislators driving bid for uniform rules on ride hailing (video)
Texas is one of about a dozen states without uniform ride-hailing standards. That could change after the 85th Legislative Session. This is part of our "State of Mind" video series looking at community concerns coming to the Capitol. Full Story
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With funding tight, legislators weigh options on school finance
With funding tighter than the previous legislative session, lawmakers are not expected to inject much more money into public education. For now, some are backing a plan to increase money to all school districts through the general appropriations bill. Full Story
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Texas executes first person of the year
The first execution in Texas and the United States, for the killer of two men in Fort Worth after a fake drug deal, was held Wednesday evening. Full Story
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![Christopher Wilkins is scheduled to be executed on Jan. 11, 2017, for the 2005 murder of two men in Fort Worth.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Lawmakers draw battle lines on border security, sanctuary cities
On the same day that Texas House Republicans doubled down on border security efforts and announced plans to send an invoice to the federal government, Senate Democrats said they were committed to fighting bills to eliminate sanctuary cities. Full Story
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![Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, on the House floor on May 7, 2015.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Dan Patrick on the budget, school choice and the bathroom bill (video)
Full video of Evan Smith's 1/11 conversation with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Full Story
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Energy secretary pick Rick Perry to divest of holdings that could present conflicts
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, now the nominee for U.S. energy secretary, is moving to disentangle himself from potential conflicts of interest. Full Story
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![Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry spoke at a May 6, 2016, news conference at the state Capitol after the unveiling of his official portrait.]()
Credit: Patrick Svitek -
Welcome to the 85th Legislature (podcast)
On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Aman about the start of the 85th Texas Legislature: the Speaker's race, a smaller-than-usual budget and the lieutenant governor's priorities. Full Story
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On day 2 of session, Texas House gets an early taste of "bathroom bill" fight
State Rep. Matt Schaefer, a Tyler Republican, proposed a rule Wednesday requiring people in the Capitol to use bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex during a House floor debate. Full Story
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![State Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, on the House floor on Jan. 11, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
UT Regent Hall's attorney faces tough questions in Supreme Court hearing
University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall's attorney argued before the Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday that he should be allowed to see confidential student admissions records that the UT System chancellor has denied him. Full Story
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![Outgoing UT System Regent Wallace Hall (l.) and UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick fires back at criticism over "bathroom bill"
Patrick continued to fire back Wednesday at criticism of the so-called "bathroom bill" he has championed, saying its opponents are concentrated in the media. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during January 11, 2017 Tribune Conversation]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson takes heat on Russian stance at confirmation hearing
While his fellow Texans, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, predicted Tillerson would serve the country well as the next U.S. secretary of state, others expressed deep reservations about his position on Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Full Story
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![Rex Tillerson, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil, testifies before a Senate Foreign
Relations Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be U.S. secretary of state in Washington, D.C. on January
11, 2017.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst -
New in Trib+Water: TWDB looks back at 2016
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: The TWDB reviews its challenges and accomplishments in 2016, a Travis County utility deals with the aftermath of its contamination of a nature preserve and an interview with L'Oreal Stepney of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Full Story
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The Brief: Lawmakers stay optimistic to start session
A tight budget and a political conversation already dominated by social issues like who can use which bathroom did nothing to dampen the spirits of state lawmakers on Tuesday, the first day of the 85th Legislative Session. Full Story
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![State senators are sworn in on the opening day of the 85th Texas Legislature on Jan. 10, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Legislature faces a shift in border security funding debate (video)
In 2015, state lawmakers approved $800 million for border security efforts. But the election of Donald Trump as president has some Republican lawmakers thinking there will be a change in spending plans this session. Full Story
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Rex Tillerson set for tough confirmation hearings for secretary of state
Senators will grill Rex Tillerson about the longtime oil executive’s business deals in difficult parts of the world and friendships with autocratic leaders on Wednesday. Full Story
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![ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson speaks during the IHS CERAWeek 2015 energy conference in Houston on April 21, 2015.]()
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Texas electric generators bash EPA over proposed clean air rule
Environmental groups praised and power generators bashed a proposed federal environmental regulation on Tuesday aimed at improving visibility in national parks and wilderness areas in Texas and surrounding states. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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