In the wake of the Great Recession, legislators and employee unions accept bonuses as a cheaper alternative to pay raises, which lock in larger bases for salaries and benefits, including pensions. Full Story
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Embattled U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, will not appear on the 2018 primary ballot after a late push by the state Republican Party to keep him off. Full Story
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Texas' population grew to 28.3 million people this year, according to new Census Bureau estimates released Wednesday. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross, Jay and Patrick about Harvey Hilderbran's troubled tenure at the Texas Facilities Commission, the Texas GOP's efforts to keep Blake Farenthold off the 2018 ballot and Chancellor Bill McRaven's decision to leave the UT System. Full Story
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A motion filed in federal court this week claims that former Baylor University President Ken Starr and other school officials helped a student they knew had been accused of sexual harassment. Full Story
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The U.S. House and Senate voted for a major overhaul of the American tax code on Tuesday and Wednesday, sending the measure to President Donald Trump's desk. Here's how all 38 Texans in Congress voted on the bill. Full Story
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The lead tax writer in the U.S. House, a Houston-area Republican, said he considers sending the tax overhaul to Trump's desk Wednesday one of the best moments of his life. Full Story
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In comic strip form, read one border resident's story of waiting nearly a decade for the government to pay for land it seized for the border fence. Full Story
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The state's highest criminal court agreed Wednesday to intervene in prosecutors' long-running fight to get paid for their handling of the securities fraud case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers spent a large part of 2017 debating a bathroom bill that ultimately never passed. For many transgender Texans, the law would have further complicated a decision that already comes with public scrutiny. Revisit our April multimedia project. Full Story
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Texans successfully fought back against tolled highway projects in 2017. Meanwhile, motorists are now forbidden to text while driving and ride-hailing companies emerged from the legislative session with a major victory. Full Story
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Texas tackled a child welfare crisis, sought to address the opioid epidemic and looked at how to help more people in the state access mental health care. Here’s a look at this year's top Texas health and human services stories. Full Story
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Now that the Texas Education Agency has terminated a controversial no-bid contract aimed at improving special education services, critics are questioning how a relatively unknown Georgia company got the job in the first place. Full Story
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Ruth Jones McClendon, the former longtime state representative from San Antonio, has died. She was 74. Full Story
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Documents and interviews with people who work at the Texas Facilities Commission portray an agency gripped by internal dysfunction, complaints of special treatment and fears that major building initiatives are falling prey to petty squabbles. Full Story
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As state cuts to public education become more common, school communities must frequently debate where and how to trim their limited budgets without harming students or teachers. Full Story
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Months after Hurricane Harvey rainfall triggered the leak of hazardous waste, new scrutiny is being paid to a company's plan to develop a landfill outside Laredo near a floodplain. Full Story
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The Texas Republican has been tight-lipped about the sensitive investigation he is leading in the U.S. House. Full Story
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Starting next month, our investigative reporter Morgan Smith will produce deep-dive enterprise journalism on poverty and inequity for the Trib and Folo Media, a new San Antonio-based nonprofit newsroom focused on issues of inequality. Full Story
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Competitiveness is the biggest difference between Texas House elections and those for Texas seats in Congress or in the state Senate. A dozen or so seats in the Texas House are still within the grasp of either of the major political parties. Full Story
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