Texas House signs off on medical schools for Sam Houston State, University of Houston
The schools still need approval from the Texas Senate. Full Story
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![State Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, on the House floor on April 4, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Point of Order: The news about the news
In the latest episode of our podcast about the 86th Legislature, Evan Smith talks to Mike Wilson, editor of The Dallas Morning News, and Debbie Hiott, general manager of Austin public radio station KUT, about the romantic ideal and precarious reality of the Capitol press corps. Full Story
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Texas Democrats plan multimillion-dollar effort to unseat Cornyn
The state party is launching an early, aggressive campaign to "define Cornyn before he defines himself." Full Story
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![US Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and US Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speak to media following Texas Public Policy Foundation's annual policy orientation in Austin on Jan. 11, 2019]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Trump backs off threat to close southern border immediately, says he’ll give Mexico one-year warning on drugs, migrants
President Donald Trump backed down from his threat on Thursday to close the southern border immediately, telling reporters at the White House that he is giving Mexico a one-year warning before taking action. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump declares a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border while speaking about border security in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 15, 2019.]()
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Charter schools are a complicated issue for Beto O’Rourke. His wife, Amy O’Rourke, founded one.
The presidential candidate is walking a fine line on a tricky political issue. His wife, Amy O'Rourke, once launched a charter school and continues to be an advocate for the controversial education model. Full Story
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![Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, along with wife Amy and children Ulysses, Molly and Henry, officially launch the 2020 campaign in El Paso on March 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
A newly elected county judge resigned abruptly. Just one problem: It was an accident.
Judge William McLeod declared his run for the Texas Supreme Court. But as he later discovered, doing so invoked a provision in the state's constitution that may force him to leave his post. Full Story
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![The Justices of the Texas Supreme Court hear the Texas Department of Criminal Justice v. Maurie Levin, et al. case on Jan. 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
As migrant surge continues, El Paso's safety net is feeling the strain
Federal agencies have redirected agents to deal with a growing wave of migrants, and the president is threatening to close the border. Meanwhile, local shelters face a daily dilemma: 500 to 600 new arrivals who need somewhere to go. Full Story
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![Eduardo Talamantes, a Navy veteran, helps set up cots at a migrant shelter at the Catholic Diocese of El Paso's main campus. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans warn Trump about ramifications of closing U.S.-Mexico border
Among those voicing opposition to the move are U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Full Story
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![The international border crossing that connects Laredo with Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas in Mexico on March 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Mike Pence to meet with ICE officials in Houston during Texas visit Friday
The vice president's trip comes as officials grapple with an influx of migrants at the Texas-Mexico border. He will also visit College Station for an event on the vice presidency at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Full Story
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![Vice President Mike Pence spoke to a crowd of supporters during a campaign event for U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions' re-election bid, at the Park Cities Hilton in Dallas Oct. 8, 2018.]()
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson for The Texas Tribune -
Texas high-speed rail developer doesn't want state money. But the Senate's state budget could still delay the project.
Although Texas Central isn't planning on using state funds for its Dallas-Houston line, it says language in the spending plan could impede the project until a court definitively affirms the company's ability to use eminent domain. Full Story
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![An access gate to power lines is closed near John Stoneham's ranch on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 in Grimes County. The roughly 1,000-acre ranch, which has been owned and operated by the Stoneham family for nearly 150 years, is in the proposed path of a high speed rail line. The rail would potentially follow the path of the power lines. If the rail is built, Stoneham could lose about 50 acres of land in the middle of his property, limiting his access to grazing pastures.]()
Credit: Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News -
Texas House approves major school finance reform package, adds teacher raises to the bill
The legislation would increase per-student funding, mandate across-the-board teacher pay raises and reduce "Robin Hood" payments made by wealthy districts. Full Story
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![Chairman of the House Public Education Committee and state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, and colleagues speak at the front podium during the House School Finance plan deliberation on April 3, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes bill allowing school marshals to carry, not lock up, their guns
Eliminating the lockbox requirement for school marshals was one of many suggestions Gov. Greg Abbott outlined for the Legislature in a 43-page plan released weeks after last year's deadly shooting at Santa Fe High School. Full Story
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![Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, listens during a debate over Senate Bill 11 on March 18, 2015.]()
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TribCast: Crisis mode at the Texas-Mexico border
On this week’s TribCast, Emily talks to Ross, Dave and Alexa about the immigration crisis in El Paso, Congress’ investigation of the state’s voter roll review and culture wars heating up at the Texas Capitol. Full Story
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![A group of migrants wait inside a holding area under the Paso Del Norte international bridge to be taken to area processing facilities in El Paso on March 27, 2019.]()
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Texas bans chaplains from its execution chamber
The U.S. Supreme Court halted the execution of Patrick Murphy last week because he wasn't given access to a Buddhist chaplain. Now, no chaplains will be allowed in the death chamber. Full Story
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![Texas' execution chamber in Huntsville.]()
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Beto O'Rourke says he raised $9.4 million in 18 days — more than $500,000 a day
O'Rourke, a former congressman from El Paso, was a presidential candidate for only the last 18 days of the first quarter. Full Story
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![Beto O'Rourke holds his first official 2020 presidential campaign rally on March 30, 2019 in El Paso.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Nine died in the nation’s deadliest biker shootout. Texas prosecutors couldn’t convict a single person.
McLennan County District Attorney Barry Johnson said his office is dropping all charges in the 2015 shootout between biker gangs in Waco. Full Story
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![Police officers stand patrol outside of a Twin Peaks restaurant where nine members of a motorcycle gang were shot and killed in Waco, Texas May 19, 2015. Police warned of revenge attacks from motorcycle gangs after 170 people were charged on Monday in connection with the shootout among rival bikers on Sunday that left nine dead and 18 wounded and turned a Texas restaurant into a blood-soaked crime scene.]()
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Texas Senate panel advances budget bill that mirrors House plan on education, property tax reform spending
The two-year plan, which must still pass the full Senate, includes a $9 billion infusion for public schools and property tax relief and up to $900 million in cuts to Medicaid. Full Story
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![Chairmain of the Senate Finance Committee and state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, during a committee meeting on April 3, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Five potential impacts if President Trump closed the U.S.-Mexico border
Across the country, experts and interest groups opposed to a border shutdown are weighing in about how a closure could affect people on both sides of the border. Full Story
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![Seen is the international port of entry in downtown El Paso on Sunday, February 10, 2019. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: A standard test for Texas lawmakers — fixing school finance
Texas lawmakers want to fix school finance, but they can't avoid looking for voter-pleasing side dishes, like property taxes and teacher pay raises, that could undermine the public education fixes. Full Story
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![Debate on House Bill 1, the House state budget bill, continues into its 12th hour as state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, shows the strain of a long night on March 27, 2019.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Many Texas teachers have second jobs or live paycheck to paycheck. They're anxiously watching the teacher pay debate.
"I never anticipated that I would take a summer job at Wendy’s just so that I could replace a broken dishwasher,” said one high school English teacher who makes $45,000 per year. Full Story
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![Portrait of Brady Mayo in the Texas State Capitol ahead of testifying on the House Finance Bill on March 12, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune