Lawmakers raced to get several bills passed before the 83rd Legislature's regular session ended. And with Monday's announcement of a special session, their work isn't done. Here's a look at the deals reached and the measures that fell short in the regular session.

The clock is ticking for lawmakers hard at work to pass prize bills in the final days of the 83rd legislative session. Here's a look at what's still outstanding. Check back often: We'll update this story as deals are brokered or broken.

The Lawmaker Explorer is a first-of-its-kind interactive tool that gives Texans a window into the personal interests of their state legislators. It is the linchpin of the Tribune's Bidness as Usual project, a session-long look at ethics and transparency in the Texas Legislature.

With the general election in the rearview mirror, all eyes are on the next political contest on the Texas horizon — the House speaker’s race. The Tribune called all 150 members of the Texas House to find out who has their vote.

What does four more years of an Obama White House mean for the policy issues facing the overwhelmingly conservative Texas Legislature — and the interest groups and constituents who guide the political process?

The votes are in and the 2012 election season has come to a close. Use our election results scoreboard to check out vote totals and election outcomes for candidates statewide. You can also use our brackets to take a look at the path each candidate took to victory.

Throughout the night, Tribune reporters will update you on the results of contested general election battles statewide, from the first early voting totals through the last ballots counted, from local legislative races to the presidency.

For those of you who missed the second annual Texas Tribune festival, you're in luck: Our reporters liveblogged virtually every event.

Former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz won the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate over Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. We're tracking the runoff races on our liveblog and on our election scoreboard.

Throughout the night, Tribune reporters will update you on the results of key primary battles statewide, from the first early voting totals through the last ballots counted.

Texans will close out 2011 with more questions than answers, from the outcomes of redistricting and Gov. Rick Perry's presidential bid to the effects of lawmakers' multibillion-dollar budget cuts. Here’s hoping 2012 brings some resolution.

It may be hard to believe now, but Gov. Rick Perry got his start in politics as a Democrat, representing Haskell in the Texas House from 1985-1991. It's a period likely to be scrutinized by his Republican opponents should he run for president.

The Texas House has unveiled a $156.4 billion budget that's $31.1 billion smaller than the current two-year spending plan — a drop of 16.6 percent. The proposed budget came with $1.2 billion in recommendations for savings and new revenue from the Legislative Budget Board.

Kay Bailey Hutchison’s announcement that she won't run again for her U.S. Senate seat wasn't entirely unexpected, but it still has the potential to overturn the state's political apple cart. To separate the would-bes from the could-bes in a 2012 race, we’ve created a guide to certain, likely and plausible candidates — as well a few who are plausible only to us here at the Trib.

And they're back! Texas lawmakers returned to Austin on Tuesday to launch the 82nd Texas Legislature. Our reporters were there and produced this live play-by-play.

The Tribune's crack reporting staff — in Houston, Buda and other political hotspots — will be posting the latest news and spin the minute the polls close. Check back and refresh often for updates and photos from the field.