Past Contributions

• From Loudmouth to Mouth of the House

  By Julián Aguilar and Aman Batheja May 1, 2015

  State Rep. Dennis Bonnen has become a go-to mouthpiece for House leadership, and the votes for his legislation are indicative of how closely in step with him his colleagues are. If he were out of line, someone would yank his leash. Nobody has. Full Story 

• The House Works a Late Friday Shift

  By John Reynolds, Aman Batheja and Eva Hershaw April 30, 2015

  The workload in the chambers picks up on the budget, contracting reform and taxes. Full Story 

• With Amendment, Bettencourt Aims to Limit Property Tax Growth

  By Aman Batheja and Eva Hershaw April 30, 2015

  State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, managed to add an amendment to a bill Thursday that would make it more difficult for some local entities to raise property taxes. Full Story 

• Budgetline: Jane Nelson, From Renegade to Ringleader

  By Aman Batheja, Todd Wiseman and Ross Ramsey April 28, 2015

  In this episode of Budgetline, Aman and Ross sit down with Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson, who voted against her first state budget in 1993 as a freshman senator and is now in charge of writing that most essential piece of legislation. Full Story 

• House Passes $4.9B Tax Cut Plan That Includes Sales Tax Cut

  By Aman Batheja April 28, 2015

  The Texas House tentatively approved a $4.9 billion tax relief plan Tuesday that includes a cut to the state’s sales tax, marking a clear line in the sand against the Senate, which favors property tax cuts. Full Story 

• A Look at the Priority Bills for Straus and Patrick

  By Aman Batheja, Morgan Smith and Becca Aaronson April 28, 2015

  Here's an updated breakdown of House Bills 1-20 and Senate Bills 1-20, showing where House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are placing their priorities for the 84th legislative session. Full Story 

• A Look at How House, Senate Budgets Compare

  By Aman Batheja and Becca Aaronson April 24, 2015

  This week, the House and the Senate named the members of a conference committee that will resolve the differences between the two chambers' budget plans. Here’s a look at how the two proposals compare, with details on some areas where the plans diverge. Full Story 

• Budgetline: The Cemetery at the End of the Budget

  By Aman Batheja, Ross Ramsey and Todd Wiseman April 24, 2015

  In this episode of Budgetline, an occasional TribCast series on the Texas budget, Aman and Ross explore the place at the end of the budget where unfunded items go. While it's charitably referred to as "the wish list," budget watchers say it more often serves as "the cemetery," or "where dreams go to die." Full Story 

• Self-Driving Car Bill Stalled by Google, Carmakers

  By Aman Batheja April 22, 2015

  Both Google and an industry group representing major auto manufacturers have come out against a bill from state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, to create a pilot program to monitor and encourage testing of self-driving cars in Texas. Full Story 

• House Launches Contracting Inquiry at 11 State Agencies

  By Aman Batheja April 20, 2015

  State Rep. John Kuempel, chairman of the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee, launched an official inquiry Monday into contracting practices at 11 state agencies. Full Story