Lawmakers Approve Abbott's University Recruitment Fund
Two bills passed Sunday would eliminate the Emerging Technology Fund and create an initiative to attract Nobel Prize winners to Texas universities. Full Story
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Matthew Watkins began serving as editor in chief of the Tribune in September 2024. Matthew is a Texas native, born in Houston and raised in Austin. He attended public schools and graduated from Texas A&M University. He’s spent nearly two decades in Texas journalism, and previously worked at The Eagle in Bryan-College Station and The Dallas Morning News. Matthew joined the Tribune in 2015 has held various roles, including higher education reporter, breaking news editor and politics editor. As a managing editor, Matthew has guided the Tribune’s award-winning journalism and other reporting of statewide significance, including coverage of elections and legislative sessions to major breaking news and ambitious storytelling about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Texas-Mexico border, the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, the impeachment of Texas attorney general and battles over public education. He lives in Austin with his wife, Susan, and their two children.
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![Gov. Greg Abbott leaves the House dais after delivering his State of the State speech on Feb. 17, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Texas Teens Win One, Lose One
Lawmakers have decided to stop treating truant students like criminals, sending them to adult court where they face possible jail time for skipping school. But 17-year-old criminal offenders will still enter the adult court system. Full Story
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![Detainees line up to leave the outdoor recreation area at the Travis County Juvenile Detention Center in Austin on June 24, 2013.]()
Credit: Jennifer Whitney for The Texas Tribune -
Bill to Rein In Hazlewood Costs Dies
Lawmakers said Saturday they were unable to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill to tighten eligibility rules for a popular veterans' tuition program. Full Story
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![Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, listens during a debate over Senate Bill 11 on March 18, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Bonds for Campus Construction Sent to the Governor
Texas universities hoping for state help in constructing new buildings are close to receiving their wish after the House and Senate gave final approval to legislation authorizing $3.1 billion worth of construction bonds. Full Story
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![University of Texas at Austin students pass by the Main Building on their way to and from classes.]()
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Hazlewood Conundrum Lingers Into Weekend
Key lawmakers are still far from an agreement on the future of a popular college tuition program for Texas veterans and their children. If nothing is done, some lawmakers say, the program known as Hazlewood could financially cripple the state's universities. Full Story
![Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, listens during a debate over Senate Bill 11 on March 18, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Vacancies Give New UT President Room to Build
When Bill Powers’ second-in-command was appointed to replace him as president of UT-Austin this year, it would have been reasonable to expect continuity in the school's upper ranks. But that's not the situation Greg Fenves inherited. Full Story
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![Current UT-Austin Executive Vice President and Provost Greg Fenves will take over as president of the university on June 3, 2015.]()
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After Error, Hays County Groundwater Legislation Gets New Life
A bill designed to protect western Hays County residents' water wells received a surprising, last-minute reprieve Thursday night — after a procedural error killed the legislation the day before. Full Story
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![State Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, on the floor of the House on May 15, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Hopes Fading for New Limits for Tuition Growth
With the death of all legislation specifically aiming to re-regulate tuition costs at Texas' public universities, proponents of the idea see few avenues for implementing the idea this year. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
House Votes to Preserve Free Tuition for Some Veterans' Kids
At the last minute, the House voted to scrap changes to the Hazlewood program that would have made many children of veterans ineligible for free tuition. The bill will still need to be reconciled with the Senate's more restrictive version. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Facing Cuts, Community Colleges Plead for More State Funding
The state's 50 community college systems are one of the few areas targeted for cuts in state funding over the next two years. As a final budget is hashed out in the Legislature, school leaders are hoping to reverse their fiscal fortune. Full Story
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Credit: Michael Stravato
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