The Brief: March 27, 2015
Agents with the FBI have spoken with Health and Human Services Commission about the troubled no-bid software contract with technology firm 21CT. Full Story
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John Reynolds was the newsletters editor for the Tribune from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, he was a reporter for Quorum Report, a non-partisan online political newsletter focusing on the ins and outs under the Dome, for more than seven years – covering the waterfront from health and human services and redistricting to pensions and elections. A native of Atlanta, Ga., he started his journalistic career one day after the attacks of Sept. 11 in Lubbock, Texas, where he rotated through a slew of beats at The Avalanche-Journal. He received his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and studied at the University of Georgia's graduate school in journalism. When not at work, he actively attempts to convince himself he is adept at tennis with varying levels of success. And he has adopted the Austin custom of appreciating smoked meats and listening to music in grassy/muddy fields.
Agents with the FBI have spoken with Health and Human Services Commission about the troubled no-bid software contract with technology firm 21CT. Full Story
It's a traditional session milestone — the day (and night) that the House debates the budget. Full Story
Rand Paul sets appearances in key early nominating states, Rick Perry has an Iowa-based campaign-style video and Ted Cruz is cutting the ribbon on his campaign HQ. Full Story
Lots of committee action on both sides of the Dome. We've got a sampling of the ground covered this week. Full Story
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about the effects of Ted Cruz announcing for president, the fate of the texting-while-driving ban and the constitutional viability of some controversial laws. Full Story
The first salvos in the legislative fight this session over school vouchers will be fired this morning as three bills come up for consideration in committee. Full Story
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Shellfish face threat in acidification of Texas bays, a new report says sprinklers are used too much and an interview with Wenwei Xu, a professor and corn breeder based at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Lubbock. Full Story
GOP budget writers had help closing the books on the Medicaid program for the current fiscal year with help from an unlikely source — the Affordable Care Act. Full Story
The Texas Ethics Commission can't do its job if compliance is "wholly voluntary," says one member who thinks the commission should stop all enforcement activities in response to a judge's recent dismissal of its ruling against conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan. Full Story
So what's next for Ted Cruz after his splashy announcement Monday that he's an official candidate for the White House in 2016? The answer is pretty straightforward: It's now nose-to-the-grindstone time. Full Story