The Brief: Feb. 23, 2015
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker are the co-favorites among Texas Republicans to take their party's nomination for president, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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![Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks at the Iowa Freedom Summit at the Hoyt Sherman Place theater in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015.]()
Credit: Rebecca F. Miller -
UT/TT Poll: In Texas, Walker Catches Cruz
Ted Cruz's wide lead over other contenders for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in Texas has disappeared; he is now in a virtual tie with the surging Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Judge Urges Lawmakers to Fix School Finance
Retired state District Judge John Dietz, who found the Texas school finance system unconstitutional last year, told teachers Sunday that Texas is "dooming a generation" of children. The Legislature, not the courts, should fix the problems, he said. Full Story
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![District Court Judge John Dietz of Austin is shown in his courtroom on Feb. 4, 2013, before he ruled that the state's school finance system was unconstitutional.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Video: Abbott Takes Immigration Message to D.C.
Appearing on a pair of national news shows Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott promised to fight President Obama's executive action on immigration all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where he said the case would "no doubt" end up. Full Story
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![A cheerful Gov. Greg Abbott predicts that any challenge to Judge Andrew S. Hanen's recent amnesty ruling will be rejected on appeal at a Texas Capitol press conference on Feb. 18, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Inside Texas Politics: Gay Marriage and Immigration
On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, talk turns to some state Republicans' rhetoric after recent gay marriage and immigration rulings — will their celebrations now make them seem out of touch in the future? Full Story
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![Texas Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey on Inside Texas Politics on Feb. 22, 2015.]()
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Perry's Longtime Embrace of Tax Subsidies Could Haunt 2016 Prospects
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been promoting tax subsidies for private businesses since the early 1990s. But the programs have rarely lived up to their promise, and a series of damning audits could hurt his expected 2016 presidential run. Full Story
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![Rick Perry in 1991 at Uncle Ben's rice offices in Houston to promote his Make It Texas initiative. The program was designed to promote the agricultural processing industry with loan guarantees, but a high failure rate sank the program and triggered a $14.7 million bailout in 2009.]()
Credit: Texas State Library and Archives Commission -
Battleground Regroups: "We Got the Shit Kicked Out of Us"
More than three months after Republicans shellacked Democrats at the polls, Battleground Texas — the group aiming to turn bright-red Texas into some shade of blue — is staying cheery as it regroups. Full Story
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![Jeremy Bird speaking at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sep. 28, 2013]()
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
The best of our best content from Feb. 16 to 20, 2015. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
State Program Favoring Disabled Stirs Debate
A state program pushes agencies to skip competitive bidding for more than $100 million in annual purchases in favor of hiring nonprofits that employ disabled workers. Full Story
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![Bruce Marshall Jr., with Easter Seals Central Texas, performs landscaping work near a Department of Public Safety office in Austin.]()
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Bill Would Move Marriage License Distribution to State
One day after an Austin lesbian couple obtained a marriage license from the Travis County clerk, state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, says he wants to move the distribution of marriage licenses to the Texas secretary of state’s office. Full Story
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![Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, then a state representative, at a committee hearing on May 12, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Texas High School Graduation Rate Behind Only Iowa
Texas continues to outpace the national average in high school graduation rates, according to annually released federal data, state education officials announced Friday. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
White House to Ask Court to Let Immigration Plan Move Forward
The Obama administration will ask a court on Monday to allow the president’s controversial immigration plan to move forward after a Texas judge halted the program earlier this week. Full Story
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![President Barack Obama meets with advisors in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Aug. 4, 2014.]()
Credit: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza -
Paxton Asks Court to Void Marriage License of Gay Couple
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to void a marriage license issued to two Austin women who became the first same-sex couple to legally wed in the state. Full Story
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![Sarah Goodfriend, second from left, and Suzanne Bryant, center, with their daughters (far left and far right) and Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir, second from right. DeBeauvoir issued Goodfriend and Bryant a marriage license on Feb. 19, 2015.]()
Credit: Joe Deshotel -
For Miller, Dietary Report Leaves a Bad Taste
A new federal report says Americans should increase their consumption of vegetables and limit intake of sugar and red meat. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says the recommendations are unfounded. Full Story
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![New Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller does a fist pump on election night Nov. 4, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Campaign Finance Database Gets an Update
We've updated our campaign finance database to include all data from the 2014 calendar year. The app is current up to Dec. 31, 2014. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Antony Vance Clicks -
New in Texas Weekly: Abbott's First State of the State
Where Abbott stands on emergency matters, his agenda and the rundown on House budget subcommittees — all that and more in the latest issue of our subscriber-only newsletter for political insiders ($). Full Story
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Roundup: Abbott's Agenda and High-Profile Court Rulings
In the Roundup: The new governor delivers his first State of the State address, leaders react to a court's decision on the president's immigration order and a county judge in Texas rules the state’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Full Story
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State of Texas Salary Data Updated
The Tribune's Government Salaries Explorer has been updated, adding fresh data for state of Texas employees reflecting new hires as of Feb. 15. Use our explorer to search this data — and more. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Anneke Paterson / Todd Wiseman -
Lawmakers: Toying With DHS Funding Risky Game
Texas lawmakers say that if Congress can't agree on a way to fund the Department of Homeland Security soon, the U.S. will look ridiculous to the world, and the southern border will look tempting to transnational gangs. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Return to Disappearing Rio Grande Expedition
To report on and understand the haphazard irrigation system the Rio Grande has become and the changes it is going through, Colin McDonald decided the best approach would be to travel the length of the Rio Grande by foot and small boat. Relive his journey here. Full Story
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Credit: Mike Kane
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