TribCast: Immigration, Bob Perry and Redistricting
Evan, Reeve, Ross and Julián review proposed federal immigration reform, remember Bob Perry and speculate about legislative redistricting discussions. Full Story
Evan, Reeve, Ross and Julián review proposed federal immigration reform, remember Bob Perry and speculate about legislative redistricting discussions. Full Story
A troubled cancer-fighting charity paid a tobacco lobbyist to represent its interests in the Legislature, even as it was winding down its operations and facing the wrath of lawmakers. Full Story
Ahead of the 83rd legislative session, the state’s 10 leading health care associations gave more than $4.6 million to Texas candidates. This interactive shows how much — and to whom — health care associations donated in 2011 and 2012. Full Story
The Texas portion of the Keystone XL pipeline is facing new scrutiny after an oil spill in Arkansas, and the attention is putting new pressure on lawmakers to determine how companies can take private property in Texas. Full Story
The senior fellow for Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations on immigration reform, security in Mexico, the country’s budding prosperity amid an escalating drug war, and what the United States needs to understand. Full Story
One of the session's most controversial education bills took a step forward on Tuesday. Full Story
At a hearing Tuesday, Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, slammed national media coverage of the Legislature's effort to change high school diploma requirements and reduce high-stakes exams. Full Story
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Lawmakers want to spend billions to repair the state's crumbling roads, but that's putting some Republican leaders in a bind. Full Story
Lawmakers on Tuesday debated a bill that would allow death row inmates to appeal their sentences if they believe that race played a role in their punishment. Full Story
Your evening reading: House lawmaker outlines alternative to Medicaid expansion; Cruz introduces his own gun legislation; details of federal immigration bill emerge Full Story
Amid hours of testimony from advocates in support of Medicaid expansion on Tuesday, state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, described his proposal for an alternative program to provide health coverage for the poor and uninsured. Full Story
The Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education, a group formed in 2011 in opposition to controversial reform efforts, fired off an angry letter to University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall on Tuesday. Full Story
A bill by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, would restore dedicated funds to a state agency that has helped recover 1.6 million stolen vehicles in Texas. In recent years, lawmakers diverted the funds to help balance the state budget. Full Story
Details of a sweeping federal immigration reform bill emerged Tuesday. The plan includes a path to citizenship that lasts more than a decade, beefed-up border security and an expanded visa system. Full Story
For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in politics and government, we asked about one of the thorniest issues at the intersection of politics and government: redistricting. Full Story
Despite Gov. Rick Perry remaining strongly opposed to expanding Medicaid, a House panel on Tuesday considered legislation that would expand coverage to poor adults under the Affordable Care Act. Full Story
The state's Rainy Day Fund should be kept as insurance against real financial downturns. If the state needs money for water programs, it should get that money by cutting other programs that are less important. Full Story
It's proper to use the state's Rainy Day Fund for a $2 billion water plan, but it isn't necessary until 2015, and using it now would force lawmakers to bust the constitutional cap on budget growth. Full Story
The Rainy Day Fund has been used for public education before and should be used for it now — to reverse drastic cuts made in education spending during the 2011 legislative session. Full Story
Using the Rainy Day Fund now will help address the state's water needs and keep general state spending on water down for decades to come. Full Story