Twenty women at the Harris County Jail are working to ensure that they won't fall back into prostitution when they finish their sentences. A specialized program is helping them gain the tools to do just that. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/24/TXTHarrisProstRehab-Richmond004.jpg)
A deal struck over the weekend may have saved the Legislature from yet another special session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/05/25/14.jpg)
Amid talk of expanded technical education in the state, Texas State Technical College West Texas has been shrinking. But administrators tie the decline to a pending transition to a new funding model based on students' earnings. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/24/TSTC_Cooper_6409.jpg)
The co-chairs of the select committee considering the impeachment of UT System Regent Wallace Hall have formally asked that all relevant documents be preserved and all potential witnesses be free from "adverse employee action." Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/06c3ea2ad65f424cc7ee76b102faacc5/BD%20INC%20Hall%20UT%20Board%20of%20Regents%2001%202013)
With Gov. Rick Perry threatening to call lawmakers back for a third special session if they don't pass a transportation bill by the end of July, we kick off this week's news-inspired playlist with "Three is the Magic Number," by De La Soul. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/27/3892460220_ae0ecb8bb2_b.jpg)
Aguilar on the federal government’s aggressive voting rights stance, Aaronson on a headline-grabbing Medicaid overbilling case, Batheja’s profile of Sylvester Turner, Luthra on Cruz and Cornyn and the ACA, Satija and Dehn go bee watching, Grissom catches inmates farming for food banks, Murphy, Swicegood and Jordan update our government salary database, and M. Smith and Serrano report on a politically charged curriculum battle: The best of our best for the week of July 22 to 26, 2013. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/26/07222013-Tribweek.jpg)
UPDATED: Key negotiators in the House and Senate finalized a deal on Saturday to boost funding for transportation, according to a lawmaker involved in the talks. Now backers of the plan will have to rally enough lawmakers to vote for it. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/MoneyPavedRoad_1.jpg)
Your evening reading: Legislature closer to transportation funding deal; Republicans fire more criticism at Obama administration over voting rights move; federal court sides against Texas in EPA case Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/35f551ae2dd8fa9ce46d84adc9a9cf8f/BD%20INC%20Empty%20Chamber%2001%202011)
The federal government issued a temporary moratorium on Friday to halt enrollment of ambulance service providers in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program to combat fraud in the Houston area. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/MedicaidFraud_1.jpg)
UPDATED: Amid ongoing negotiations over transportation funding plans, members of the House sent a new proposal to the Senate on Friday afternoon that could break the logjam. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/05/29/RoadsMoney.jpg)
The newest legal battle over voting rights in Texas could go either way in court, but for Attorney General Greg Abbott, it's a golden opportunity to square off with a Democratic administration in Washington, D.C., that is far from popular in Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/17/Foster_Jerod-0685.jpg)
Farmers who rely on the Brazos River say they are “out of water and out of luck” because the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has curtailed their use of water from the river. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/brazosriver-rathcity.jpg)
The state's abortion and health care policies intersect in the budget — even though that might not always be part of the debate — and the budget is where the impact of decisions on abortion and Medicaid will be revealed. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/25/Babies-Hospital.jpg)
For parents and educators who want less classroom time spent on state exams, hopes rest on recently passed legislation, but it comes with a challenge: Texas likely must first obtain waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/24/Foster_Jerod-6521.jpg)
Throughout his 24 years in the Texas House, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, has taken a pragmatic approach to politics, maintaining close ties with Republican leaders if it means a seat at the negotiating table. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/23/TxTribLive-TonyGarza170TXTrib-Upload.jpg)
The debate over voting rights in Texas took a new turn on Thursday as the Obama administration forcefully entered the fight. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/20111213_holder_MG_1602x.jpg)
Your evening reading: Republicans slam Obama administration over Texas voting law push; Davis in D.C. for fundraisers; no deal yet on road funding Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0a0d1f3771a2d927a798820209fd0cda/BD%20INC%20Perry%20385%202013)
State Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, on Thursday urged low-income Texans to participate in a program that provides rebates on their electric bills. The Legislature increased the discount to 82 percent this year, but the program is set to expire. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/23/_01F1146.jpg)
More than 80 miles of roads in West and South Texas will be converted to gravel, state transportation officials announced Thursday. Officials cited a funding shortfall and the impact of the current drilling boom in making the decision. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/NaturalGas-RoadDamage.jpg)
The U.S. Justice Department will seek to once more require that a federal court approve Texas’ controversial voter ID law, despite a Supreme Court ruling that such a practice is outdated. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/VoterID-DOJ.jpg)