The Brief: June 7, 2013
A heated redistricting hearing on Thursday wasn't enough to keep frustration about the sluggish special session from mounting. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
The Evening Brief: June 6, 2013
Your evening reading: Cornyn faces resistance to immigration bill amendment; at Dallas hearing, Democrats push for more minority districts; state lawmakers collecting daily pay during recess Full Story
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West Texas Oilfield Town Runs Out of Water
Barnhart, a small community about 50 miles southwest of San Angelo in West Texas, has run out of water after the town's only municipal water well failed. Officials say that the water demands of oil drilling are a factor. Full Story
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![Southern plains bison from the Goodnight heard are raised for meat on Hugh Fitzsimons's SHAPE Ranch in Carrizo Springs, TX, February, 21, 2013.]()
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Guest Column: Pulling Young Texans Into Civic Life
Young Texans are less likely to vote than the 30-and-older set, but they do volunteer work and take part in conversations about politics. Full Story
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State Chooses Study Over Money to Reduce Wait Times at Texas Ports
Lawmakers and local officials from the Texas-Mexico border wanted funding to train more inspectors and speed up commerce at land ports. Instead, they got a study. Full Story
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Budget Plan for DPS Has Pay Hikes for Troopers
The 2014-15 budget plan for the Texas Department of Public Safety doesn't include money for big-ticket items like gunboats or planes, but it does include money for troopers’ raises and retains funding for the agency’s fusion center. Full Story
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![Texas DPS agent Cuevas removes a M2-40 machine gun from newly commissioned patrol vessel. The boat, part of the Tactical Marine Unit, funded by federal Homeland Security grants, will help with the state's efforts in combating Mexican drug cartels patrolling the Rio Grande River]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Some Lawmakers Make Sure to Look Out for No. 1
Call it the self-preservation society. When push comes to shove, some members of the Texas Legislature are adamant that their elective offices should come with some special protections. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Lawmakers Collect Daily Pay Even in Recess
It doesn't feel much like there's a special session going on at the state Capitol, but that doesn't mean taxpayers won't get a bill for it. Lawmakers get paid whether they're here or not. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
The Brief: June 6, 2013
The redistricting debate has hit the road for its first stop in a four-city tour. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
The Evening Brief: June 5, 2013
Your evening reading: Cornyn pushing to add major border security amendment to immigration bill; Carter considering statewide run; judge to hear new evidence in school finance case Full Story
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TribCast: Slow Special, Racial Remarks and Engagement
Jay, Reeve, Evan and Ross discuss the plodding pace of the special session, the revelation of a Tea Party leader's racially tinged remarks and the state's lagging levels of civic engagement. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Lawyers Ask to Reopen Evidence in School Finance Trial
State District Court Judge John Dietz will hear new evidence in the sweeping school finance trial as he considers the effects of changes made during the recent legislative session. Full Story
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![After a trial that lasted more than three months, Travis County District Court Judge John Dietz ruled in February 2014 that the state's school finance system is unconstitutional.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Guest Column: Shifting Demographics and the Future of Texas Politics
The fastest-growing population in Texas is also one of the least civically engaged populations in the state. Amid the talk about how new Hispanics in Texas will vote, it's worth asking how many of them will vote at all. Full Story
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Cornyn Wants Border Security Added to Immigration Bill
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn wants to add border security provisions before he will support the comprehensive immigration reform bill that is scheduled to go before the full Senate next week. Full Story
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Credit: Ali Durkin, Medill News Service -
A Closer Look at Campus Construction Demands
A plan to issue billions in bonds for campus construction became a casualty of a legislative game of chicken in the regular session. Our new interactive illustrates just what was at stake at schools statewide. Full Story
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Bullet Train Plan Sparks North Texas Turf War
A private firm's plan to develop a high-speed rail line between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston is being closely watched by officials in North Texas, where there are varying opinions as to where the first station should be built. Full Story
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![The JR Central N700 Series, a Japanese Shinkansen bullet train developed by two railway companies in Japan.]()
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For Texas Coast, Hurricane Season Presents Toxic Risk
The next hurricane that hits the Texas coast will put some of the nation's biggest refineries — and the communities surrounding them — at risk. But it won't be the first time. Full Story
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Water Treaty Concerns Trigger Lobbying Efforts, Calls for Changes
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority has hired a PR firm to help urge the federal government to mandate that Mexico deliver water to the U.S. under a decades-old treaty. Legal experts say such conflicts would continue if the treaty isn't amended. Full Story
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Interactive: Campus Construction Funding Proposals
Lawmakers failed during the regular session to approve money for construction at public universities, but some are hoping the special session will provide a second chance at the money. Use this interactive to see what's at stake. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
The Brief: June 5, 2013
As Democrats work to turn Texas blue, Republicans have their own plans for making the state even redder. Full Story
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Credit: Jacob Villanueva
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