Texas public universities awarded more than 50,000 bachelor’s degrees in spring 2013, an increase of more than 5,000 from 2012, according to preliminary data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Full Story
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End-of-session tension abated on Wednesday as lawmakers, after days of uncertainty, broke through a budget stalemate. Full Story
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House Bill 950, by state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, a measure designed to prevent pay discrimination against women, narrowly passed the upper chamber with a vote of 17-14 on Wednesday. Full Story
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UPDATED: Sen. Royce West's proposal for a special statewide school district to manage underperforming campuses will have to find another lifeboat. The Dallas Democrat has removed the bill from the legislation he had attached it to after it died in the House. Full Story
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State Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, will not seek re-election, he announced in a tearful personal privilege speech on the House floor on Wednesday night. Full Story
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UPDATED: The Senate on Wednesday concurred with the House amendments to Senate Bill 24, creating a regional university and medical school in the Rio Grande Valley. The bill will now head to the governor's desk. Full Story
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UPDATED: After days of jockeying and one-upsmanship, the Texas House and Senate each approved measures Wednesday evening critical to passing their next two-year budget. Full Story
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Your evening reading: committee dinner, paid for by lobby, racked up $22,000 tab; budget breakthrough in sight; Perry meets with health care hecklers Full Story
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On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Another week, another series of legislative deadlines and another edition of Bill Kill. Full Story
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A bill allowing hotter radioactive waste from other states to be deposited in a dump in Andrews County passed the House on Wednesday, after a brief debate between state Reps. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, and Tryon Lewis, R-Odessa. Full Story
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UPDATED: Gov. Rick Perry met with three health care activists who helped organize a protest of his speech before Austin business leaders Wednesday. Both sides said the meeting was cordial, though there were no breakthroughs. Full Story
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End-of-session dinners are commonplace for legislative committees at the end of the session, and they can be lavish affairs. One this week cost more than $22,000. Full Story
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The Senate on Wednesday gave its approval to House Bill 1009, which would allow school districts to designate certain employees to carry concealed weapons and serve as school marshals. Full Story
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State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, faces a growing and likely insurmountable challenge in his efforts to pass a bill allowing the concealed carry of firearms in buildings on university and college campuses. Full Story
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Reeve, Aman, Jay and Ben talk about the final stages of lawmakers' efforts to put together a budget deal, state Sen. John Carona's day job and the legislative casualties of tension between the Senate and the House. Full Story
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The president of Emily's List on the state's changing demographics, how those changes will help put candidates like state Sen. Wendy Davis in statewide office and why women will help turn Texas blue. Full Story
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While members of the Legislature are eyeing Memorial Day and Sine Die with increasing anticipation, a growing field of candidates looking toward 2014 has emerged, including four — so far — in Austin's House District 50, an open seat. Full Story
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Texas is showing how unique it is when it comes to matters of immigration. Statistics say it has more undocumented immigrants in detention centers than any other state. And organizers of a virtual march for immigration reform say the state is the perfect spot to host related events. Full Story
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The next four days will probably be the most critical period in determining the fate of the session's major education bills, which address standardized testing and curriculum requirements, as well as charter school expansion. Full Story
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Sen. John Carona remains a political maverick in the Texas Legislature, willing to stand alone in policy fights and raise money for Democrats, despite conservative grassroots pressure to conform to stricter ideology. Full Story
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