Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on Tuesday expressed support for a bill that would require welfare applicants to take drug tests. Critics of the bill say it needlessly targets the poor. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2115f1476d71fc7646bf5a1a8ff3bfd3/BD%20INC%20Perry-Conference-Drug%20Testing%202012)
For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders from government and politics, we made temporary assignments in punditry, asking insiders to explain the elections, whether the governor is done and how legislative leaders' clout was affected. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo-Hahn-sponsorship.jpg){kind=logo}
The 2013 legislative session doesn't start until January, but eager lawmakers on Monday offered a glimpse of what to expect next year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-FilingBills_Tamir.Kalifa003.jpg)
In a preview of the impending 83rd legislative session, lawmakers filed more than 250 bills on Monday. The proposals would affect just about everything from public school testing to health insurance and how we buy milk. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-FilingBills_Tamir.Kalifa002.jpg)
Bill filing for the 83rd legislative session kicked off on Monday, and lawmakers filed more than 250 bills on the first day alone. The Tribune has retooled last session's bill tracker and put it to work, pulling in all the legislation that's been filed so far for 2013. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Bills-83rdLegSesh-2.jpg)
As oil and gas drilling booms throughout the state, a new court case has raised concerns about the oversight of so-called landfarms, the privately owned, state-regulated sites used to dispose of the waste produced during the drilling process. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Oil-Refinery.jpg)
With the general election in the rearview mirror, all eyes are on the next political contest on the Texas horizon — the House speaker’s race. The Tribune called all 150 members of the Texas House to find out who has their vote. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/28613006748eaa2b11c0a0f162d7c7ec/DO%20NOT%20USE%20Straus-Hughes-Speakers%20Race%202012)
The University of Texas System Board of Regents will meet this week and consider, among many things, whether to approve the construction of a system office building in downtown Austin that is projected to cost $102,417,000. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/dfd296f3f467aaa69cbc869c3deabf6a/BD%20INC%20Powell%202011)
Gov. Rick Perry reiterated his support for the ban on “sanctuary cities” on Monday, the same day opponents of such measures said that a Supreme Court decision on a controversial Arizona law did not automatically pave the way for Texas to enact its own immigration policies. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3a79f08438858d74d159a737e3ae9767/BD%20INC%20Immigrant%20Bill%20Protest%20054%202012)
After nine years with the University of Texas System, Kenneth Shine, the executive vice chancellor for health affairs, announced on Monday that he intends to retire in early 2013. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/kenneth-shine.jpg)
Your evening reading: Texas secession petition draws enough signatures for White House review; lawmakers begin filing bills for 2013 session; Cruz says Texas could turn blue Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f3a1ec4eaf4850c50f65b3eda7809779/BD%20INC%20Secede%20Sign%202011)
At our Oct. 29 symposium on the future of water at Texas State University, Terrence Henry of NPR's StateImpact Texas talked to Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, David Langford of the Texas Wildlife Association and Laura Huffman of The Nature Conservancy of Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/image_1.jpeg)
A petition calling for Texas to "peacefully" withdraw from the United States of America was filed on a White House website Friday. It already has enough signatures to warrant an official response. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/103109_txsecession001_jv.png)
The state's top two legislative leaders reflect the split in the Texas and national GOP — between populist conservatives on one hand, and mainline, old-school Republicans on the other. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Dewhurst-Straus-Close.jpg)
Despite its “Keep Austin Weird” slogan and passion for clean energy, Austin is increasingly attracting oil and gas companies thanks to its entrepreneurial bent and reputation as a fun place to live. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-AustinOil-004.jpg)
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case with the power to dramatically alter the future of voting rights in Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/scotus_chamber.jpg)
On Saturday morning, just more than a year after it was established, WGU Texas, the state's online university, held its first-ever graduation ceremony. Gov. Rick Perry called it "proof" that establishing the school was a good idea. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TexasEducation.jpg)
Anxieties about the future of Sul Ross State University are on the rise in Alpine, and Texas State University System Chancellor Brian McCall is countering arguments that another system might be a better fit. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/SulRoss-2.jpg)
The 2012 elections are in the bag. We look at wins, losses and where the Texas Legislature stands in the upcoming session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/NewInTexas-4.jpg)
Our complete election night scoreboard, Aaronson on where things stand with Planned Parenthood, Aguilar on George P. Bush's nascent plans, Galbraith on the strained Texas power market, Grissom on Speaker candidate Bryan Hughes' promises, Murphy on what candidates spent per vote, Ramsey on the experience deficit, Root on Texas Republican might in a good year for Democrats nationally and my post-election debrief with Kirk Watson and Dan Patrick: The best of our best content from Nov. 5 to 9, 2012. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/10052012-Tribweek.jpg)