In 2010, Republican John V. Garza defeated David Leibowitz, the incumbent Democrat, in HD-117, a fast-growing section of western Bexar County. Now, Garza’s is at the top of Democrats’ list of seats they would like to take back. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/HD-117-Election.jpg)
Groups are pushing to increase Hispanic voter participation across the state, but in South Texas, such efforts must contend with a history of voter fraud and coercion that some say has long plagued the region. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/VotingThisWay.jpg)
State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, acknowledges he made errors in how his campaign reimbursed him for the use of his personal vehicle. He says he plans to now keep a log of his miles. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/ChuyBehindWheel.jpg)
With its admissions process set to go before the Supreme Court this morning, the University of Texas got a boost of support on Tuesday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/mccombs-photo-3a.jpg)
In his new spot, Democrat Nick Lampson of Beaumont says his CD-14 opponent, state Rep. Randy Weber, R-Pearland, voted for "tax breaks for companies that send Texas jobs overseas" and says Lampson "protected jobs in Texas" when he was in Congress. Full Story
Defending incumbent U.S. Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco, R-San Antonio, the National Republican Congressional Committee is running an ad slamming state Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, for his support from "radical environmentalists in Washington." Full Story
In a new commercial, a rape victim credits state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, with legislation that put her attacker in jail, and says Davis' challenger, state Rep. Mark Shelton, R-Fort Worth, was one of eight lawmakers who voted against it. Full Story
Your evening reading: leaders of minority groups voice support for UT ahead of court arguments; body of slain cartel leader reportedly stolen; Sadler running to the left of Obama, Cruz says Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Scotus.jpg)
Amid a recent increase in suicides among military veterans, Texas lawmakers are looking at ways to address mental health challenges for veterans as they return home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/SoldierOnHill.jpg)
A Texas Senate committee heard sometimes emotional testimony Tuesday about smart-meter installations, as opponents of the installation argued that their rights had been violated and the meters carried health risks. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/841c514e31f7c7a70a6e4027d79df470/DO%20NOT%20USE%20Smart%20Meter%20Tea%202012)
For this week's nonscientific survey of politics and government insiders, we asked about the debates for president and the U.S. Senate, and about how the presidential election might affect Texas contests now an in the near future. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo-Hahn-sponsorship.jpg){kind=logo}
It has now become clear that race-preference admission programs typically do not operate to the preferred student’s advantage. Their relatively poor qualification — of which they are often unaware — usually leads to relatively poor performance, the bottom portion of the class and an increased dropout rate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Lino-head.jpg)
The law should allow all universities to pursue diverse classes of excellent students, for the sake of the students and the quality of their educations, for the sake of a society still striving to bestow opportunity more equally across its many populations, and for the sake of healthy businesses and all of the benefits they contribute to society. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Jastrow-head.jpg)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear oral arguments in Fisher v. the University of Texas at Austin, a lawsuit related to the use of race in university admissions policies. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/UT-Justice-2.jpg)
The new state representative for the Rio Grande Valley's House District 41 on his unusual path to office, what he hopes to accomplish before his re-election bid in November and how he's approaching the general election. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/RepBobbyGuerra.jpg)
We've updated the data for 13 agencies in our government employee salary database. This update includes new information for the Austin Community College system, Houston ISD, the city of San Antonio and Angelo State University. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Capitol-Money-SalarayUpdate_1.jpg)
With the start of early voting less than two weeks away, a crucial deadline dawns today. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/RegisterToVote.jpg)
Your evening reading: what happens if UT loses at the Supreme Court; Castro still stumping for Obama; Central Texas school district to offer domestic-partner benefits Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/UT-Tower_HDR_CC.jpg)
Leaders of homeless service programs on Monday addressed a joint hearing of a House appropriations subcommittee and the Urban Affairs Committee, saying any funding cuts would hinder their ability to provide services. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Homeless-2.jpg)
At the 2012 Texas Tribune Festival, New York Times reporter Manny Fernandez talked about educating the emerging Hispanic majority with Sarita Brown of Excelencia in Education, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD Superintendent Daniel King, South Texas College President Shirley Reed and University of Texas at Brownsville President Juliet Garcia. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TxTribFest12-BobHispanicMajority345-6720.JPG)