It is unclear exactly how much taxpayers spend on Gov. Rick Perry's extensive travel costs. Private dollars pay for most of Perry's expenses, but taxpayers pick up the tab for his round-the-clock security detail. Full Story
For the latest installment of our unscientific survey of political and policy insiders, we asked what state issues will get national play if Gov. Rick Perry runs for president, how his record will be used for and against him and whether all the attention might affect races here. Full Story
The Trib captured every debate, tirade and joke uttered into the mikes in the House and Senate during the 82nd legislative session in our online transcripts. Our latest data apps help you identify when important debates occurred by visualizing the frequency of keywords. Full Story
A favorite plot device on television and in movies, jailbreaks, at least in Texas, are pretty rare. But that doesn't stop inmates from trying. And trying. Full Story
The U.S. Consulate is warning U.S. citizens that new information suggests cartels may be targeting ports of entry, consulate employees and “the public in general” in response to a crackdown on criminal gangs in Ciudad Juárez by the Mexican military. An emergency alert was issued Friday. Full Story
Check our new Perrypedia — a home for stories and data about you-know-who, Ramshaw on health care in the colonias, Root's look back at Rick Perry's years as a Democrat, M. Smith on the pressures facing the TEA, yours truly on David Dewhurst's impact on the U.S. Senate race, E. Smith's panel discussion on the Cameron Todd Willingham case, Hamilton on Perry and higher ed, Murphy on who's paying the pole tax, Grissom on Alto's decision to close its police department, Aguilar on labor and security worries over trucking on the border and Galbraith on what government can't do during a drought: The best of our best content from July 11 to 15, 2011. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry, who is considering a run for the White House, has spent nearly $1 million in state campaign funds since January, shelling out thousands of dollars for out-of-state travel, hotels and meetings, records released Friday show. Full Story
The three declared Republican candidates for Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat released mid-year campaign finance totals today. Tom Leppert got to the end of June with more money in the bank than either Ted Cruz or Elizabeth Ames Jones. Full Story
Your afternoon reading: Perry for president predictions percolate, Ratliff racing to replace a representative, and districts dealing with drought. Full Story
Bennett Ratliff, son of the former lieutenant governor and brother of the State Board of Education member, is jumping into the race to replace Rep. Jim Jackson, R-Carrollton, in the Texas House. Full Story
Rick Perry's political past is no secret in Texas. But tracing the governor's beginnings reveals a history that would strike even his strongest supporters as a little surreal. Full Story
Four years and one seemingly endless lawsuit after Texas lawmakers passed a $5-per-patron strip club fee, just 111 of the state’s 176 strip clubs have paid any money. (View our interactive here.) Full Story
Yes, we know Rick Perry isn't a declared candidate for president — yet. But on the theory that it's better to be prepared than not, we've created a one-stop, curated home for data and information on all things Perry. It's called Perrypedia. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry is a frequent traveler, and as his national name recognition grows, so does the cost of his travel. How much is all this costing taxpayers? Full Story
The Department of Justice's decision this week to require firearms dealers in Texas and three other border states to report the multiple sales of long rifles will come down to a funding battle in Washington. Full Story
There's a day in July that school districts eye with a mixture of anticipation and dread. This year, it's on the 29th, when the Texas Education Agency will publicly release the accountability ratings for the state's more than 1,000 districts. Full Story
Party leadership said the "closely held" news was a "shock," but it didn't take long for the line to start forming after U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, announced that he would not be seeking re-election, opting instead to focus on his bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. Full Story