State Sen. Dan Patrick, a radio talk show host who has been courting Tea Party activists, is promising to tell reporters Friday whether or not he will try to make a jump to the U.S Senate to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Full Story
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State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, gave an impassioned personal privilege speech on the floor of the Texas House this afternoon in response to graphic flyers passed out in the House chamber about an insurance bill, HB 2093. The women in the chamber stood up with Thompson. "We have not earned this kind of disrespect!" she said. Afterward, state Rep. Debbie Riddle accused some of the men in the chamber of having pornography on the House floor. (Video courtesy legetv.org) Full Story
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Rick Perry has said he's not running for president, but state Rep. Aaron Peña, chairman of the Hispanic Republican Conference, hopes his group's support might change the governor's mind. Full Story
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Hope for a smoke-free Texas seems officially snuffed. State Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, said today that a statewide smoking ban would not live on as an amendment to Senate Bill 1811. Full Story
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The lower chamber erupted into a gender war of sorts Thursday afternoon, with Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, accusing a special interest group of sexism, and Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, suggesting some lawmakers have pornography on the House floor. Full Story
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At a meeting of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, chairman Richard Box appeared to shrug off a controversial set of “breakthrough solutions” for higher education, saying it is time to "move on." Full Story
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Your afternoon reading: radio host says Perry's running for president; Democrats predict strong showing in U.S. Senate race; budget negotiators pass $15 billion in cuts Full Story
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The Women's Health Program — long believed to require legislative renewal — lives on, at least for now, in the form of a budget rider. Full Story
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The debate over whether to set up an animal cruelty registry continues. In a close vote, 63 to 78, the House sent HB 1103 to conference. Full Story
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Payday lending could soon become much more transparent for borrowers looking for a quick money fix. The House concurred with the Senate version of a bill today that would require payday lenders to disclose interest rates and fees associated with the loans. The bill now moves to the governor for final approval. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, expressed confidence that the House and Senate will agree to a school finance deal before the end of the regular session. Full Story
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Budget negotiators adopted a report Thursday that cuts state spending by $15 billion. The measure is scheduled for a vote on the House and Senate floors as early as Saturday afternoon. Full Story
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Tense budget negotiations continued Wednesday, but it didn't take long for an airport "groping" ban, an ensuing rowdy protest and vicious political sniping to steal some of the spotlight. Full Story
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State Sen. Dan Patrick says he knows why the federal government has intervened on two key bills facing Texas lawmakers in the final days of the legislative session: “retribution.” But is it that simple? Full Story
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Texans think it's more important to elect people who think like them than to elect people who look like them, and a small plurality believes redistricting should be turned over to an independent panel, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Full Story
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On Fox News' On the Record with Greta van Susteren, Gov. Rick Perry admitted that running for president is tempting but said it isn't something he wants to do. Full Story
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After hitting a brief snag, the bill that creates a mechanism for the leaders in the race to become the state's next tier-one university passed the state Senate today. Full Story
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Lawmakers made progress today on solving the current budget deficit but still haven't solved the major problem in the 2012-13 budget: school finance. Full Story
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The Texas Senate approved a measure this evening that would ban texting and sending e-mails and instant messages while driving. Full Story
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Rep. Lois Kolkhorst threw herself a life raft tonight, attaching her Health Care Compact bill — a measure that would seek to give Texas control of the purse strings for Medicare and Medicaid — onto a Senate health care bill that the House passed on third reading. Full Story
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