Senate OKs Legalizing "Noodling"
Amid the budget drama of the day, senators had a few moments of levity when they brought up the "noodling" bill, which would legalize the practice of hand-fishing for catfish. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Williams Explains Move That Gutted HB 12
He may have pulled the plug on “sanctuary cities” legislation yesterday, but Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, said today he still supports it — even if he considers his own homeland security legislation a higher priority. Full Story
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TribLive: "We're Not a Crazy State," Turner Says
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, warned his House Republican colleagues about overreaching in exercising their supermajority power. Full Story
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Texas Smart-Grid Experts Head to the White House
On Friday morning, a small group of Texans, including the chairman of the Public Utility Commission, will brief White House representatives on the smart-meter rollout and related issues in the state. Full Story
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The Brief: May 19, 2011
After a day of dizzying budget back-and-forth, lawmakers have another shot today at avoiding a special session. Full Story
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GOP Lawmakers Target In-State Tuition for Students in Texas Illegally
A bill by state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, seeks to repeal in-state tuition for students who are not living in Texas legally. He says it will make tuition rates fairer, but others argue that the tuition break ultimately benefits the state. Full Story
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The Weekly TribCast: Episode 80
In this week's TribCast, Evan, Ross, Morgan and Ben talk budget drama, stalled education legislation and the renewed Rick-Perry-for-president buzz. Full Story
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Budget Stalls Over Education, Questions About Funding Sources
After a chaotic day of stops and starts and private meetings, Texas lawmakers don't have a budget deal yet. Unless key pieces of legislation are passed soon, lawmakers are almost guaranteed to be back this summer for a special session. Full Story
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Sanctuary Cities Bill Gutted by Senate Committee
In a surprise move that could effectively kill the sanctuary cities bill that Gov. Rick Perry declared an emergency item, a Senate committee today replaced the immigration language with a homeland security bill by state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Drought Gripping State Shows No Sign of Easing
The Lower Colorado River Authority, a major supplier of water for Central Texas, warned today that the drought gripping the state is likely to continue for months and urged its customers to conserve water. Full Story
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Budget Update: Ogden Says They're Stuck; Straus Says They're Close
As of Wednesday afternoon, two powerful budget figures differed on the status of the budget process. Full Story
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Eyewitness ID Reform Headed to Perry's Desk
The Senate today approved a measure that would reform the way law enforcement officers conduct identification lineups, a measure that criminal justice advocates hope will mean fewer wrongful convictions in the future. Full Story
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The Midday Brief: May 18, 2011
Your afternoon reading: confusion over fiscal bills trips up House; Senate approves eyewitness ID bill; is sanctuary cities stuck? Full Story
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Senate Approves Anthony Graves Compensation Bill
The Texas Senate today passed a bill that would finally compensate Anthony Graves for the 18 years he spent behind bars convicted of grisly murders he did not commit. Full Story
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Disarray Over Fiscal Bills Causes Delay, Confusion
The House was expected to take up two controversial fiscal matters bill today, but from the start representatives were not sure the lower chamber was prepared to pass them. The apparent holdup? Whether some of the revenue measures amount to the "accounting gimmicks" that the governor warned against Tuesday. Full Story
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UT System Regent's Request Stirs More Controversy
After a public display of harmony last week, controversy continues to surround UT System Board of Regents. Does a request made by regent Alex Cranberg amount to the kind of micromanaging criticized by the system's chancellor? Cranberg insists it is no such thing. Full Story
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Will the Sanctuary Cities Bill Survive the Senate?
They won’t give names, nor will they engage in a game of hypothetical vote counting, but Senate Democrats will say the coalition forming against the state’s proposed sanctuary cities bill isn’t what observers would expect. Full Story
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The Brief: May 18, 2011
A special session looms large, but attention shifted briefly Tuesday to another familiar topic: Rick Perry for president. Full Story
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With Clock Ticking, Congressional Redistricting Set to Begin
The legislative session ends in less than two weeks, and lawmakers won't take up a bill to redraw the state's congressional districts until later this week. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports on how the delay could affect how the new lines are drawn. Full Story
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Overshadowed by Other Cuts, Med Schools Face Drastic Reductions
Texas medical schools feel like the scorned children of the state’s education budget. Lost amid the pleas of parents to restore funding for public education, and the demands of college students to preserve financial aid, the state’s health care institutions say few seem to understand the drastic situation they face. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
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