The Brief: Top Texas News for March 30, 2011
With the big vote on massive budget cuts two days away, the pressure may be getting to some House Republicans. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Study Ranks Texas Counties by Health
Williamson County is home to Texas' healthiest residents, and Marion County is the least healthy in the state, according to the annual County Health Rankings. Full Story
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![East Texas residents shop in a grocery store.]()
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GRAPHIC: How Lawmakers Set the Budget
Confused about the budget? Trust us — you’re not alone. Later this week, the House votes on several key pieces of legislation. We've created a flow chart to help keep track of the process. Full Story
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Lawmakers Want Fewer Tickets for Students
Last year, Texas police issued 300,000 students for offenses like chewing gum, truancy and cursing. The Senate Criminal Justice Committee today discussed a bill that would mean far fewer citations for youngsters in schools. Full Story
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![Students at Austin Discovery School work on a project at the Texas charter school on Tuesday, February 15th, 2011.]()
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Zerwas: Texas Health Insurance Exchange May Be Dead
State Rep. John Zerwas, the Simonton Republican who has filed legislation to implement one of the key elements of federal health care reform, said his bill may be permanently stuck. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Supporters: Gaming Would Generate Needed Revenue
Allowing gambling in Texas could boost the economy, create thousands of jobs and help lawmakers close the state's looming budget gap, gambling advocates told lawmakers in a House committee meeting today. Full Story
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The Eyes of Texas Are Upon the Board of Regents
Using the Legislature-directed Invest in Texas campaign as a model, the president of UT's Senate of College Councils intends to begin lobbying the University of Texas System Board of Regents in support of academic research. Full Story
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The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for March 29, 2011
Your afternoon reading: lawsuit filed over lethal injection drug; health reform bills get positive reception in committee; analysis shows fiscal impact of gambling bills Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Death Row Inmates Sue Over Lethal Injection Drug
Two death row inmates sued the state today, arguing that the decision to use a new lethal injection drug was made too secretly and too hastily. Full Story
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Health Payment Reform Bills Get Warm Reception
Two sweeping bills to reward patient outcomes — as opposed to the current system that incentivizes overutilization — got a warm welcome in a Senate committee hearing this morning. Full Story
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![Sen. Jane Nelson and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst introduce legislation designed to improve Texas health care.]()
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Texas Hospitals: Budget Cuts Are Too Deep
Texas hospital officials, anticipating a House budget vote later this week, warned this morning that the current proposal could mean funding cuts of up to 37 percent for some hospitals. Full Story
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![Leaders from Texas Hospital Association and other hospital groups urge members of the Texas House to protect funding for local hospitals, doctors and nurses. March 29th, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
UTSA Prof to Jon Stewart: Obama Right on Libya
Mansour O. El-Kikhia, chair of the political science department at the University of Texas at San Antonio, cited the threat to perhaps 50,000 of his fellow countrymen — including members of his own family. Full Story
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The Brief: Top Texas News for March 29, 2011
The deck may now be stacked against the legalization of gambling in Texas, thanks to one state senator. Full Story
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![Casino gambling and sports betting are again before the state Legislature in 2023.]()
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Calls for University "Entrepreneurship" at UT, Around the Country
In the face of possible changes, the University of Texas community has taken a strong stance in favor of academic research. But prominent reformers acknowledge that public research universities need to change, and one UT professor thinks he has a way. Full Story
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![Director of Intellectual Entrepreneurship, Richard Cherwitz, in his home Mar. 23, 2011.]()
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Jack Pratt: The TT Interview
The head of the Texas Gaming Association, who's trying to convince Texas lawmakers to legalize casinos, on what's different this year, what he says to people who just don't like gambing, and how his likes his chances. Full Story
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Security Spokesman Touts Mexico's Gains in Drug War
The Mexican government's chief spokesman on security issues spoke at the University of Texas on Monday about drug violence south of the border. But as Mose Buchele of KUT News reports, not everyone there was comforted by his presentation. Full Story
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In Texas, an Upside to Higher Gas Prices
Oil prices hit $100 per barrel last month for the first time since 2008, and prices have continued to rise. But as Gretch Sanders of KUT News reports, paying more at the pump might not be bad news for Texas. Full Story
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Towns Suffer as Private Prisons Struggle to Fill Cells
A few years ago, rural cities and counties in Texas were lining up to incarcerate inmates for profit in private prisons and jails. But today, as Mose Buchele of KUT News reports in partnership with NPR, an increasing number of cells sit empty, leaving many Texas communities struggling with mounting debts. Full Story
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Gen. Tommy Franks Joins Michael Williams Campaign
Outgoing Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams announced today that former Gen. Tommy Franks has endorsed his 2012 U.S. Senate bid and signed on to serve as the campaign's national chairman. Full Story
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Several Texas Counties Among Most Diverse
Fort Bend County, home of Sugar Land, is almost as diverse as the Bronx in New York. Several other Texas counties rank high on the list. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Matt Stiles
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