Power Generators on the Hot Seat
As hearings continued this afternoon at the Capitol, power plant owners tried to explain why so many of their operations failed during the Feb. 2 rolling blackouts. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Lawmakers: Loophole Allows Cockfights to Flourish
A loophole in state law allows cockfights in Texas to flourish and be a breeding ground for more serious criminal activity, including drug use, prostitution and trafficking associated with Mexican drug cartels, state lawmakers say. Full Story
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Texplainer: What Happened to SO 6?
The DMV numbers and assigns each plate to each state office, from the governor on down. So how come I've never seen State Official 6 on the road? Full Story
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Is Medicaid Fraud Up? Or Is the State Getting More Vigilant?
The quickest way to curb the state's reeling Medicaid costs? Eliminating fraud and recovering funds, state officials say. “I just don’t think people out there have any idea how much money is being scammed,” said Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Grapevine. Full Story
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The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for Feb. 15, 2011
Your afternoon reading: blackout hearings, more Ron Paul vs. Donald Trump, and a deeper look at Texas vs. Amazon Full Story
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What's at Stake in the Texas-Amazon Fight Over State Sales Taxes?
The fight over Amazon's taxes isn't just about the giant online retailer. State officials say Texas is losing $600 million annually on taxable items purchased online. And as they work to close a budget gap of up to $27 billion, they're chasing every penny. Full Story
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Senators Express Incredulity at Rolling Blackouts Hearing
At a state Senate hearing this morning on Texas's rolling blackouts earlier this month, ERCOT released the first list — albeit a very partial one — of power plants that failed during the Feb. 2 crisis. Full Story
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Cy-Fair Superintendent on Education Cuts
In an interview with KRLD's Scott Braddock in Dallas, David Anthony, the departing superintendent of the state's third-largest school district, said districts are in a "difficult situation" as they try to meet new student achievement measures while coping with cuts. Full Story
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The Brief: Top Texas News for Feb. 15, 2011
The state's electric grid operator will enter Senate hearings this morning with a Texas-sized target on its back. Full Story
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Credit: Callie Richmond -
For Power Grid Operator, the Reckoning Begins
The Texas electric grid operator is facing questions on a range of fronts, including its policy of not disclosing information about the power grid's day-to-day operations and its inability to ensure adequate weatherization of power plants. Full Story
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Texas "On the Brink," Legislative Group Says
Texas' superlatives are nothing to brag about, according to the fifth edition of "Texas on the Brink," an annual review that ranks the state on dozens of factors ranging from health insurance to voter turnout. Full Story
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The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for Feb. 14, 2011
Your afternoon reading: census inaccuracies; lawmaker predicts $1,000 tuition increase; report says Texans overpay for electricity Full Story
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Texplainer: Can the Lege Overrule Perry on Education Money?
Gov. Rick Perry has said he can't sign an application to receive $10 billion in federal education aid because it requires an assurance he cannot constitutionally make: that the Lege will not use the money to offset state funding of public education. Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Facing Massive Cuts, Agency Chiefs Remain "Good Soldiers"
They’re surely facing the worst budget cycle any of them have experienced. Yet in hours of testimony before lawmakers, the commissioners of Texas’ social services and education agencies appear largely unruffled. Full Story
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The Brief: Top Texas News for Feb. 14, 2011
One unlikely bout of political drama pitting Texas against Amazon.com has spawned another: Gov. Rick Perry vs. Comptroller Susan Combs. Full Story
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Budget Cuts Trickle Down to Local Governments
One lawmaker has proposed a constitutional amendment blocking lawmakers from passing so-called unfunded mandates on to local governments. But as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, cities and counties worry the costs will come anyway. Full Story
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Inside Intelligence: A $10,000 Degree?
For the latest installment of our nonscientific survey of political and policy insiders on issues of the moment, we asked whether colleges can deliver on Gov. Rick Perry's prompt for a $10,000 bachelor's degree. Full Story
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Perry, Doggett and Their $830 Million Feud
Six months after Congress established the $10 billion Education Jobs Fund to help states retain and hire teachers, Texas is one of only two states that has not received its money. Whether the state will gets it depends on a game of political chicken between Gov. Rick Perry and a certain Austin Democrat. Full Story
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Please Be Seated
Ever have that feeling that, "Don't worry, it's all good," means, "You're already baked"? Full Story
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Woman's Death Reveals a Troubled East Texas Jail
Amy Lynn Cowling's death is just the most recent at the Gregg County Jail in Longview. Interviews and public documents reveal a troubled facility, where the staff turnover rate is unusually high and inmates report shoddy medical care. Full Story
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![Amy Lynn Cowling's mother, Vicki Bankhead, talks about the death of her daughter in the office of the family's attorney, Jarom Tefteller.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond
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