All Coverage | The Texas Tribune

The Opt-Out Option

By Emily Ramshaw, The Texas Tribune, and Marilyn Serafini, Kaiser Health News Nov. 12, 2010

A week after newly emboldened Republicans in the Texas Legislature floated a radical cost-saving proposal — withdrawing from the federal Medicaid program — health care experts, economists and think tanks are trying to determine just how possible it would be. The answer? It’s complicated. But it’s not stopping nearly a dozen other states, frantic over budget shortfalls and anticipating new costs from federal health care reform, from exploring something that was, until recently, unthinkable. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
TribBlog: The Most Important Legislators?

By Reeve Hamilton Nov. 11, 2010

Who will be the most important legislators in Austin in 2011? UT Vice Chancellor Barry McBee has an answer. Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller
TribBlog: Study: Better Health = Better Grades

By Emily Brown Nov. 11, 2010

According to Stuck in the Middle: The False Choice Between Health and Education in Texas Middle Schools, school administrators are choosing between improving academic performance and improving fitness — and sacrificing both as a consequence. Full Story
The Midday Brief: Nov. 11, 2010

By David Muto Nov. 11, 2010

Your afternoon reading: More tension with the EPA, and Rick Perry's chances of winning the Republican presidential nomination Full Story
TribBlog: Undocumented Students Rally for DREAM Act

By Reeve Hamilton Nov. 11, 2010

In Austin, undocumented students spent the week risking deportation to speak publicly about their support of the DREAM Act. Full Story
DREAM Act Speakers

By Reeve Hamilton Nov. 11, 2010

Speakers rally for the DREAM Act in Austin. Full Story

Credit: Emily Brown
TribBlog: Paxton Announces For Speaker

By Reeve Hamilton Nov. 11, 2010

State Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, is throwing his hat in the ring to be the next speaker of the House. Full Story

Credit: Associated Press
The Brief: Nov. 11, 2010

By David Muto Nov. 11, 2010

A sudden spat was all it took to turn the speaker's race into a full-fledged fight. Full Story
Handout City

By Tristan Hallman Nov. 11, 2010

Over the last five years, cities and counties in Texas have shelled out $17 million more to hire lobbyists in Washington, D.C., according to disclosure forms analyzed by the Tribune. “Just like anyone else in the nation, we pay federal taxes, and we expect a return on those dollars,” says Larry Gilley, the city manager of Abilene, which paid $320,000 to lobbyists between January 2006 and October 2010. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Traffic Patterns

By Julián Aguilar Nov. 11, 2010

Texas has the dubious distinction of being home to one of the busiest human trafficking routes in the country: the stretch of Interstate Highway 10 that runs from El Paso to Houston. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Interactive: Senate Office Spending

By Becca Aaronson Nov. 11, 2010

State senators reduced the amount they spent on office expenses by $830,000 this year, or an average of nearly $26,000 per senator, an analysis by The Texas Tribune found. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Becca Aaronson
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 54

By Elise Hu Nov. 10, 2010

In this week's TribCast, Evan, Ross, Elise and Ben look ahead to the next legislative session — the bills, the two-thirds rule and division in Republican ranks. Full Story
TribBlog: Straus to Chisum: "Have You No Shame?"

By Elise Hu Nov. 10, 2010

The speaker's race drama continues! House Speaker Joe Straus is hitting back — hard — at challenger state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, calling on Chisum to "stop the threatening letters, mean-spirited emails, and angry phone calls." Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller/Bob Daemmrich
TribBlog: Happy Day for the Hill Country

By Kate Galbraith Nov. 10, 2010

The Public Utility Commission will cancel plans to build one controversial wind-power transmission line, as well as a segment of a second — to Hill Country landowners' undoubted relief. Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller
Gene Green on "Leader" Pelosi

By Evan Smith Nov. 10, 2010

During his TribLive interview Wednesday morning, U.S. Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, was asked if — in light of his party's Election Day disemboweling — he would support outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi's bid for minority leader. Full Story

Credit: Justin Dehn/Todd Wiseman
TribBlog: HISD Leaving Girls Sports Behind?

By Morgan Smith Nov. 10, 2010

The largest school district in Texas isn't providing enough opportunities for high school girls to play sports, according to a Title IX complaint filed by the National Women's Law Center today. Full Story
TribBlog: UTB-TSC Split [Updated]

By Reeve Hamilton Nov. 10, 2010

At a meeting today in Austin, the University of Texas System Board of Regents voted unanimously to terminate its partnership with Texas Southmost College in Brownsville. Now, a four-year process of phasing out the partnership will go into effect with an August 2015 deadline. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
TribBlog: Chisum Wants Straus Pledges [Updated]

By Elise Hu Nov. 10, 2010

"Republican to Republican, I have to ask the Speaker to 'Let our people go,'" said speaker candidate state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa. It's the latest salvo in an ongoing back-and-forth between the two speaker candidates. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribBlog: Hughes Leaves Team Straus [Updated]

By Elise Hu Nov. 10, 2010

The latest defection from Speaker Joe Straus' list of supporters is state Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who claims the speaker's team is "using the redistricting process as retribution." Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
The Midday Brief: Nov. 10, 2010

By David Muto Nov. 10, 2010

Your afternoon reading: good (long-term) economic news for Texas, border violence and George W. Bush on Islam Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva