It's not an accident that Democrats have been winning races in Republican-held urban and suburban districts, and narrowing statewide Republican margins. That Democrats are attracting A-team candidates like Mayor Bill White is testimony to years of hard work, not coincidental political evolution. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Harold_Cook_.JPG)
The Texas Ethics Commission wants candidates and elected officials to come clean about their spending, and it's adopted new rules that require them to do just that. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b481f324ba3b894ffcd473a8535d0a56/BD%20INC%20Mario%20Gallegos%2001%202009)
After his son and two others died in a horrific car wreck in 2004, former UT Regent Scott Caven Jr. set out to prove that his namesake, Scotty, wasn't to blame. He eventually persuaded the Texas Department of Public Safety to change its accident report — a rare feat: In the last five years, DPS has changed the final reports in fewer than 1 percent of fatal crash investigations. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/120709afathersfight004_jv.jpg)
When kids with disabilities transfer from children’s Medicaid to the adult program, they lose services, health care and medical expertise. A few committed doctors and social workers are stepping in to ease the transition. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/transition.jpg)
The pro-charter National Center for Education Reform cites state's lack of financial support for facilities, a cap on the number of charters and a restrictive regulatory environment. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/penandpaper.jpg)
The Texas Departments of Family and Protective Services and State Health Services are launching a "Room to Breathe" campaign to educate parents about the dangers of co-sleeping, a controversial subject that they appear to be approaching with caution. Full Story
As she files to run as a Republican for Governor, Debra Medina's campaign says, “Texans are one step closer to freedom!” Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/IMG_0887.JPG)
Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Farouk Shami is counting on your votes to put him in office, but records show his own voting history is inconsistent. There's no evidence that he's ever voted in a Democratic primary — but he did vote in the Republican primary in 2000. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/111909_Farouk_Shemi_Announcement_Floor_002_sm_TW.jpg)
First Lady Anita Perry is speaking out against new breast cancer screening recommendations made by a federal task force last month. Full Story
What are state and local governments in Texas doing to make raw data available to the public? Not much. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/opendata.jpg)
Researcher finds social networking allows genuine, not idealized, personalities to shine through Full Story
Your afternoon reading. Full Story
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is in the governor's race, if you were still on pins and needles about that. She starts with promises of property tax reform, a leadership shake-up at the Texas Department of Transportation, and a list of other problems she'd like to address. Full Story
Sorry, Farouk. U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison called the Democratic gubernatorial primary for Houston Mayor Bill White . Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/KBH4X.JPG)
If Thursday was Gov. Rick Perry’s day, and Friday belonged to Bill White, then today is a day for Kay Bailey Hutchison. Full Story
Wallace Jefferson, the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, on what race has to do with politics, why he's a member of the GOP, and whether the party has been sufficiently hospitable to African Americans. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/CM_Capture_1_.png)
Pending food-stamp applications have soared in Texas — from about 38,000 a year ago to more than 65,000 in October. Two-thirds of those people had waited longer than the federally mandated 30 days, and nearly half had waited more than 60 days. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/120509_foodstamps.jpg)
After Houston mayor Bill White joined the race for governor late last week, one of his first stops was Austin, a Democratic stronghold that made for a nice, safe place to start his campaign. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3ef792e8d2cd9c0b9990c691d2b34ad3/BD%20INC%20Bill%20White%2001%202009)
Candidates from both sides of the spectrum are self-recruited and responsible for their own campaigns. So what's the value of a relationship with the state's political parties? Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/120309_richieadams_jv.jpg)
If you're checking off the boxes for gubernatorial candidates, Thursday belonged to Gov. Rick Perry, who filed for reelection before noon on the first day he was allowed to do so. Full Story