In a joint letter released Thursday, Abbott and the Department of Family and Protective Services urged congregations to rally a “network of nurture” to support foster families with donations and other activities. Full Story
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State Sen. Kel Seliger and state Rep. Dan Huberty have filed bills that would keep individual graduation committees, which allow students to graduate even if they fail required exams. The law creating these committees will expire in September. Full Story
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In his biggest six-month fundraising haul since he took office two years ago, Gov. Greg Abbott raised $9 million in the second half of last year, according to his team. Full Story
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A bill in the Texas Legislature would institute a $25 million grant program to pay for bulletproof vests for all patrol officers in Texas. Full Story
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Attorney General Ken Paxton is accused of misleading investors in a company from before his time as Texas’ top law enforcement official. His trial is scheduled to start on May 1, according to a recent court order. Full Story
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This week, a judge scheduled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial on criminal securities fraud for May 1. Use this timeline to to keep up with the legal and political drama. Full Story
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On Wednesday, Lt. Gov Dan Patrick shot back at critics of Senate Bill 6, and the House skirmished over which bathrooms Capitol visitors could use. Full Story
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Texas is one of about a dozen states without uniform ride-hailing standards. That could change after the 85th Legislative Session. This is part of our "State of Mind" video series looking at community concerns coming to the Capitol. Full Story
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With funding tighter than the previous legislative session, lawmakers are not expected to inject much more money into public education. For now, some are backing a plan to increase money to all school districts through the general appropriations bill. Full Story
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The first execution in Texas and the United States, for the killer of two men in Fort Worth after a fake drug deal, was held Wednesday evening. Full Story
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On the same day that Texas House Republicans doubled down on border security efforts and announced plans to send an invoice to the federal government, Senate Democrats said they were committed to fighting bills to eliminate sanctuary cities. Full Story
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Full video of Evan Smith's 1/11 conversation with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Full Story
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Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, now the nominee for U.S. energy secretary, is moving to disentangle himself from potential conflicts of interest. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Aman about the start of the 85th Texas Legislature: the Speaker's race, a smaller-than-usual budget and the lieutenant governor's priorities. Full Story
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State Rep. Matt Schaefer, a Tyler Republican, proposed a rule Wednesday requiring people in the Capitol to use bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex during a House floor debate. Full Story
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University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall's attorney argued before the Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday that he should be allowed to see confidential student admissions records that the UT System chancellor has denied him. Full Story
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Patrick continued to fire back Wednesday at criticism of the so-called "bathroom bill" he has championed, saying its opponents are concentrated in the media. Full Story
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While his fellow Texans, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, predicted Tillerson would serve the country well as the next U.S. secretary of state, others expressed deep reservations about his position on Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: The TWDB reviews its challenges and accomplishments in 2016, a Travis County utility deals with the aftermath of its contamination of a nature preserve and an interview with L'Oreal Stepney of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Full Story
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A tight budget and a political conversation already dominated by social issues like who can use which bathroom did nothing to dampen the spirits of state lawmakers on Tuesday, the first day of the 85th Legislative Session. Full Story
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