Amid STAAR Upheaval, Panel Working on Fixes
As displeasure with Texas’ standardized testing regime mounts, all eyes are on a special panel the Legislature created to figure out whether to scrap the widely reviled STAAR exam. Full Story
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Texas Lawmaker's Startup Sells Help Shaping Local Policy
Rep. Jason Villalba, a Dallas Republican, is helping launch LightSwitch Solutions, an Austin-based public relations and consulting firm with plans to shape opinion about local policy. Full Story
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![Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, takes questions from reporters after filing the Protection of Texas Children Act on Feb. 6, 2013.]()
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Foul Ups Prompt State to Scrap School Test Scores
Fifth and eighth graders who failed STAAR exams won’t be held back a grade or required to retest later this month, Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced. Full Story
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Baylor Announces Sexual Assault Task Force
Baylor University announced Friday that it has appointed a sexual assault task force to implement 105 recommendations made by an independent investigator last month. Full Story
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Major NAFTA Proponent Among Trump's Texas Fundraisers
As Donald Trump's presidential campaign assembles a fundraising network in Texas, it is turning to a longtime proponent of a historic trade deal with Mexico against which the candidate regularly rails. Full Story
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![Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Fort Worth on February 26, 2016.]()
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UT System Institutes "Soft" Hiring Freeze, Considers Layoffs
As part of what Chancellor Bill McRaven is calling an "organizational assessment," the University of Texas System has implemented a "soft" hiring freeze and is considering layoffs, according to a memo obtained by The Texas Tribune. Full Story
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![A look at the sun setting over the University of Texas at Austin Tower in 2011.]()
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How a Tiny Texas Town Took Down its City Council (Audio)
Earlier this year, Crystal City's Popeye statue had a front-row seat to a citywide purge. Scores of FBI agents stormed the tiny City Hall and arrested most of the city’s leaders in connection with a bribery and kickback scheme. Full Story
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![A statue of Popeye the Sailor stands at the front of the Crystal City City Hall. The struggling South Texas town calls itself the "Spinach capital of the world."]()
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New in Texas Weekly: Federal Action Urged on Zika
State Senate leaders urge federal action on the Zika virus, Ted Cruz pulls out of major speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition and Dan Patrick welcomes fellow GOP lieutenant governors to Texas — all that and more in the latest issue of our subscriber-only newsletter for political insiders ($). Full Story
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Analysis: Straight-Ticket Voting Could Hobble Swing-District Candidates
Straight-ticket voting is usually an advantage for the majority party, which is one reason why a Republican Texas Legislature has left that voting law in place in spite of steady attempts to change it. But what if the person at the top of the ballot is unpopular? Full Story
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Texas Congressmen Oppose Trump's Policy Pledges, Rhetoric (Video)
In the Roundup: State leaders push Congress to fund Zika virus prevention and fast. Plus, a pair of Texas congressmen – from both sides of the aisle – have strong words for Donald Trump, but at least one says he'll still vote for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee come November. Full Story
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The Brief: Texas Valedictorians Stoke Debate on Immigration
The debate over illegal immigration and what to do with undocumented immigrants, many of whom arrived in the country while still very young, has carried over to this year’s graduation season. Full Story
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![Larissa Martinez, valedictorian at McKinney Boyd High School, revealed that she is undocumented last week during her graduation speech.]()
Credit: McKinney Boyd High School -
New on TribTalk: Democratic Senators on Trump
Donald Trump's recent racist comments prove he's unfit for office, write seven Democratic state senators. Full Story
![Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Fort Worth on February 26, 2016.]()
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Paxton Lawyers Seek Dismisal of SEC Case
Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have asked a federal court to dismiss the federal securities fraud charges against him. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accompanied by his wife, Angela, left, speaks to the media after leaving the Fifth Court of Appeals on May 12, 2016 in Dallas.]()
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State Rep Asks Attorney General if Community Colleges May Ban Handguns
A year before Texas' campus carry law takes effect at community colleges, state Rep. Abel Herrero has asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to determine whether such institutions that offer programs for minors may prohibit concealed weapons. Full Story
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GOP Insists Library of Congress Retain "Illegal Aliens"
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro on Thursday lost his battle with Congressional Republicans that want to stop the U.S. Library of Congress from removing controversial immigration terms from its search headings. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, speaks to a group of Hillary Clinton supporters at a campaign event held at the home of Mark and Sharon Naughton in Iowa City on Aug. 30, 2015.]()
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New on TribTalk: Pitfalls of License Plate Readers
While there are major law enforcement benefits to automatic license plate readers, a lack of safeguards has brought major negative consequences that need to be addressed as this technology continues to spread, writes Greg Glod of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Full Story
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![On Nov. 3, Texas voters will be asked to consider Proposition 7, a constitutional amendment created to address the state’s growing transportation needs. This photo shows traffic in Dallas.]()
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Texas Valedictorians Draw Attention for Saying They're Undocumented (Video)
In Austin and North Texas, two high school valedictorians are drawing national attention and some ire for publicly identifying themselves as undocumented. Full Story
![Larissa Martinez, valedictorian at McKinney Boyd High School, revealed that she is undocumented last week during her graduation speech.]()
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Austin Drivers File Suit Against Uber, Lyft
A pair of former drivers for Uber and Lyft filed dual class action lawsuits Thursday against the ride-hailing companies over their abrupt exit from the Austin market last month. Full Story
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![Pro and against signs of Austin's Prop 1 ride-hailing vote posted along voting centers on University of Texas at Austin's campus on April 28, 2016.]()
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Eanes District, Vendor at Odds Over Supposed Loss of State Exams
A high-performing West Austin school district says it was told the state’s new testing vendor misplaced some or all of the STAAR exams its 3rd through 8th graders took this spring. But New Jersey-based Educational Testing Service says that’s not true. Full Story
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Texas Rep Demands Removal of Judge in Stanford Sexual Assault Case
U.S. Rep. Ted Poe took to the House floor on Thursday to denounce the “pathetic” sentencing of Stanford sexual assailant Brock Turner and to demand the removal of the judge who oversaw the case. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble.]()
Credit: Bryan Lowry