UPDATED: Just over an hour after lawmakers ended their second 30-day special session of the year, Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday called lawmakers back for a third one, with transportation funding the only issue on the agenda.
Elizabeth Koh
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Study Links Prison Reform Cost to Decreased Welfare Funds
A recent study of states that implemented court-ordered prison reforms indicates that the cost of updating the lock-ups may cause lasting welfare program cuts.
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Energy
Farmers Look to TCEQ to Restore Water to Dry Crops
Farmers who rely on the Brazos River say they are “out of water and out of luck” because the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has curtailed their use of water from the river.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TJJD Weighs Closing Mental Health Unit, Halfway Houses
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is considering closing the Corsicana Residential Treatment Center and two halfway houses after a state budget rider cut funds for the agency’s secure facilities.
Posted in
Politics
Fundraising Reports Offer Chance to Stand Out in Crowded Statewide Races
The Monday deadline to report fundraising numbers offered the first look at how the candidates running in the 2014 races for lieutenant governor and attorney general stack up financially.
Posted in
Energy
Galveston County Public Water Systems Face Restrictions
The Gulf Coast Water Authority, which serves most of Galveston County, could run out of water in less than 180 days, according to a state list of public water systems that have placed usage limits on municipal areas.
Posted in
Health care
Abortion Rights Activists, Opponents Descend on Capitol for Rallies
Opponents of Republican-backed legislation to dramatically curtail abortion rights in Texas descended on the Capitol by the thousands on Monday.
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Health care
Perry Defends Davis Comments
Gov. Rick Perry on Friday morning defended his comments about state Sen. Wendy Davis, saying he was “sad that she does not understand that every life is precious, certainly her own.”
Posted in
Guides
Texplainer: What Does the Parliamentarian Do?
Who was the woman talking into the Senate presiding officer’s ear during the filibuster watched around the world? Parliamentarians offer nonpartisan and confidential advice about legislative rules and practice.
Posted inState Government
Strama Resigns to Lead Google Fiber in Austin
State Rep. Mark Strama, an Austin Democrat known for his work on education and clean-technology issues, announced on Wednesday that he had resigned to lead Google Fiber’s operations in Austin. The move put to rest speculation that he would run for mayor of Austin.
