After a botched run for the presidency and with growing disenchantment among Tea Party activists, Gov. Rick Perry is facing some potentially strained policy discussions when the Legislature convenes in January.
Jay Root
Jay Root is an award-winning journalist who reported for the Tribune from 2011 to 2020. He covered the dramatic collapse of Gov. Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and went on to write an ebook about it called “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.” Root also broke the story that put the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, on the path toward criminal indictment, co-wrote an exposé that brought an end to privately funded prosecutions in Travis County, and authored a series of watchdog articles that prompted a wave of firings and resignations at two major state agencies.
In 2017, Root co-directed “Beyond The Wall,” a film exploring border politics in the age of Trump, which won a national Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. Root’s latest film, “Border Hustle,” was released in early 2019 and reveals how desperate migrants have become cash cows on both sides of the border.
Previously, for a dozen years, Root was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he chronicled the rise of then-Gov. George W. Bush, wrote about cartel violence in Mexico and covered Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. During a three-year stint at the Associated Press, Root was twice named AP Staff Reporter of the Year for his watchdog reporting, including a story that sparked felony charges against a sitting state representative.
Posted in
State Government
Big Pay for Cancer Foundation Consultants Draws Criticism
Reports show that much of the $1.2 million of private money raised to help the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas in fiscal year 2011 instead benefited the consultants who oversaw distribution of the funds.
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Demographics
State Records Shed Light on Texas’ Early “Illegals”
Mexican immigrants are apprehended every day on the Texas-Mexico border. But as Jerry Patterson, the Texas land commissioner, likes to remind fellow Republicans, the shoe used to be on the other foot.
Posted in
Economy
Tax Incentives Could Prove Divisive For GOP
Republican leaders like to say government should just get out of the way and let the private sector do work its unfettered magic. But during the session, they may have a hard time squaring their stated philosophy with their support for tax giveaways to private industry.
Posted inState Government
Tea Party Touts Ethics, Transparency Reforms
Tea Party activists are releasing their priorities for the upcoming legislative session on Tuesday, and a top leader says they will call for ethics reform, an end to double-dipping by elected officials and better disclosure on personal financial statements.
Posted in
State Government
Simpson, Tea Party Favorite, Considers Challenge to Speaker
State Rep. David Simpson of Longview, a Republican who rode to office with heavy Tea Party support two years ago, is considering a run for Texas House speaker against incumbent Republican Joe Straus of San Antonio.
Posted in
State Government
Ethics Commission Backs Off Plan Adding Some Investigative Powers
The Texas Ethics Commission backed off Thursday from a proposal to take some investigative authority away from the Travis County district attorney’s office, but the agency approved two recommendations aimed at enhancing criminal investigations of state elected officials.
Posted inState Government
Murky Rules for Lawmaker-Lobbyist Ties
Some lawmakers revealed lobbyist ties to investments they made in politically connected banks, and others didn’t. It highlights a murky area of the state ethics law — and one some argue needs to change.
Posted inState Government
F1 Race Over, but Debate on Subsidies Continues
Austin’s first Formula One race has been largely deemed a success. But state officials are still discussing whether to give as much as $250 million in tax subsidies to the race promoters.
Posted in
State Government
Hughes’ Work as Trial Lawyer Could Impact His Bid to Be House Speaker
Some critics of House Speaker Joe Straus say he’s too moderate to run the Texas House. But Bryan Hughes, the man some hope will unseat Straus, has worked as a trial lawyer, a profession not associated with conservative causes.
