When state Rep. Dawnna Dukes sent out an email to her staff last month, her urgent instructions about an upcoming project made clear what she wanted. But the email from the Austin Democrat had nothing to do with state business.
Madlin Mekelburg
Madlin Mekelburg was a reporting fellow for the Tribune in 2015 and 2016. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied journalism and French. Madlin previously worked at the Houston Chronicle as both a metro intern in Houston and as an intern in their Austin bureau covering the Texas Legislature.
Posted inState Government
Dukes Staffers Recount Babysitting, Running Personal Errands
Two former staffers for state Rep. Dawnna Dukes say they found their work a hectic balancing act, fitting in legislative work with the Austin’s lawmaker’s ever expanding list of personal errands.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
State Auditor’s Office Investigating Rep. Dukes’ Use of State Staff
The State Auditor’s Office is investigating whether state Rep. Dawnna Dukes improperly required her legislative staffers to participate in work for a nonprofit group that she founded, a Capitol source told The Texas Tribune on Friday.
Posted in
Transportation
Across Texas, Uber Puts Cities in Tough Spot
Three Texas cities are facing serious questions about how much to alter local statutes in order to persuade Uber, an app-based vehicle-for-hire company, to continue operating.
Posted inState Government
GOP Brags, Democrats Wince as HD 118 Goes Red
A day after a Republican unexpectedly snatched away a long-held Democratic statehouse seat in San Antonio, state GOP leaders were crowing while Democrats swore the low-turnout special election was a non-repeatable fluke.
Posted in
Transportation
TxDOT Planning $1.3 Billion to Relieve Worst Traffic in Texas Cities
The Texas Transportation Commission is expected to approve a $1.3 billion plan Thursday aimed to funding 14 roadway projects designed to relieve gridlock in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.
Posted in
Higher Education
Nobel Laureate Becomes Reluctant Anti-Gun Leader
UT-Austin Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg has emerged as a leader, albeit a reluctant one, for faculty who oppose allowing guns in their classrooms after saying he will try to prevent students who want to carry handguns from taking his courses.
Posted inState Government
An Updated Look at Who’s Running in Texas’ 2016 Primary Elections
The ballots for the state’s 2016 Republican and Democratic primary elections have been finalized. Here’s a look at who has filed to run in those primaries, which will be held March 1.
Posted in
Public Education
Tiny School District to Offer First Four-Day Schedule in Texas
Olfen Independent School District, one of the smallest districts in Texas, will transition to a four-day school week in August — the first of its kind in the state.
Posted inPolitics
Take a Look at Who’s Running in Texas’ 2016 Primary Elections
The ballots for the state’s 2016 Republican and Democratic primary elections are set. Here’s a look at who has filed to run in those primaries, which will be held March 1.