After a short-lived scare to the contrary, today will really — and finally — mark the end of the 82nd legislative session.
Morgan Smith
Morgan Smith was a reporter at the Tribune from 2009 to 2018, covering politics, public education and inequality.
In 2013, she received a National Education Writers Association award for “Death of a District,” a series on school closures. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Wellesley College, she moved to Austin in 2008 to enter law school at the University of Texas.
A San Antonio native, her work has also appeared in Slate, where she spent a year as an editorial intern in Washington D.C.
Posted inState Government
The Midday Brief: June 28, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Michele Bachmann and her male rivals; the new conservative pledge; Texas’ $3 billion drought; Williams v. Williams for Congress.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: June 28, 2011
After an almost 170-day stint in Austin, it may be closing time for the 82nd Legislature.
Posted in
Health care
The Final Push: A Special Session Update
Lawmakers must wrap up the special session on Wednesday, with a few outstanding priorities left to tackle. Here’s a rundown of where the Texas Legislature stands going into the second-to-last day of the special session.
Posted in
State Government
Dewhurst: It’s Up to the House to Pass Sanctuary Cities
During the Senate’s afternoon recess, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst offered his thoughts on the special session’s unanswered questions on sanctuary cities legislation, the TWIA compromise and the chances of coming back in July.
Posted in
Public Education
Staying After School
The special session hasn’t done much to alter the school finance plan that dragged lawmakers into overtime.
Posted in
Public Education
Measure Providing Extra Money For Schools Dies
An amendment from Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, that would have directed surplus money from the Rainy Day Fund to pay for enrollment growth in public schools has perished in conference committee.
Posted in
Health care
That $6 Billion Left in the Rainy Day Fund? Already Used, Some Say
Gov. Rick Perry’s neon-light promotion on the national stage of the $6 billion left in the Rainy Day Fund exposes a disconnect with the conservative lawmakers battling for his principles at home, where his party is working to divert negative public sentiment about the deep budget reductions.
Posted inState Government
The Midday Brief: June 22, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Borris Miles takes school trustees to Costa Rica; lawmakers and governors across the U.S. locked in budget and education funding feuds; TWIA overhaul may make for a long summer.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: June 22, 2011
Seven days remain in the 82nd Legislature’s 1st called special session. But is the end in sight?
