The Evening Brief: Jan. 25, 2013
Your evening reading: Republicans challenge group hoping to turn Texas blue; White House to begin immigration push next week; conservative groups come out against school security bill Full Story
Your evening reading: Republicans challenge group hoping to turn Texas blue; White House to begin immigration push next week; conservative groups come out against school security bill Full Story
Attorney General Greg Abbott announced on Friday the creation of the Choose Life Advisory Committee, a group that will make recommendations for spending money generated by "Choose Life" license plates. Full Story
Freshman state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, has filed a bill that would allow concealed handgun license holders to carry weapons on college campuses. Full Story
The Innocence Project of Texas told the state Forensic Science Commission on Friday that its investigation of old arson convictions for possible wrongful convictions has raised serious concerns in only a handful of cases. Full Story
Senate and House companion bills filed this session could add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity and expression" to the list of unlawful discriminatory practices in the Texas Labor Code. Full Story
Ashton Oravetz, the former Smith County Republican Party chairman, describes the state and national Republican Party leaders of today as "dysfunctional, unethical, crony capitalists." Full Story
Slightly more than 8,200 voters cast their ballots during the early voting period in the special election to replace the late state Sen. Mario Gallegos. Election day is Saturday in the race, which is likely to head to a runoff. Full Story
Full video of my January 24 TribLive conversation with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Full Story
Lobbyists are competitive creatures, and don't like it when somebody gets an advantage — like political consultants who lobby during the political off-season. But they haven't found a way to regulate the practice. Full Story
Connie Spears, a double amputee, says Texas' tort reform laws obstructed her ability to find a malpractice lawyer and forced a judge to order her to pay thousands of dollars to cover some defendants’ legal bills. Full Story
The Texas Railroad Commission regulates one of the most advanced industries in the world — oil and gas drilling. Yet the commission’s software systems, many of its rules and even its name are from another era. But change is coming. Full Story
Texas Democrats have been fighting an uphill battle against Republicans for almost two decades, but a new Washington-based group wants to invest tens of millions of dollars to turn Texas blue. Full Story
A new group may provide Texas Democrats with an answer to their long-ignored prayers for a political comeback. Full Story