Sixty-five positions are being cut this week. The reductions could go further than the 110 number originally anticipated.
2019
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Texas Legislature 2019
James Talarico, youngest state representative in Texas Legislature, settles in for the 86th session
After besting Republican Cynthia Flores for his open Williamson County seat, the 29-year-old Democrat from Round Rock joined the Texas House on Tuesday amid plenty of jokes and words of wisdom.
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Families Divided
Tornillo tent city for migrant teens is on the verge of shutting down
After six months of controversy and protests, the tent city erected near a desert port of entry will close after federal officials can find new accommodations for more than 800 unaccompanied minors who crossed the border illegally.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas House names Dennis Bonnen new speaker on celebratory opening day
Bonnen’s unanimous election marks a new era of Texas House leadership for the first time in a decade. Meanwhile, the leader of the Texas Senate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, was conspicuously absent on opening day.
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Congress
Republican Congressman Mac Thornberry pushes back against idea of military building border wall
Thornberry, the former chair of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, said “it is not a responsibility of the Department of Defense” to build the wall.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Photos from the new Texas Legislature’s first day
Check out our photographers’ shots of the visitors, the speeches and the election of the new speaker of the House.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Retirement and low pay caused Texas agencies to lose nearly 29,000 employees last year
Advocates for state workers are calling for increased pay after a State Auditor’s Office report released in December found that agency turnover was at 19.3 percent in the 2018 budget year. The top reasons employees said they left were retirement, better pay and benefits and poor working conditions.
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Health care
Former Texas HHSC executive commissioner named acting director for Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services
Chris Traylor’s new position comes after joining the federal government in July as deputy administrator for strategic initiatives at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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Texas Elections 2018
Harris County’s first Latina county judge takes the helm
Democrat Lina Hidalgo — a 27-year-old Colombian immigrant with a rich life story — will preside over her first Harris County Commissioners Court meeting as county judge on Tuesday. The political newcomer rode into office on a Democratic wave that swept the state’s most populous county.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Watch Texas House and Senate livestreams
During the 86th legislative session The Texas Tribune is streaming the Texas House and Senate chambers and providing live analysis during select events. Tune in here.
