Attorney Wins Democratic Nod to Replace Rep. Borris Miles
Attorney Shawn Thierry on Saturday clinched the Democratic nomination to replace state Rep. Borris Miles, D-Houston. Full Story
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![Houston attorney Shawn Thierry has been nominated to replace Borris Miles in state House District 146.]()
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In Fight over Surprise Medical Bills, Some Lawmakers Target Insurance Regulators
Lawmakers are trying to find a way to prevent surprise medical bills, while doctors, insurance companies and patients argue over who is responsible for them. Now, some lawmakers are pointing fingers at the state's insurance department. Full Story
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![Ed Hagan at his home in Dallas, Texas on August 5, 2016.]()
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Texas High Court Carves "Monstrous Loophole" for Government Secrets
McAllen taxpayers cannot find out how much their city paid Enrique Iglesias to sing at a holiday concert, and that's just one example of the fallout from a Texas Supreme Court decision that is shielding many business secrets from the public. Full Story
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Credit: The Sunlight Foundation -
Texas Prisons Ponder Cutting $250 Million
With the 2017 state budget dance approaching, the Texas prison system is following instructions to cut 4 percent from its spending. Will that mean closing prisons and releasing more nonviolent inmates? Full Story
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![Texas Department of Criminal Justice Central Prison Unit in Sugar Land, TX. Amid budget cuts, Texas is closing a prison unit for the first time. The historic Central Unit will close at the end of August.]()
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Independent Wins Race to Temporarily Fill McClendon Seat
Independent Laura Thompson has won the special election runoff to temporarily fill the seat of former state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio. Full Story
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![Laura Thompson]()
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Only One Private Texas University Adopting Campus Carry
Starting Monday, licensed college students, faculty and visitors across Texas will be allowed to carry their concealed guns into campus buildings thanks to a new state law. But that right will be mostly limited to public schools. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Paxton Sues to Get Guns Into Austin City Hall
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the city of Austin in Travis County district court, trying to force the city to comply with his reading of the state's open carry law and let license holders openly carry handguns in city hall. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during a May 25, 2016, press conference.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Rick Perry's Digital Legacy Gives Archivists New Momentum
Two years ago, Texas had made no progress archiving its electronic records. With the launch this year of the Texas Digital Archive — and the release of seven terabytes of Rick Perry's digital legacy — Texas has become a national leader. Full Story
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![Rick Perry with Reveille, the Texas A&M mascot. This image is included in Perry's collection in the Texas Digital Archive.]()
Credit: Texas Digital Archive, Texas Governor Rick Perry Collection -
Panel Backpedals on Swapping Out STAAR Tests
A special panel recommending changes to the state’s public school testing and accountability system has stopped short of proposing that Texas scrap the controversial assessment regime known as STAAR. Full Story
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![Theresa Treviño, president of Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment, speaks at a special panel charged with suggesting changes to the state’s testing and school accountability system on July 27, 2016.]()
Credit: Qiling Wang/The Texas Tribune -
Lawmaker Asks Ken Paxton to Weigh In on Car Registration Debate
Amid a turf battle between the state's Department of Motor Vehicles and some Texas counties over who should handle vehicle registration renewals, a state lawmaker has asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in. Full Story
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![Inspection stickers will begin disappearing from Texas vehicles when the state rolls out a new single-sticker program for inspection and registration on March 1, 2015.]()
Credit: Ryan McCrimmon for The Texas Tribune -
Judge Orders Voter ID Fix for Texas House Runoff
Voters in Bexar County will be the first to cast their ballots under relaxed rules after a federal appeals court ruled that Texas’ strict voter identification law discriminated against minority voters. Full Story
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After Appeals Court Ruling Against Texas Voter ID Law, Now What?
Here is what you need to know about Wednesday's complicated appeals court ruling that Texas' voter identification law discriminates against minority groups. Full Story
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![A sign describing Texas' new voter ID law is displayed at Fiesta Mart in Austin on Election Day 2013.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Voter ID Law Violates Voting Rights Act, Court Rules
Texas’ voter identification law violates the U.S. law prohibiting racial discrimination in elections, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. Full Story
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Analysis: For Some Texas Republicans, Useful Distractions Back Home
Republicans who want to stay out of the national conversation about the presidential race — the speaker of the Texas House, to name one — there are a handful of races at home that offer plausible excuses. Full Story
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![Texas House Speaker Joe Straus is shown at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 19, 2016.]()
Credit: Alana Rocha / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Lawmaker: Legislature Should Invest in Maritime Ports
The state Legislature should increase its focus on maritime ports and dedicate money to increasing their capacity during next year's session, said state Rep. Larry Gonzales during a House committee hearing Monday. Full Story
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![Shipping container cranes in the Port of Houston]()
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Greg Abbott: Targeted Killing of Police Officers Should Be a Hate Crime in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott's proposal comes after weeks of targeted killings of police officers and growing tension over disproportionate encounters between black Americans and law enforcement. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott accepts Site Selection's 2015 Governor's Cup Award on behalf of the state of Texas on March 9, 2016.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Miles Nominated to Replace Ellis for Houston Senate Seat
State Rep. Borris Miles of Houston has captured the Democratic nomination to replace state Sen. Rodney Ellis, putting him on track to win the seat in November. Full Story
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![Outgoing state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and state Rep. Borris Miles, D-Houston, chosen by a majority of precinct chairs to replace him.]()
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Lawmakers Ask Whether Agencies Abused Emergency Leave Policy
Lawmakers peppered policy experts with questions about whether state agencies who keep departing employees on the state payroll by placing them on "emergency leave" violated state law, during a hearing on Tuesday. Full Story
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![State Reps Todd Hunter, Lyle Larson and Chris Turner listen as representatives of the State Auditor's Office testify before the House Committee on General Investigating and Ethics July 12, 2016. The committee is investigating the use by state agencies of emergency leave and settlement payments to departing employees.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Six Months In, Few Open Carry Complaints
Six months ago when properly licensed Texans began openly carrying handguns, anti-gun activists and Second Amendment backers were sharply divided over what to expect. So far, gun owners seem to have the most complaints. Full Story
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![Delegate James Blair of Cherokee County open carries a firearm while leaving the Dallas Convention Center at the Republican Party of Texas gathering on May 14, 2016.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Dan Patrick Blames Black Lives Matter Movement for Dallas Shooting
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick joined a handful of other Texas Republican officials Friday in blaming previous Black Lives Matter protests for the shooting in Dallas that left at least 5 police officers dead. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick assures the audience at the Freedom, Faith and Fellowship event May 12, 2016 that he will uphold conservative principles as leader of the Texas Senate in 2017.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune/Bob Daemmrich