The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
The battle between top legislators and a regent at the University of Texas System might look like a sideshow, but the consequences to open government — not to mention the waste of money — are more serious. Full Story
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In a letter to state Rep. David Simpson, the co-chairs of the House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations wrote that if he wanted to attend the committee's executive sessions, he would need to take it up with the House parliamentarian. Full Story
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This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: Gov. Rick Perry and others are traveling the state encouraging voters to approve water funding, first lady Anita Perry makes news with her views on abortion and Wendy Davis makes if official. Full Story
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After nearly 15 years in the Texas House, state Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland, announced his retirement on Friday. Full Story
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State Sen. Wendy Davis, standing on the stage where she got her high school diploma more than 30 years ago, finally announced what has been anticipated, telegraphed and talked about for weeks: She is running for Texas governor. Full Story
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Full video of Jay Root's one-on-one with Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, at the 2013 Texas Tribune Festival. Full Story
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On Oct. 1, I talked about the coming constitutional referendum on funding the state water plan with Laura Huffman, state director of The Nature Conservancy of Texas, and state Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland, the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. Full Story
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UPDATED: San Angelo's O.C. Fisher Reservoir, which after years of persistent drought is completely dry, served as the backdrop for Gov. Rick Perry's remarks Wednesday in support of a constitutional amendment to use $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund toward water-planning initiatives. Full Story
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Full video of my conversation about the Tea Party with former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey; state Reps. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, and Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford; and grassroots leaders JoAnn Fleming, Julie McCarty and Debra Medina. Full Story
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Full video of Ross Ramsey's one-on-one with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst at the 2013 Texas Tribune Festival. Full Story
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A new web video from Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, a candidate for lieutenant governor, features scenes from his campaign's bus tour and urges voters to "stand with Staples," saying that "leadership begins with action." Full Story
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We liveblogged The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Keynote track, which included conversations with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and state Sen. Wendy Davis, a talk on the Tea Party's goals and a session on efforts to turn Texas blue. Read the highlights here. Full Story
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We liveblogged The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Energy track, which featured panel discussions on regulation, the shale boom, energy efficiency and the fight over electricity. Read the highlights here. Full Story
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We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Transportation track, which features panel discussions on planning, high-speed rail, road funding and rural transportation. Full Story
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We have liveblogged each session of The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Health Care track, which featured panel discussions on the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, new developments coming out of Texas, and abortion and women's health. Full Story
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We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Environment track, which features panel discussions on the West fertilizer plant explosion, water, the future of parks and the fight over climate change. Full Story
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We have liveblogged each of the sessions from The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Immigration track. The sessions included panels on immigration reform, Latinos and the Republican Party, securing the border, and the Voting Rights Act. Full Story
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We have liveblogged each of the sessions from The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Public Education track, which featured panel discussions on early childhood education, charter schools, innovations in teaching and public education reform. Full Story
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We have liveblogged each of the sessions in The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Higher Education track. Sessions included panel discussions on the future of higher education in the state, what's happening at non-flagship universities, governance and the role of regents, and the fight over paying student-athletes. Full Story
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State Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, is not a member of the House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations, but he attended its last meeting — and was bothered by what he saw. Full Story
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