The Evening Brief: Feb. 18, 2013
Your evening reading: Legislature honors Powers amid UT System controversy; Patrick files bill to expand charter schools; Google brings driverless car to Texas Transportation Forum Full Story
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Legislators Honor Beleaguered UT President Powers
As he jousts with the University of Texas Board of Regents, University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers was honored Monday in both chambers of the Texas Legislature. Full Story
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![University of Texas at Austin President, William Powers - Dec. 14, 2011]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Battle Looms as Democrats Try to Restore Education Cuts
Democrats in the Texas House last week launched an effort to restore public education cuts, setting up a potential battle over an emergency supplemental appropriations bill. Full Story
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![Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer makes a parliamentary inquiry at the back microphone on Feb. 11, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
House Democrats Aiming to Get Back Into the Game
In 2011, Texas House Democrats were dejected, demoralized and badly outnumbered. Their numbers have improved. Now the question is whether they can move as a bloc. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Spending and Expanding
In this edition of the Texas Weekly Newsreel: The House is off and running with the first of several supplemental appropriations bills. The state might opt out of Medicaid expansion, but counties might take part. And Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson talks about why he's running for office in 2014. Full Story
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Early Into His Tenure, Villalba Makes His Stands
Freshman state Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, has been held up by some Republicans as a symbol of the party’s growing popularity with Hispanics. He says he is only motivated by the issues facing his constituents. Full Story
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![Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, takes questions from reporters after filing the Protection of Texas Children Act on Feb. 6, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Straus on Priorities; More Campaign Woes for Dewhurst
The speaker of the House dampens expectations for vouchers, tax breaks and transportation without ruling any of those things out. And the lieutenant governor unpeels another layer of problems he says arose from a campaign manager's embezzling. Full Story
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Credit: Michael Stravato -
TribLive: Patterson on Immigration Reform
At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson discussed the GOP's challenge in attracting Latino voters and his support for a guest worker program. Full Story
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Gay Rights Bill Filed on Valentine’s Day
On Valentine's Day, state Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, joined numerous lawmakers who have already filed bills that would extend rights to same-sex couples. Full Story
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TribLive: Patterson on Gun Control
At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson — a passionate defender of the Second Amendment — explained his opposition to universal background checks, an assault weapons ban and other gun control measures. Full Story
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Part-Time Legislature Can Create Financial Hardship
Texas' founders wanted a part-time Legislature with no room for full-time politicians. But paltry state pay means today's lawmakers must hold full-time jobs elsewhere — narrowing the ranks of likely officeholders to those who can afford to do it. Full Story
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Credit: David Playford / Todd Wiseman -
Bill Would Aid Students Seeking Vocational Training
In recent years, state lawmakers have focused on increasing the rigor of high school courses, hoping to prepare students for college. But some business leaders say that has come at the expense of career and technical education, and they're hoping for legislative change. Full Story
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![Sen. Dan Patrick R-Houston, listens to Attorney General Greg Abbott during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Feb. 5, 2013. What will the balance of power look like between the incoming lieutenant governor and governor?]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Pension Privacy Gets Attention of Legislators
Texas' public pension systems — including the one state lawmakers pay into — have an airtight exemption from the landmark 1973 sunshine law that was designed to let taxpayers known how public money is being spent. But some lawmakers want to change that. Full Story
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Senate Panel Approves CPRIT Reform, "Scope-of-Practice" Bills
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday approved a bill to reform the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and the “scope-of-practice” bill that would increase the prescriptive power of advanced practice nurses. Full Story
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Leaving the Legislature, but Not Going Too Far
Soon after their replacements were sworn in last month, eight former House members registered as lobbyists with the Texas Ethics Commission. Full Story
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The Brief: Feb. 11, 2013
Hoping to flex what little muscle they have in the Legislature, Democrats this week plan to take aim at Republicans over public education. Full Story
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![Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer D-San Antonio, at back mike of house on February 7th, 2013]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Texas Weekly Newsreel: School Finance and the War Between the States
In this edition of the Texas Weekly Newsreel: The state's school finance system is ruled unconstitutional, committee hearings kick off at the Capitol and California Gov. Jerry Brown dukes it out with Rick Perry. Full Story
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Some Lawmakers and Lobbyists Tied by Blood
In a state capital where moving from the Legislature to the lobby — and, sometimes, the other way — is unremarkable, it’s also common to find the relatives of lawmakers lobbying the state government. Full Story
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Despite Reforms, Elected Officials Can Still Lobby
While members of the Texas Legislature can no longer act as lobbyists before state agencies, plenty of lawmakers still manage to lobby local governments. Others find work that critics would classify as lobbying by another name. Full Story
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TribLive: A Conversation with Joe Straus
Full video of my 2/6 TribLive conversation with Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. Full Story
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