The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus called on lawmakers Monday to start figuring out how to stop diverting billions of dollars in dedicated taxes and fees that are being used to balance state budgets. Full Story
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Use this interactive to explore the geographic distribution of committee members in the Texas House, by committee, to see who's got what clout on what subject. Choose a committee and the map highlights the district of each member and, in a different color, the home districts of the chairs, vice chairs and co-chairs. Full Story
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An eighth-of-a-cent sales tax increase is being proposed in San Antonio to fund full-day pre-kindergarten for primarily low-income children in the city. Full Story
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Corporations and unions can play in politics, but complete disclosures are not required. A corporate political campaign in Texas two years ago was unusual, featuring an unknown corporation that was open about what it was doing. Full Story
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Full video of Republican and Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate squaring off in separate debates hosted by Dallas public television station KERA (and co-presented by the Tribune). Full Story
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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is still feeling the effects of last year's wildfires, drought and budget cuts, but officials say the situation is improving with increased park attendance and donations. Full Story
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Prosecutors are cracking down on barratry, often derided as "ambulance chasing." A handful of notable arrests — including charges against a state representative — have been made this year. Full Story
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When legislators die or resign, their seat is filled through a special election. The new representative serves out the end of the old representative's term. Full Story
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A defamation lawsuit filed by WallBuilders founder David Barton has become an early test of new tort reform legislation intended to protect free speech. Full Story
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It's easy to forget that redistricting and the Voting Rights Act are about voters. But sometimes, the voters jump up and remind you. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus, coming out of a big and expensive win in a rare contested primary at home, began the runoff reboot by tweaking Michael Quinn Sullivan and his Empower Texans group, deriding them as ineffective, ugly and resentful of his success. Full Story
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First, the state’s Medicaid director announced he was retiring. Now, Health and Human Services chief Tom Suehs says he hasn’t decided whether he will quit in August. Will HHSC rival public education for next session's biggest leadership void? Full Story
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A lawsuit by state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, alleges that his general election opponent, Michael Berlanga, does not meet residency requirements for Senate District 19. Full Story
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In Part 4 of the Tribune's series on family planning, we take a closer look at how abortion has shifted public policy in Texas in recent years — and where the political battle may be headed next. Full Story
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For this week's nonscientific survey of governmental and political insiders, we asked about the election results, about Joe Straus' chances for another term as speaker, about who might replace David Dewhurst as presiding officer of the Senate, and about who'll control that selection. Full Story
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The Legislative Budget Board — headed by House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — is asking state agencies to assume they'll have 10 percent less to spend in the next budget than they have now. Full Story
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Races for speaker of the House are based on relationships. How does that work when there are so many freshmen and sophomore members in the House? Full Story
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, discussed the prospect of a Speaker's race leading up to the 2013 legislative session. Full Story
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State Rep. Ken Legler, R-Pasadena, has passed away, according to the House speaker's office. He was 54. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, discussed whether Tuesday's primaries were a referendum on Speaker of the House Joe Straus. Full Story
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