The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
Central Texas got a new GOP-friendly state House district in the redistricting process. And as is the case in all newly created districts, candidates don’t just have to campaign — they also have to educate voters about the change. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports. Full Story
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Last week, state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, released a television ad depicting his opponent, former Railroad commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones, as a literal puppet. Today, she struck back with an ad of her own. Full Story
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Full video of my April 26 TribLive conversation with state Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, and state Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston — the chair and vice chair, respectively, of the House Public Education Committee. Full Story
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Here's a look at photos over the nine years that David Dewhurst has been lieutenant governor. Polls show he is the front-runner to succeed U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Full Story
After nine years as lieutenant governor of Texas, David Dewhurst can point to major conservative victories, but critics say he has lacked a backbone at times. Full Story
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The next version of the Texas Legislature will have an unusually high number of new lawmakers — and a temporary deficit in legislative experience. Full Story
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In this week's special edition of the TribCast, taped live before an audience at the historic Cactus Cafe, Reeve, Emily, Julian and Ben talk about Texas primaries, the Supreme Court taking up the Arizona immigration law and The Colbert Report. Full Story
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The first part in our occasional series examining the battle over family planning in Texas considers the impact of lawmakers' orders to reduce spending on birth control and cancer screenings. A UT-Austin research group is beginning to track the fallout. Full Story
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Two House committees held a joint hearing today to explore how scientific research at universities can be commercialized for the benefit of businesses and the state economy. They heard testimony from the state's leading research universities. Full Story
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A new poll of Texas Republican primary voters finds former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz closing the gap with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the U.S. Senate race. Full Story
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The former county judge on why he's running for chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, what would pull the party out of the doldrums and what he thinks of the Republicans. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is releasing a "mini-documentary" this week focused on Ted Cruz. The campaign plans to promote the video to visitors on Hulu.com. Full Story
Changes in Texas' legislative maps have created opportunities for those hoping to knock off incumbent lawmakers — like in HD-47 in western Travis County. Ben Philpott reports for KUT News and the Tribune. Full Story
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When state employees have headaches, or when children on school trips to the Capitol fall down, they visit Tim Flynn, who has served as the Capitol's nurse since 1992, through the administrations of Ann Richards, George W. Bush and Rick Perry. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, explained why she won't sign the governor's budget compact — and why tax exemptions should be on the table. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, talked about why she thinks she can get re-elected in a GOP district — and why the liberal label doesn't fit. Full Story
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Attorney General Greg Abbott defends the lawsuits he has pending against the federal government amid criticism that he's wasting taxpayer money, reports Ted Oberg of Houston's KTRK-TV, a media partner of the Trib. Full Story
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The 15 members of the State Board of Education share three staffers and at times must travel hundreds of miles to meet with constituents. At a hearing on Tuesday, the House Redistricting Committee heard debate on whether members can adequately represent such large districts. Full Story
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This interactive breaks down the costs of the lawsuits that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has brought against the federal government. Full Story
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The four leading Republican U.S. Senate candidates will try again to prove to conservative voters which of them will adhere most strictly to the party's values in Washington. Full Story
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