The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
The Texas Legislative Council has a terrific redistricting section on its website, with full statistical reporting on all of the new maps, including geography, demographics, incumbencies, and election results all the way back to 2002. Full Story
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A panel of federal judges in San Antonio ordered the state to conduct its 2012 House and Senate elections using political maps drawn by the court and not those drawn by the state, issuing final maps that give minority voters — and Democrats — more power. The state's top lawyer will move immediately to stop the new maps. Full Story
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A tiny tempest over deadlines, and Thanksgiving. Full Story
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Holiday redistricting stories, not unusual things if you've watched this for a while, always start with three wise persons in the guise of federal judges. It's super-sized this year, with six wise men, three in San Antonio and three in Washington. Full Story
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Federal judges in San Antonio ordered the state to conduct its 2012 House and Senate elections using political maps drawn by the judges and not those drawn by the state, issuing final maps that give minority voters — and Democrats — more power. Full Story
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The TEA has released new guidelines that set tough thresholds for school districts hoping to take advantage of special legal exemptions passed by the Legislature and intended to help schools cope with significant budget cuts. Full Story
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A panel of three federal judges in San Antonio proposed new congressional districts for Texas today. Among the headlines: It looks like U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and state Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, won't be running against each other. Full Story
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State campaign news, candidate announcements, retirements and rumors from the past week. Full Story
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The Garland Republican pleaded guilty in court Tuesday to felony abuse-of-office charges after illegally pocketing state travel money. The humbled legislator agreed to five years probation and said he was thankful that the issue was finally resolved. Full Story
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At our TribLive conversation at the University of Texas at El Paso on 11/16, state Sen. Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso, and state Reps. Naomi Gonzalez, D-El Paso, and Dee Margo, R-El Paso, discussed cuts to public and higher education and other byproducts of the 82nd Session. Full Story
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Aaronson on the sharp rise in the number of Texans on food stamps, Aguilar investigates the Black Market Peso Exchange, Grissom on the humbling of John Bradley, Hamilton on the tweet heard round the world, Ramsey and Murphy on the newest redistricting maps, Ramsey on why Formula 1 screeched to a halt, Ramshaw and Tan scrutinize Rick Perry's attack on congressional insider trading, Root on Perry's plan for a "part-time citizen Congress" and M. Smith on already ugly State Board of Ed races: The best of our best content from November 14-18, 2011. Full Story
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At this week's TribLive conversation, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst weighed in on the brewing battle over spending cuts between Speaker Joe Straus and conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan. Full Story
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Revised voting maps released Thursday may have handed Democrats what's become the rarest of rarities for the party in Texas: a significant victory. Full Story
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Federal judges proposed new political maps for the state late Thursday and hope to have new congressional and legislative maps in place for Texas on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Full Story
A panel of federal judges in San Antonio proposed new redistricting maps for the Texas Senate and the Texas House late Thursday, asking for comments by noon on Friday. They're trying to finish maps before candidates start filing on November 28 — a date set by the court. Full Story
A panel of federal judges in San Antonio proposed new redistricting maps for the Texas Senate and the Texas House late this afternoon. Full Story
Officials in Austin, Houston, El Paso and San Juan announced plans today intended to make employers aware of a key change in the law passed by the Legislature designed to elevate the importance of prosecuting wage theft. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst talked about the intern on his U.S. Senate campaign who made headlines yesterday after tweeting about the temptation to assassinate Barack Obama. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry proposed term limits for federal judges and cuts in pay and work hours for Congress, so we put those issues to the insiders and added Texas versions: What about a full-time Legislature, and appointed judges instead of elected ones? Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry is proposing to bring a little Texas to Washington — with a “part-time citizen Congress” that doesn’t meet so often, and whose members earn only half of what they make now. Perry will also call for an end to lifetime appointments for federal judges, including members of the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
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