The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
In this episode of Weekend Insider, Tribune reporter Julian Aguilar discusses immigration and politics, and executive editor Ross Ramsey discusses talks about candidates looking to voters for a second chance. Full Story
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Aaronson maps the growth of poverty in Texas, Aguilar on the suicide of an illegal immigrant, Galbraith on the prospect of more rolling blackouts, Grissom on a prosecutor's memory lapse, Hamilton on the prospect of public universities undergoing a sunset review, Murphy's latest awesome redistricting interactive, Ramsey on a stumbling start to the 2012 election season, Root on Rick Perry's latest populist tirade, M. Smith on the boom in for-profit teacher certification programs and Tan on the fight against cervical cancer in ... Africa: The best of our best content from November 28 to December 2, 2011. Full Story
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Redistricting. It's a long process all about drawing lines that determine elections and which political party is in power in Texas. Months after the Legislature established its maps, it's still not clear who Texans will be voting for in next year's congressional and state House and Senate races. The Trib's Thanh Tan and Ross Ramsey explain why. Full Story
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The Legislature's foremost expert on school finance and one of its top public education advocates, state Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston, confirmed this afternoon that he won't seek re-election next year. Full Story
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The Texas primaries will be held on March 6 next year, with runoffs more than two months later, on May 22. Maybe. If the federal courts decide redistricting maps should be redrawn before the voting starts, some of those primary contests could be moved to May. Full Story
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Experts speculate that a key factor in the increase in reports of child abuse and neglect is the struggling economy. The number of reported cases of abuse has grown 6 percent in Texas since 2008, before the recession. Full Story
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The Legislature will soon begin the so-called sunset review process for the Department of Criminal Justice and the Board of Pardons and Paroles. The review, as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, has already attracted the attention of advocacy groups looking to change the state's criminal justice system. Full Story
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Redistricting is, for the moment, in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court, but the election season is underway. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst released a list today of border security-related issues he wants Senate committees to consider in advance of the 2013 legislative session. Full Story
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This week on the TribCast, Evan, Ross, Reeve and Ben talk about the Perry campaign shake-up (or lack thereof), the disappearing incumbents of the Texas House and the business franchise tax. Full Story
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Add the Democratic House member from McAllen to the list of legislators who won't be seeking re-election next year. Full Story
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Election season in Texas may have officially begun Monday, but with maps in flux, the state appears ready to tap the brakes. Full Story
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Even if the U.S. Supreme Court decides not to intervene in the Texas redistricting controversy, the maps drawn by federal judges in San Antonio could be knocked down by another federal panel, Attorney General Greg Abbott told the Tribune on Monday. Full Story
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State Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, won't seek a 10th term in the Texas House. He's the 24th incumbent to either quit or decide not to return to the House next year. Full Story
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The state's lawyers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop elections under court-ordered redistricting maps, arguing today that the federal judges who drew the maps improperly disregarded the wishes of the Legislature. Full Story
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A burst of holiday-weekend activity has settled the state's game of political musical chairs. For now. Full Story
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For this week's nonscientific survey of political and government insiders, we asked about redistricting — who's to blame for the maps now in place — and about tax incentives for events like the Super Bowl and Formula One racing. Full Story
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Monday's the day candidates can begin filing for office, and after a flurry of legal activity over the holidays, they now know what districts they're seeking to represent. Probably. Full Story
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Root and Tan on the restoration of the Governor's Mansion and on the Perrys' expensive replacement digs, E. Smith's TribLive interview with three freshman legislators in El Paso, M. Smith on tough financial standards for local school districts, Ramshaw and Murphy on Texas docs paid by drug companies, yours truly on new congressional and legislative redistricting maps, Hamilton on the biggest competitive endeavor in Brownsville's schools and Aguilar on how border mayors feel about military equipment in their cities: The best of our best content from November 21 to 25, 2011. Full Story
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State Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, says he can't win re-election under new court-drawn redistricting maps and won't seek another term in the Texas House. It would have been his first election as a Republican. Full Story
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