Texas Legislature

TribLive: A Conversation with Susan Combs

By Evan Smith Oct. 23, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about the health of the Texas economy, her agency's data breach, her shifting position on abortion and more. Full Story
Things to Do: The House's Interim Charges

By Reeve Hamilton Oct. 20, 2011

The House's interim charges are out, starting with instructions to everyone to consider ways to improve the state's manufacturing capability and increase the "transparency, accountability, and efficiency" in state government. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
TribLive: Combs on 82nd Session Budget Cuts

By Evan Smith Oct. 20, 2011

At this morning's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about the billions cut from the state budget during the last legislative session — and whether kicking the can down the road on health care costs was a sound financial decision. Full Story
Straus Releases Interim Charges for House Committees

By Reeve Hamilton Oct. 20, 2011

House Speaker Joe Straus has released the interim charges that will direct the work of the lower chamber's legislative committees for the next 11 months — and lawmakers will be busy. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribLive: Combs on Abortion and Family Planning

By Evan Smith Oct. 20, 2011

At this morning's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about her late-in-life switch from pro-choice to pro-life and the impact of cutting family planning funding. Full Story
Education Board Could Give Schools More Control Over New Exams

By Morgan Smith Oct. 20, 2011

The State Board of Education may try to modify the state's rigid new standardized exams — the STAAR tests — in a way that allays school districts’ concerns that they're losing local control over grading. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Video: Planned Parenthood Clinics Close In Hidalgo County

By Justin Dehn and Thanh Tan Oct. 16, 2011

The state's family planning reductions hit the Planned Parenthood Association of Hidalgo County especially hard. In September, the association shut down four of its eight health clinics and laid off half of its staff. Anti-abortion advocates argue the state should not "subsidize the abortion industry." The Trib's Thanh Tan and Justin Dehn report from Hidalgo County. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith Oct. 15, 2011

Aaronson interactively asks if stimulus funds created jobs in Texas, Aguilar on new voter registrar rules that could decrease voter turnout, Galbraith on a UT professor's debunking of climate change "myths," Grissom on an epic clash of El Paso political titans, Hamilton on the right's new higher ed guru, Murphy maps household data from the 2010 Census, Ramsey on a coming rules fight in the Texas Senate, Root and M. Smith on Rick Perry's performance at the New Hampshire debate and M. Smith talks public ed cuts with the state's Superintendent of the Year: The best of our best content from October 10-14, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
In Perry's Texas, the Man Behind the Curtain

By Ross Ramsey and Jay Root, The Texas Tribune, and Jim Rutenberg, The New York Times Oct. 14, 2011

Behind every politician there are men and women working in the wings, who can make calls, fix problems, raise money, punish enemies. In Rick Perry’s world, one man stands above them all: Mike Toomey. Full Story

Credit: Texas State Library & Archives Commision / The Texas Tribune
Shapiro Taking Job With Academic Partnerships

By Reeve Hamilton Oct. 14, 2011

As state Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, winds down her career in the Legislature, she is fixing to begin a new one with Academic Partnerships, a Dallas-based company that helps public universities convert their courses into online offerings. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
In State Leadership Changes, Timing is Everything

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 14, 2011

The easiest way to win an election is to have the votes. The next easiest way is to change the rules of the election. Some political folks, inside and outside the Texas Senate, are looking at the rules. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Campaign Chatter

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 14, 2011

Another veteran is retiring from the Legislature, special election candidates are flinging endorsements at each other, and a doctor is leaving the House. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
John Folks: The TT Interview

By Morgan Smith Oct. 12, 2011

The outspoken head of the state's fourth-largest school district— newly crowned as Superintendent of the Year — on school finance lawsuits, the impact of cuts to public education funding and the upcoming transition to end-of-course exams. Full Story

Credit: Jeff Heimsath
Will New Voter Registrar Rules Decrease Turnout?

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 12, 2011

A new law imposing citizenship restrictions on deputy and volunteer voter registrars has voting rights groups worried that fewer Texans — in particular, fewer minorities — will cast a ballot next year. Full Story

Credit: John Harvey
Updated: A&M Student Group Rebukes Perry on In-State Tuition Issue

By Lara Lapin Oct. 10, 2011

A student organization at Gov. Rick Perry’s alma mater, Texas A&M, has started a petition requesting that the governor immediately call a special legislative session to end in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Video: Perry's Remarks at Values Voters Summit

By Thanh Tan Oct. 10, 2011

On Friday, Gov. Rick Perry spoke at the Family Research Council's annual "Values Voters Summit" in Washington. Watch his remarks, courtesy of C-SPAN. (Note: The speech begins in progress due to a signal loss.) Full Story
Will Redistricting Court Battles Create Electoral Confusion?

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 10, 2011

The redrawing of political district lines — which ideally happens just once a decade after a federal census — could create a series of crazy election cycles for Texas voters and candidates. It happened in the 1990s, and it could happen again now. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Experts Say Morton Case Shows Justice System Still Needs Reform

By Brandi Grissom Oct. 9, 2011

In the wake of Michael Morton's release from prison last week based on DNA testing that shows someone else killed his wife 25 years ago, defense lawyers are calling for reforms to ensure prosecutors must turn over exculpatory evidence. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 8, 2011

Murphy, Ramshaw and Root on Rick Perry and race, Philpott on Perry's vague economic plans, Tan and Wiseman on Barack Obama's foray into Texas to defend his jobs plan, Aguilar on Perry's proposal to send U.S. troops to Mexico, Ramshaw on efforts to leash rising health care costs, M. Smith on upcoming legal challenges to the state's school finance system, Aaronson interactively explores Medicare spending proposals, Galbraith on efforts to pass — and to oppose — a $6 billion water program, Grissom on the release of a man wrongly convicted of murder and Hamilton on efforts to let the public write some legislation: The best of our best content from October 3 to 7, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Bachmann Abortion-Sonogram Bill Not Modeled on Texas

By Elizabeth Titus Oct. 7, 2011

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann's proposal came ahead of the Family Research Council’s Values Voters Summit on Friday, a chance for the candidates to showcase their social-conservative credentials. Full Story