Higher-Octane Partisans
Partisan changes in the Legislature are on ice for now. The more important game to watch is for which kinds of Republicans and Democrats are coming to Austin every two years. Full Story
The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
Partisan changes in the Legislature are on ice for now. The more important game to watch is for which kinds of Republicans and Democrats are coming to Austin every two years. Full Story
At today's hearing of the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency, experts weighed in on how — and how not — to make universities in Texas more accountable and transparent. Full Story
Today brings the latest step in the state's ongoing higher education debate: the inaugural hearing of the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency. Full Story
General elections in Texas will be less competitive than ever under the redistricting maps approved by the Legislature earlier this year. The political threats to incumbents, if any, will come in primaries and not in general elections. Full Story
The Texas Senate's chief budget writer — Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan — won't seek re-election, he announced this morning. Full Story
The U.S. Justice Department said Monday that new political maps for the Texas House and the state's congressional delegation don't protect the electoral power of the state's minority populations as required by the federal Voting Right Act. Full Story
A group of Tea Party activists pushing for stricter immigration laws Monday asked Gov. Rick Perry to leave the presidential campaign trail and call the Legislature back into session to tackle a ban on so-called sanctuary cities. Full Story
After two decades in the Texas Senate, Plano Republican Florence Shapiro said this afternoon that she won't seek re-election. State Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, starts as a strong replacement candidate. Full Story
New rules intended to reduce the danger of concussions in high school football players are now in effect. But do they go far enough? Full Story
Three statewide elected officials have their eyes on the lieutenant governor’s job now that David Dewhurst is running for U.S. Senate. They admit it's early to be maneuvering for an election that’s almost three years away — but they admit it while pressing forward. Full Story
Nationwide, about 60,000 concussions occur on high school fields every year. The Tribune visited Wimberley High School to find out how it is preparing for new state laws to prevent head injuries in student athletes. Full Story
The former Texas Tech football coach on his pending lawsuit against the university, how the state's doing at educating student athletes and what happens if the Big 12 falls apart. Full Story
General elections in Texas will be less competitive than ever under the redistricting maps approved by the Legislature earlier this year. The takeaway is simple: Texas has a strongly Republican map and the political threats to incumbents, if any, will come in primaries and not in general elections. Full Story
Lots of things affect election outcomes. Candidates. Money. Issues. Surprises. But some of the results are wired into district maps, through redistricting. Here's our charting of the political atmosphere — Republican or Democratic — in each of the House, Senate and congressional districts drawn by the Legislature this year. Full Story
The Texas land commissioner on running for lieutenant governor (in an election that's three years off), water and education and other issues facing the state and his potential foes — especially Comptroller Susan Combs. Full Story
One 2012 presidential candidate wanted to sell a government-run lottery to finance a health insurance program. He wanted to deregulate college tuition, and then freeze it. He proposed leaving the state's Rainy Day Fund alone — or, sending the money back to taxpayers. Hint: He's from Texas. Another hint: He's not Ron Paul. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry may be taking heat for his failed plan to require young girls in Texas to get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted disease human pappilomavirus, but the Mexican government has decided it's a good idea, and many other states have considered similar plans. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry on Monday found himself under attack from an unfamiliar place — the right — in the latest GOP debate as his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination attacked him for being insufficiently conservative on key issues. Full Story
The freshman Republican state representative on what he liked about the legislative session, what's wrong with the process, the press, politics and why he'd be coming back for more if a local job hadn't opened up. Full Story