Update: El Paso Hospitals May Be Allowed to Hire Docs
A bill passed by the Senate today would let the El Paso County Hospital District directly employ medical professionals to compensate for the severe shortage in the area. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Small Brewers Ask Lawmakers to Open the Tap
Craft beer brewers came back to the Capitol today to ask lawmakers to grant them another way to get their beers in the hands of customers. But the chairman of a House committee said they may have to wait until next year. Full Story
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Senate Passes Reforms on How Police May Restrain Mentally, Physically Disabled
Two bills passed the state Senate today that would change the way mentally and physically disabled people and children are restrained and cared for by law enforcement officers. Full Story
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On the Records: A GOP Map Protects the GOP
A proposed map for redrawing Texas House district boundaries could help fortify the Republicans' majority in the lower chamber in 2012. Full Story
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Senate Budget Takes Aim at Hospitals
It doesn’t include a “sick tax.” But the Senate version of the state’s 2012-13 budget still takes direct aim at hospitals, in an effort to find hundreds of millions of dollars in cost savings and narrow the state’s revenue gap. Full Story
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Interactive: How Would You Close the State's Budget Gap?
Solving the state's 2012-13 budget woes is a hard job and perhaps the best way to show that is to let you decide for yourself how the $27 billion shortfall should be closed. Use our interactive budget shortfall app to see what you're willing to give up to close the gap. Full Story
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Doggett Dismayed by Redistricting Plan
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, reacts to the proposed split of his current district. Full Story
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Guest Column: How to Bridge the Budget Gap
As the clock counts down to the end of the regular session on May 30, it’s fair to ask House and Senate leaders — and all members — to meet our needs, not our wants. Here's how they can bridge the multi-billion-dollar gap between their budget plans without any new taxes. Full Story
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TribLive: Cornyn on Planned Parenthood "Facts"
At this morning's TribLive conversation, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, was unwilling to distance himself from controversial remarks about Planned Parenthood by his colleague, U.S. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona. Full Story
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Senate Votes for "Transparent" TxDOT
The Texas Department of Transportation Sunset bill that got caught up in the backlog of legislation last session passed the Senate today. Full Story
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The Brief: April 18, 2011
State budget writers should be looking foward this week to finalize a budget that currently seeks to gut billions from current spending levels. But the fight coming doesn’t look like an easy one for either chamber. Full Story
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Inside Intelligence: With Money Short...
For the latest installment of our unscientific survey of political and policy insiders, we asked whether lawmakers ought to revise the state's main business tax, whether they'll extend a major small business tax exemption, and what they think are the smartest and dumbest cuts in proposed state budgets. Full Story
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A Budget Problem Deferred — to Now
The 2006 tax swap — lowering local school property taxes and creating a new business tax to make up the difference — is at the center of Texas' current budget troubles. The architects are still pointing fingers over what and whom to blame for the state's “structural deficit.” Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
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![Federal USDA workers inspect Mexican cattle for fever ticks before admitting them into the country. If a single tick is found, the entire herd must be quarantined and sent back to the rancher.]()
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Hamilton on Victoria's efforts to divorce the University of Houston, Ramshaw on a disagreement between right-to-life groups over laws governing when life ends, E. Smith's TribLive interview with Sen. Kel Seliger and Rep. Burt Solomons on redistricting, Aguilar's interview with the mayor of Juárez, Tan on the continuing hunt for money to buy down budget cuts, Grissom on a psychologist who found more than a dozen inmates mentally competent to face the death penalty, Stiles and yours truly on the House redistricting maps and Galbraith on cutting or killing a tax break for high-cost natural gas producers: The best of our best content from April 11 to 15, 2011. Full Story
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Texas House Redistricting Maps Debated
There are 101 Republicans in the Texas House. But according to the map released by Redistricting Committee Chair Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, not all of them will get re-elected. Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Texplainer: How Will High Gas Prices Affect the Budget?
With gasoline costing $1 more than a year ago, budget planners can add fuel expenditures to their list of worries. However, it's also true that oil companies will also pay more in taxes to the state as they beef up their drilling operations. Full Story
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At Nursing Homes, Fears of a Budget "Armageddon"
The Texas Legislature is faced with a budget challenge that pits the Republican majority’s desire to cut government spending against a vulnerable target: the frail and the elderly covered by Medicaid and housed in nursing homes. Full Story
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In Politics, Size Doesn't Always Matter
Redistricting can change the odds in legislative and congressional races, but in statewide races, it's all about turnout. Full Story
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Still No Decision on Question of Negligence in Willingham Case
After releasing a draft report on the case of convicted arsonist Cameron Todd Willingham, state forensic board members refused again today to rule on whether investigators in the case were professionally negligent in deciding the fire that killed Willingham's three daughters was intentionally ignited. Full Story
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![Presiding Officer of the Texas Forensic Science Commission John Bradley during a commission meeting April 14th, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera