Members of the Texas Forensic Science Commission expressed concerns today about the progress — or lack thereof — in the case of convicted arsonist Cameron Todd Willingham before ending a yet another meeting without a decision about the evidence that was used to send the Corsicana man to the death chamber in 2004.
TribBlog: Science Commission Members Frustrated With Willingham Investigation
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Criminal Justice
Interactive: Where Texans Go To Drink
A sizable chunk of the state’s general revenue — $635 million — in 2010 came from the mixed beverage tax. Texans drank 1.1 gallons of distilled spirits (liquor) each in 2010, which at 1.5 ounces a shot equals 94 mixed drinks a year. Check out our interactive map to see where Texans are going out for drinks.
Posted inState Government
The Midday Brief: Jan. 21, 2011
Your afternoon reading: a State Board of Education member’s eligibility in question, a House member de-“TeaApproved,” and Joe Barton for Senate?
Posted in
Guides
Texplainer: What If a Lieutenant Governor Resigns?
Hey, Texplainer: Who becomes lieutenant governor if David Dewhurst resigns? Well, it’s a little complicated. But the bottom line is, you don’t get to decide.
Posted inState Government
TribBlog: Disinvited to the Tea Party [Updated]
Voting for incumbent Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, did not come without consequences for state Rep. Stefani Carter, R-Dallas. It cost her “TeaApproved” status from the North Texas Tea Party.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: Jan 21, 2011
Usually dormant for its first two months, the Legislature could get cracking as soon as next week.
Posted in
T-Squared
T-Squared: Our New iPad/iPhone App!
Late yesterday afternoon, Apple’s App Store kindly put our latest technological offering out to market: a brand new — and, naturally, free — iPad/iPhone app containing our news, blog posts, data applications and mutlimedia, our elected officials directory and our events listings.
Posted in
State Government
Climbing the Ladder
What happens if Gov. Rick Perry or Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst decide to run for federal office and win, creating a vacancy — or two — in Texas? That sound you hear is a herd of GOP pols rushing to update their resumes.
Posted in
Energy
Transmission Accomplished
At the heart of Texas’ wind-power boom lies a conundrum: Plenty of ranchers are eager to host wind turbines but few want to allow the unsightly high-voltage transmission lines needed to carry the power to distant cities. But state regulators are moving forward — and yesterday they approved a contentious project that runs through the Hill Country.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
How Do You Lose a 24-Foot Boat?
Or a $74,000 piece of radio equipment? Or more than 150 handguns and rifles? Those are just a few of the nearly 1,500 items that the Texas Department of Public Safety reported stolen or lost in the last decade. Some of the assets might still be in the possession of DPS or possibly were sold, but the agency’s inventory system is so poor that it’s hard to know what’s actually missing.
