The Brief: May 30, 2014
Attorney General Greg Abbott reversed himself Thursday on whether the Texas prison system can withhold information about companies that make drugs used by the state in executions. Full Story
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The latest Greg Abbott news from The Texas Tribune.
Attorney General Greg Abbott reversed himself Thursday on whether the Texas prison system can withhold information about companies that make drugs used by the state in executions. Full Story
Texas Democrats believe wins by Tea Party candidates in Tuesday's Republican primary runoffs could turn off swing voters in November. But if Democrats can't close the deal, those Republicans will be running Texas. Full Story
The conversation over the weekend before the party primary runoff elections was dominated by — what else? — the GOP race for lieutenant governor. Full Story
On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, I talked with host Jason Whitely and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy about UT System Regent Wallace Hall, various races in Tuesday's runoffs and more. Full Story
In three statewide Republican runoff races, candidates who have aligned themselves to the right of their opponents are poised to capture the party's nomination despite fielding significant blows from their opponents, including forays into mental health records from three decades ago and a potentially disqualifying violation of state securities law. Full Story
A comparison of pay in the state attorney general's offices in California and Texas reveals gender discrepancies at both agencies, but shows the pay of female lawyers at the Texas agency fell further behind their male colleagues. Full Story
A lawmaker involved in the House's investigation of UT System Regent Wallace Hall said the process of drafting articles of impeachment could take months. Also, Gov. Rick Perry gave his most forceful defense to date of his appointee to the university system's governing board. Full Story
David Dewhurst and Dan Patrick, the Republican candidates for lieutenant governor, gave one last surprise in their final debate before the May 27 primary runoff election — a largely civil debate that avoided mention of the personal attacks that have come to dominate the last few weeks. Full Story
The news over the weekend that San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro is being considered for the post of housing and urban development secretary has people in Texas and D.C. wondering how this rearranges the electoral chessboard for 2016 and beyond. Full Story
News reports late Thursday that lieutenant governor candidate Dan Patrick had received treatment for depression and exhaustion in the 1980s threatened to roil further an an already tense runoff contest just days before voters begin casting ballots. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry's attorney is asking for the ability to get witnesses for his client before a Travis County grand jury without making them appear in public. But in a twist in a case that has already had plenty of them, the only way to circumvent the public entrance is to go through DA Rosemary Lehmberg's office. Full Story
A new state policy that ties teacher evaluations to student performance on standardized tests is drawing criticism from a range of sources. It is likely to be a topic of discussion Wednesday at a Texas House Public Education Committee hearing. Full Story
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott announced the third plank of his education policy plan on Thursday, calling for millions in increased funding for online learning initiatives. Full Story
Not even Disney movies are safe when it comes to the scorched-earth tactics in the race for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor. Full Story
The word "mess" doesn't even begin to describe what greeted the new director of the state agency that supervises the state's most violent sex offenders when she showed up to work. Full Story
With his opponent's lapses in disclosure making headlines in recent days, some are now questioning GOP attorney general candidate Dan Branch's own commitment to transparency. Full Story
Several Texas politicians have helped draw national attention to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's plans to manage a stretch of Red River land. Area lawmakers who have been working this year on a resolution welcome the extra attention. Full Story
As the horrifying details of a botched execution in Oklahoma dominated the headlines on Wednesday, the focus in Texas quickly turned to whether a review of procedures could be in the offing here. Full Story
In her latest education proposal, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis is calling for reduced emphasis on standardized testing and more local control of educational accountability measures. Full Story
Could Sriracha be coming to the Alamo City? Full Story