The latest Griffin Perry news from The Texas Tribune.
Your afternoon reading: Sanctuary cities bill isn't dead; UT System and former adviser Rick O'Donnell reach settlement; House passes health reform bill; George Will says Rick Perry is a "potentially potent candidate"; debating how much credit Perry deserves for jobs creation; TSA removes 95-year-old woman's diaper Full Story
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Will they or won't they? That's the question lawmakers, who seem to have met for a matter of minutes in the waning days of the special legislative session, face today on a series of controversial measures Gov. Rick Perry added to the call. Full Story
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Once again, Gov. Rick Perry's name made the rounds on the Sunday news programs. But this week, his star was largely overshadowed by fellow GOP contenders who've declared their candidacy. Full Story
You’d think the Aggie consultant would be working for the Aggie candidate. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry isn’t backing down from his push for a “no-frills” approach to higher education. He wants students to move and be moved through the system quickly and efficiently. And if that wasn’t clear enough already, he underscored it with his veto pen. Full Story
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With multiple third-party organizations cropping up, along with a new Legislature-created oversight committee, expect a protracted debate about how best to tackle the state's higher ed problems. Full Story
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An Everybody-in-the-Pool effort on what's left to do in the special session, Ramshaw on a doozy of a congressional race shaping up, Aguilar on the debate over sanctuary cities and other immigration proposals, M. Smith on the state's used-up Rainy Day Fund, Grissom on efforts to kick the special interests out of an insurance fight, Dehn and Tan on whether the special session helps or hurts the governor's national ambitions, Galbraith and KUT Radio team up for a series on the long-term outlook for Central Texas water, Aaronson on government attempts to balance openness and privacy with data releases, yours truly on Amazon's run at a sales tax break, and Hamilton on an ethnic gap in higher education: The best of our best from June 20 to 24, 2011. Full Story
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Want a quick recap of some of the happenings this week in the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly video rundown of the action under the dome. Full Story
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Two Republican boosters have circulated a memo urging business owners to contact lawmakers to encourage them to vote against the “sanctuary cities” bills pending in committee. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus knocks down the TSA "anti-groping" bill. Are voters ready for another Texan in the White House? News of the "tepid" response to Perry's NALEO speech spreads inside the Beltway. Full Story
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The House appears set on passing a non-binding TSA anti-groping resolution, instead of Rep. David Simpson's bill. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst says a Senate committee will hear the upper chamber's version of the bill on Monday. Full Story
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Not every crowd is an adoring crowd. Gov. Rick Perry got a reality check in San Antonio this week. Full Story
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Strategists say the longer lawmakers stay in town, the more time Gov. Rick Perry has to show off his conservative credentials and appeal to a crucial bloc that could propel him into a national race: Republican primary voters. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry’s neon-light promotion on the national stage of the $6 billion left in the Rainy Day Fund exposes a disconnect with the conservative lawmakers battling for his principles at home, where his party is working to divert negative public sentiment about the deep budget reductions. Full Story
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Lawmakers aren't buying Amazon's latest pitch for a sales tax break in Texas. But Rick Perry is. Full Story
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Texas Gov. Rick Perry made no mention of the federal government’s overreach or the violence he says is spilling across the state’s border during a brief and tense public appearance today before hundreds of Latino elected officials. Full Story
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Hey Texplainer: What happens to the bills that Perry doesn't sign or veto? Gov. Rick Perry has vetoed and signed a multitude of bills this year, but to date there have been 27 he allowed to become law by default. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading: Could ghosts of Gov. Rick Perry's past affect his presidential intentions? Meanwhile, parents prepare for budget cuts in the classroom, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst says he'll reveal his next campaign move in July. Full Story
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Tearful testimony from students brought to the country illegally and a new ICE directive that stresses discretionary enforcement has raised more concerns over the state's pending "sanctuary cities" legislation. Full Story
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This week on the TribCast, Ross, Reeve, Thanh, and Ben talk about vetoes, groping, and the imminent end of the special session. Full Story
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