On this week's episode, Reeve, Julian, Morgan and Jim discuss Texas Monthly's list of the best and worst legislators, education and immigration in the special session, and Gov. Rick Perry's still-hypothetical presidential bid. Full Story
House Democrats — stirred up in a day of partisan battles over windstorm insurance and a health care compact — took the opportunity to question the whereabouts of the man who called them back for a special session. Full Story
The bill has pitted Republican Gov. Rick Perry and trial lawyer Steve Mostyn, the largest Democratic donor in Texas, against one another, and it is a key reason that lawmakers are in a special legislative session. Full Story
The current controversy dominating the higher education headlines in Texas is nothing if not nuanced. See if you can read between the lines and figure out who made what comment in our latest quiz. Full Story
Texas peace officers will be allowed to inquire into the immigration status of any person arrested or legally detained under legislation passed by the Texas Senate early Wednesday morning. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry, moving closer to a run for the White House, took his anti-Washington message to New York City Tuesday, telling a gathering of Republican donors that the Obama administration had “promised jobs and … delivered economic misery.” It comes as Perry steps out increasingly on the national stage. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry made double appearances on Fox News Tuesday evening ahead of a speech in New York City. During an interview, Perry addressed Weinergate, Hispanic voters and abortion politics and, when asked about his popularity in his home state, compared himself to a "prophet." Full Story
Somebody tell Assemblyman Dan Logue, the California Republican leading the charge to draft Gov. Rick Perry for president, that his Razorback reinforcements have arrived. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry, in New York for a speech that’s fueling speculation about a possible run for the White House, said today that voters seem hungry for more candidates to pick from in the presidential contest. Perry, in an interview with the Tribune, said there's still ample time to get in the race. Full Story
As everyone waits for a certain Texan to announce whether he plans to run for president, another Texan made his intentions clear Monday night by participating — in feisty fashion — in the first major GOP primary debate. Full Story
Less than a week after Gov. Rick Perry added the measure to the special session agenda, the contentious “sanctuary cities” bill is one step closer to what lawmakers see as its inevitable passage. Full Story
The Trib's Weekend Round-Up compiles clips from various national news program that mentioned Gov. Rick Perry and the possibility he may throw his hat in the GOP presidential primary ring. Journalists and commentators analyzed Perry's prospects on NBC's Meet the Press, CNN's State of the Union, Fox Business' Red Ink Watch and PBS's Washington Week. Full Story
Of the new University of Texas System regents, none has received more scrutiny than Alex Cranberg. After months of controversy, he said the time has come to “push a reset button” on the relationship between the regents and the leadership at UT. Full Story
Aguilar on a newly exposed rift in the GOP, Dehn on what summer overtime for lawmakers costs taxpayers, Galbraith on one bright spot for environmentalists this session, Grissom on reports of abuse shrouding a death row case, Hamilton on the long slog toward higher education reform, Ramsey on where the Big Three stand, Ramshaw on the filibuster-induced rise of a state senator, Root on Perry's jump into the culture wars, M. Smith on a new wrinkle in the school finance battle and Tan on the "pansexual" debate that nearly killed the crucial fiscal matters bill: The best of our best content from June 6 to June 10, 2011. Full Story
Despite Gov. Rick Perry's vehement opposition to federal health reform, the state has accepted a $1 million federal grant to plan for a key element of it: a Travelocity-like state insurance marketplace. Full Story
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
A series of email exchanges between Republican Party boosters and the office of Gov. Rick Perry indicate some conservatives believe passing the contentious “sanctuary cities” bill may cripple efforts to recruit more Hispanics to their ranks. Full Story
Newt Gingrich lost his presidential campaign staff Thursday, adding to rampant speculation that Gov. Rick Perry will scoop them up to launch his own White House bid. Two of the aides, Gingrich campaign manager Rob Johnson and consultant Dave Carney, have extensive links to Perry. Full Story
Voters of all political stripes will be receptive to a story about low taxes, restrained spending, reasonable regulations and a fair legal system. He doesn’t just understand that story — he wrote the book. The nation is primed to listen. Full Story