The latest Robert Nichols news from The Texas Tribune.
With transportation funding added to the special session call, lawmakers are already planning hearings and considering different proposals. The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday. Full Story
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A plan to fund Texas highway construction by diverting half of the money that currently feeds the state's Rainy Day Fund could find new life in a special session. Full Story
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The Senate passed a House bill that would allow teachers and other public school staff to use holiday greetings like "Merry Christmas” and "Happy Hanukkah" and to display Christmas trees, menorahs and other cultural icons of winter celebrations. Full Story
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On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Lawmakers want to spend billions to repair the state's crumbling roads, but that's putting some Republican leaders in a bind. Full Story
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With less than two months left in the legislative session, some lawmakers are lowering expectations on what can get done related to funding for roads. Full Story
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Full video of Aman Batheja's 4/4 TribLive conversation with state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, and state Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, and state Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, talked about a proposal to use vehicle sales tax revenue to meet our transportation funding needs. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, and state Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, talked about whether Texans are having “toll road fatigue” and the impact that toll roads are having on traffic congestion. Full Story
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A bill aimed at reducing the glare from outdoor lighting in a large swath of West Texas in order to help the McDonald Observatory is currently stuck in the Senate, though its sponsor hopes to get it to the floor by the tomorrow's legislative deadline. Full Story
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Sunset Advisory Commissioners unanimously approved a series of changes to the troubled Division of Workers' Compensation at the Texas Department of Insurance on Tuesday, but not before aggressively rewriting the Sunset staff's original recommendations to improve the division's medical quality review process. Full Story
State health officials are considering lifting a requirement that Texas emergency rooms have a physician on-site at all times — as long as one can get there within 30 minutes. Full Story
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It's time to harvest the political speculations of the last several months: Democrats and Republicans have until January 4 to put their names on the ballots, or not, in anticipation of the March 2 primaries. Full Story
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