Supporters of business tycoon Donald Trump have filed paperwork to establish the Make America Great Again Party so that “The Donald” might still be able to run for president here. Could he actually win Texas?
Texplainer
Welcome to The Texas Tribune’s “Texplainer” series, where we answer questions from readers like you.
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Texplainer: Could Universities Be Put Under Sunset Review?
Could the state’s public universities go through the so-called sunset review process, forcing them to periodically defend their existence to state legislators?
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Texplainer: What Would Happen if the U.S. Dept. of Education Were Abolished?
Hey, Texplainer: One of the federal agencies Rick Perry managed to remember during Wednesday’s GOP debate is the U.S. Department of Education. He says he wants to close it. But what exactly would that mean?
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Texplainer: Will Judge Who Beat Daughter Be Punished?
Hey, Texplainer: What will happen to Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams now that the video of him beating his then 16-year-old daughter has gone viral?
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Texplainer: Will the Texas Primary Be Too Late to Matter?
Hey, Texplainer: With several states racing to move up their primaries, will my vote even matter when Texas holds its primary? Yes, at least for every candidate other than the ones running for president — and maybe for them, too.
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Texplainer: Can Texas Use the Rainy Day Fund to Fight Wildfires?
Gov. Rick Perry has said the Rainy Day Fund should be preserved as an insurance policy against natural disasters, but Texas can’t actually dip into it until the next legislative session — in 2013.
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Texplainer: Why is the Texas Constitution So Dang Long?
Hey, Texplainer: Why does the Texas Constitution have so many amendments? The way it’s written makes it both fairly easy to amend and highly restrictive in the powers it grants, making frequent and often highly specific changes necessary.
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Texplainer: Can Perry Use State Campaign Dollars in His Presidential Run?
Texans for Rick Perry, his state campaign committee, listed $2.1 million in cash on hand at the end of June, according to its most recent filing. But Perry can’t touch it for his just-launched presidential campaign.
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Texplainer: Can University Regents Support Political Candidates?
Hey, Texplainer: Gene Powell, the chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, is out raising money for Perry’s presidential campaign. Is that okay?
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Texplainer: Will Budget Cuts Mean Higher University Tuition?
In the wake of well-documented budget woes, the state Legislature took a more than 9 percent chunk out of higher education in the recent session. Some institutions have now raised tuition, and others may soon do the same.