The Texas Senate and House have released their first drafts of the state’s next two-year budget. Use this interactive to explore how state spending has grown since 2004.
83rd Legislative Session
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Bidness As Usual
Legislation Would Add to Disclosure Requirements for State Lawmakers
UPDATED: State Sen. Wendy Davis has filed companion legislation to a House bill from two freshman legislators — one on the far right, the other on the far left — that would expand the requirements of the state’s personal financial disclosure form.
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Bidness As Usual
Most Legislators Won’t Disclose Tax Returns
The Tribune asked all 180 current members of the Legislature to provide their last three tax returns — and got few takers. Most lawmakers either ignored the request or said they weren’t comfortable with that level of disclosure.
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Bidness As Usual
News App: Exploring Lawmakers’ Personal Financial Interests
The Lawmaker Explorer is a first-of-its-kind interactive tool that gives Texans a window into the personal interests of their state legislators. It is the linchpin of the Tribune’s Bidness as Usual project, a session-long look at ethics and transparency in the Texas Legislature.
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Bidness As Usual
A Part-Time Legislature, but in Whose Interest?
With a lacking conflict disclosure system, virtually toothless ethics laws and a Legislature historically unwilling to make itself more transparent, Texans know little about who or what influences the people elected to represent them.
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State Government
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Opening Days
The kickoff of the 83rd legislative session packed few surprises. The Texas Senate voted on rules, Joe Straus won without breaking a sweat, Comptroller Susan Combs announced the state budget forecast and Gov. Rick Perry laid out his priorities for the 140-day session.
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Higher Education
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Batheja on growing calls for infrastructure spending, Dehn and Rocha report on voters’ legislative wishes, Murphy counts noses in the new Legislature, KUT’s Philpott sniffs out a push for tax relief, M. Smith tracks House Speaker Joe Straus after his re-election, Kalifa’s lovely time-lapse look at the Legislature’s first day, Aaronson on the Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on hopes for immigration reform, Grissom on the tribulations of Kerry Max Cook, Hamilton looks into a college curriculum battle, and E. Smith’s TribLive interview with Michael Williams: The best of our best for the week of Jan. 7, 2013.
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State Government
David Simpson: The TT Interview
On Friday afternoon, the Republican state representative from Longview talked about why he ran for speaker, the real reason he quit the race and what happens next.
Posted in
Energy
Lawmakers Talk of Bold Measures This Session
Momentum is growing for Texas lawmakers to commit large amounts of money to address the state’s long-term infrastructure needs, particularly water and transportation.
Posted in
Politics
His Job Safe, Straus Now Faces Session’s Hurdles
After successfully fending off another challenge to his speakership, Joe Straus faces a tough task in the session. He will have to tackle issues that have been thorny for Republicans in the past, without further alienating the far right.