President Obama will begin his swing through Austin on Thursday with a brief meeting with Gov. Rick Perry on the tarmac at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Austin
Posted in
State Government
Can They Put Humpty Together Again?
The betting here is that state finance is the closing drama of the session and that in spite of the sharper debates here at the end, that everybody goes home singing Kumbaya.
Posted in
Higher Education
A Waiting Game for UT’s Regents
As time runs out on the legislative session, little action has occurred regarding the much-hyped “micromanagement” by University of Texas System regents. Meanwhile, other regent-watching groups are dealing with internal troubles.
Posted in
State Government
If the Legislature’s in Town, Bills Aren’t Dead
The legislative session is in its last month and most bills will die. But setbacks for the big stuff — water, transportation and the like — are usually temporary.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Money, Explosions and Deadlines
In the latest Newsreel: The House fights over whether and how to tap the Rainy Day Fund, lawmakers hold hearings on the explosion in West and Gov. Rick Perry says there is plenty of time left in this session to get things done.
Posted in
Health care
TribuneFest: The State of Women’s Health
At the Trib’s April 25 symposium on health care at the University of Texas at Austin, Emily Ramshaw talked about the state of women’s health in Texas with state Reps. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place, and Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola; Amy Hagstrom Miller of Whole Woman’s Health; and Joe Potter of UT-Austin’s Population Research Center.
Posted in
Economy
Proposed Tax Break Has Some Singing Praises, Others Singing the Blues
A House bill would cut the tax on mixed beverage sales for clubs that prove they’re using the savings to present live music. Advocates for some Texas cities and counties say the proposal would rob their coffers of much-needed tax revenue.
Posted in
State Government
House OKs R&D Tax Credit
A $250 million franchise and sales tax exemption for business research and development won tentative approval from the House on Wednesday. A similar exemption expired in 2006.
Posted in
Health care
TribuneFest: Texas and the Affordable Care Act
At the Trib’s April 25 symposium on health care at the University of Texas at Austin, Becca Aaronson talked about federal health reform with state Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, John Davidson of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Anne Dunkelberg of the Center for Public Policy Priorities and former deputy comptroller Billy Hamilton.
Posted in
Public Education
Guest Column: Let Voters Decide on Rainy Day Spending
The best way to finance Texas’ pressing water and transportation needs — and to supplement spending on public education — is to let voters decide whether to use the state’s Rainy Day Fund.
