Gov. Rick Perry sat down for a one-on-one interview with ABC News’ Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday morning. The 15-minute session included talk of Herman Cain, foreign policy, religion and Beethoven.
Austin
Posted inState Government
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Grants Stay for Hank Skinner
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals today granted a stay of execution for Hank Skinner, who has been seeking DNA testing for a decade. Skinner was set to be executed on Wednesday.
Posted in
Health care
Lawsuit Gives Cover to Texas Lawmakers
Judges have been telling legislators what to do since we set up government to replace knife fights and bar brawls. And legislators use the courts to make them do unpopular but necessary things that voters don’t like. School finance, for instance.
Posted in
Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: On the Issues
The insiders answered questions from the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll for the second week in a row, this time on the death penalty, education, top issues facing Texas, and whether the people they know would vote for a Mormon candidate with whom they agree on issues.
Posted in
State Government
Taylor Apologizes for Telling TWIA “Don’t Jew Them Down”
State Rep. Larry Taylor, at a legislative hearing Thursday concerning the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, used the slur “Jew them down” when making the point that it needs to pay claims on time. He has since apologized.
Posted in
Energy
Amid Drought, McCaul’s Water Use Raises Eyebrows
Over 12 months of the worst drought in recorded Texas history, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul was Austin’s sixth-largest water user. It’s a disappointing record, critics say, at a time when many Texas leaders are urgently calling for conservation.
Posted in
Public Education
County Government Websites Earn F In Transparency
Texas county government websites earned a failing grade from the Sunshine Review, a nonprofit organization that advocates for more online transparency on government sites. Texas state government performed better, and school districts got the highest marks.
Posted in
Energy
Dropping Lake Levels Mean Rising Water Quality Issues
As lake and river levels continue to drop due to the intense 13-month drought, concerns about water quality are growing across Texas. It’s an issue that affects fish — and humans.
Posted in
Demographics
Cities Make Wage-Theft Prosecution a Priority
With a new state law designed to protect workers from wage theft now in effect, organizations and lawmakers in at least three Texas cities are facing a new challenge: how to ensure that prosecuting it is a priority.
Posted in
Energy
Video: Home Weatherization Assistance Program
Austin Energy received $8 million in federal stimulus funds to weatherize the homes of low income Texans. In this video, Rusty Smith, a home inspector with the utility, explains the benefits of making these energy efficient upgrades.
