Chad Clanton, a Waco-born Democratic consultant and well-known protege of James Carville, has joined the Bill White gubernatorial campaign to “work on a variety of projects … on multiple media channels,” says White spokeswoman Katy Bacon.
Austin
Posted inState Government
2010: “The Tea Party Folks are Like Barbara Jordan”
The humorist, singer, and sometime Democrat Kinky Friedman addressed delegates of the Libertarian Party of Texas yesterday. On his mind: what Debra Medina should have said to Glenn Beck, why the “Tea Party folks are like Barbara Jordan” and sex with horses.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Fewer Sex Offenders in the DPS Database?
There are more than 61,000 registered sex offenders in the Texas Department of Public Safety’s database. Some think the list includes people who aren’t a threat to society and that the stigma of being on it hurts them more than it helps the greater community. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune has this report.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
A Conversation with Craig Watkins
For the 11th event in our TribLive series, I interviewed the Dallas County district attorney about why and how he’s worked to exonerate the wrongfully imprisoned and whether he’s dragging his feet on a controversial corruption case involving county constables.
Posted inState Government
2010: Hold Your Green Horses [Updated]
The Texas Democratic Party won Thursday’s battle against the Green Party — but the war isn’t over yet.
Posted in
State Government
The Ex Files
How many former state officeholders are registered to lobby in Austin? The answer: 65, or a little less than 5 percent of the 1,475 lobbyists on the rolls at the Texas Ethics Commission, according to a Texas Tribune analysis.
Posted in
Economy
TribBlog: Holding Out for a TxDOT Hero
Lawmakers have said it before, and today they said it again: Sweeping top-down change is needed within the Texas Department of Transportation.
Posted in
State Government
Speaker’s Race, Anyone?
Nobody’s openly campaigning right now, but there’s talk of who might succeed Joe Straus if he stumbles before January. Attribute the speculation to inertia: The House’s top job was in play for at least four years before Straus won it 17 months ago, and members and the lobby and the press and other gawkers have been trained to study every new complaint, slight, reward and compliment for signs of a coup. While he appears to be on solid ground going into his second session behind the podium, don’t erase the possibility of a contest. It’s an uncertain environment: It’s an election year, Straus is green and the Capitol is full of people who are constantly looking for a better deal than the one they’ve got.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Show Me Proof, Dunnam Tells Perry
State Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, wants proof that Gov. Rick Perry’s $9,000-per-month rental property was recommended by state legislators and DPS officials.
