House lawmakers are gearing up for a battle as emotional and time-consuming as Voter ID when they take up legislation addressing another one of Gov. Perry’s emergency items — abolishing sanctuary cities, which could hit the House floor as soon as next week.
Bill White
Posted in
State Government
Tribune Directory Updated to Include 2011 Lege Staffers
We’ve updated our elected officials directory this week to include the names and e-mail addresses of legislative staffers in the 82nd session now that the House Research Organization has released a complete list.
Posted inState Government
Four Mayors on the Future of Austin
On Monday night, former mayors Henry Cisneros, of San Antonio; Laura Miller, of Dallas; Kirk Watson, of Austin; and Bill White, of Houston offered advice about the future of the Capital City.
Posted inState Government
Former Mayors Offer Advice to Austin
The city of Austin could follow in the footsteps of other major Texas cities if it changed its form of government to single-member districts in time for the next general election, former big-city mayors said Monday night.
Posted in
Demographics
For Republicans, the Hazards of Red Meat
The growth of the state’s Hispanic population and the rise of immigration as a political issue put Texas Republicans in a tight spot — especially the ones with statewide aspirations.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Compare How the 2010 Candidates Spent Their Campaign Money
How did the candidates on the ballot last year compare in their political spending on advertising, polling and staff? Use our interactive bubble chart to explore category data released recently by the Texas Ethics Commission.
Posted inState Government
On the Records: Charting the 2010 Campaigns
The 2010 political campaigns are over, but looking back at the fundraising and spending that financed them is now fully possible thanks to records made public by the Texas Ethics Commission after Tuesday’s filing deadline.
Posted in
Demographics
Gimme Shelter
Gov. Rick Perry’s focus on sanctuary cities — cities that don’t allow their police officers to enforce federal immigration laws — could offer him safe passage through the contentious immigration debate. But it will be tricky.
Posted inState Government
Who’s Next?
Kay Bailey Hutchison’s announcement that she won’t run again for her U.S. Senate seat wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it still has the potential to overturn the state’s political apple cart. To separate the would-bes from the could-bes in a 2012 race, we’ve created a guide to certain, likely and plausible candidates — as well a few who are plausible only to us here at the Trib.
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State Government
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Galbraith on why the Lege meets only every two years, Hu picks the year’s best political moments on video, Ramsey on the personalities who mattered in 2010, Stiles on lobbyists with conflicts of interest and what the census means for redistricting, yours truly on the new Cameron Todd Willingham documentary, Grissom on cockfighting and Trillin on Sissy Farenthold: The best of our best from Dec. 23 to 27, 2010.