This week on the Newsreel, a look at property taxes versus sales taxes, 85-mph speed limits and Super PAC contributions from Texas.
campaign finance
Posted inState Government
On the Records: Senate Runoff Spending Topped $45 Million
All those campaign ads weren’t cheap. The Republican race to replace U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has drawn more than $45 million in spending. Outside groups contributed heavily to the final tally.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Local Court Race Tests Judicial Campaign Law
A runoff for the state district court in Marshall, just east of Longview near the Louisiana border, has two Republicans slinging lawsuits and ethics complaints over provisions of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act.
Posted inState Government
Interactive: U.S. House Candidate Cash Totals
Based on campaign finance reports for the second quarter of 2012, we have compiled the contribution, expenditure, cash on hand and debt totals for Texas candidates for the U.S. House.
Posted in
State Government
Court Stays the Course on Politics and Business
Corporations and unions can play in politics, but complete disclosures are not required. A corporate political campaign in Texas two years ago was unusual, featuring an unknown corporation that was open about what it was doing.
Posted inState Government
By the Numbers: Turnout and Money
Republicans outvoted Democrats by almost two-and-a-half to one, but that’s not saying much, as fewer than one in nine adult Texans bothered with this year’s party primaries. Also: Who spent the most to win? To lose?
Posted inState Government
On the Records: Statewide Officials’ Personal Finance Statements Updated
We’ve added personal finance statements for statewide officeholders into our directory of elected officials. This includes disclosures for Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Comptroller Susan Combs and Attorney General Greg Abbott.
Posted inState Government
Interactive: Dollars Spent Per Vote in 2012 Primary
Republican and Democratic candidates spent $90 million in the lead-up to the May 29 primary. This interactive shows each candidate’s expenditure totals, votes received and average amount spent per vote.
Posted inCongress
Interactive: Congressional Candidates’ Pre-Primary Filings
Using the most recent campaign-finance reports filed by congressional candidates in Texas, we have compiled a list of the major numbers for those candidates.
Posted in
Congress
A Political Defendant Faces a Political Judiciary
Texas judges run in partisan elections, and sometimes what they do as politicians gets in the way of what they’re supposed to do as judges.
