State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, says he’s found the perfect way for elected officials to put their money where there mouths are when it comes to exercising fiscal restraint: ban “double-dipping” by politicians.
Governor’s Office
Posted inState Government
Perry: Don’t Start Making Plans to Spend Surplus
Gov. Rick Perry warned Texas lawmakers not to start making grand plans for the multibillion-dollar budget surplus and the growing Rainy Day Fund.
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State Government
New Legislature Faces a New Set of Priorities
With improving fiscal conditions and redistricting in the rearview, lawmakers are approaching 2013 with pressing policy questions, from whether to introduce private school vouchers to whether to implement key provisions of federal health reform.
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Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: About the Leadership…
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in politics and government, we asked about the power of the three leaders in the Capitol, and a ranking of who’s strongest and weakest among the statewide elected officials in Texas.
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State Government
Perry Helps Key Advisers Take a Big Next Step
“Career coach” is not listed on Gov. Rick Perry’s résumé — but it might as well be. In the 12 years he has held Texas’ highest elected office, he has helped align the professional stars for many of his key advisers.
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Criminal Justice
Perry Shuffles the Deck
As he enters the last regular session of this term as governor, Rick Perry opts for a trusted supporter in a top political job and a respected agency manager to run his own office.
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Criminal Justice
In Judicial Appointments, Perry Reaches Beyond Executive Branch
Gov. Rick Perry’s control of the executive branch after 12 years in office is well established. But he’s made hundreds of judicial appointments, too.
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State Government
Petitioners Renew Talk of Texas Secession
A petition calling for Texas to “peacefully” withdraw from the United States of America was filed on a White House website Friday. It already has enough signatures to warrant an official response.
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State Government
Aide’s Talk About 2014 May Benefit Perry in 2013
When Ken Armbrister, chief legislative aide to Gov. Rick Perry, said last week that Perry had told him he was going to run for re-election in 2014, Armbrister may have done his boss a favor.
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State Government
TribLive: A Conversation with Greg Abbott
At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, I talked with Attorney General Greg Abbott about voter ID, redistricting, the cost of suing the feds 24 times and whether he’s going to run for governor.
