The Trib staff on the sweeping cuts in the proposed House budget, Grissom on what’s lost and not found at the Department of Public Safety, Galbraith on the wind power conundrum, Hamilton on higher ed’s pessimistic budget outlook, Stiles and Swicegood debut an incredibly useful bill tracker app, Ramsey interviews Rick Perry on the cusp of his second decade as governor, Aguilar on a Mexican journalist’s quest for asylum in the U.S., Ramshaw on life expectancy along the border, M. Smith on the obstacles school districts face in laying off teachers and yours truly talks gambling and the Rainy Day Fund with state Rep. Jim Pitts: The best of our best from January 17 to 21, 2011.
Griffin Perry
Texplainer: What If a Lieutenant Governor Resigns?
Hey, Texplainer: Who becomes lieutenant governor if David Dewhurst resigns? Well, it’s a little complicated. But the bottom line is, you don’t get to decide.
Climbing the Ladder
What happens if Gov. Rick Perry or Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst decide to run for federal office and win, creating a vacancy — or two — in Texas? That sound you hear is a herd of GOP pols rushing to update their resumes.
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.
TribBlog: A Voter ID Emergency
Today, Gov. Rick Perry added two more issues — voter ID legislation and a call for a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget — to his list of “emergency items” that state legislators can begin deliberating on right away.
On the Records: Once, Twice, Three Times a Governor
Most people know that Gov. Rick Perry, inaugurated to a third term Tuesday, has served longer than any other chief executive in Texas history. What’s remarkable, though, is just how much longer than the state’s previous governors — even those who’ve served during the modern era.
Texas Inaugurama
Gov. Rick Perry was sworn in Tuesday for an unprecedented third full term, predicting that historians will look back on this time as the “Texas century.”
Uncut: Perry’s Inauguration Speech
Full, unedited video of Gov. Rick Perry’s Tuesday inauguration speech.
TribBlog: Sparking an Apology
They’re sorry, folks. Spark Energy says it’s sincerely sorry for causing such a literal roar at this morning’s inauguration ceremony.
Who’s on Texas Monthly’s Power List?
An early look at the 25 people the magazine deems the most powerful in Texas.


