State Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, said he’s counting on Tea Party supporters to call their state representatives and urge them to vote for him for Speaker instead of incumbent Joe Straus, R-San Antonio.
Texas House of Representatives
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribBlog: Tara Rios Ybarra in Federal Custody
The federal government’s roundup of dentists for medicaid fraud in South Texas has claimed its latest casualty: outgoing state Rep. Tara Rios Ybarra.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Berman Files, Slams Straus; Straus Hits Back
Speaker’s race 2011: Oh, yeah, it’s on.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Leo Berman For Speaker?
Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, is expected to challenge House Speaker Joe Straus for his job, according to Capitol sources. Asked Monday whether he would seek Straus’ post, Berman told the Tribune: “I can’t say anything until tomorrow.”
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Capitol Cleared After Bomb Threat
Capitol staffers report that they’re being evacuated. Staffers say state troopers notified them that there was a possible bomb threat about 30 minutes ago.
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
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
Economy
TribBlog: Gambling 101
Coming soon to a large pink state capitol building in this very state: A day-long seminar on slot machines and casinos and all that, especially as it pertains to the state budget.
Posted in
State Government
Generation Next
Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, may be 50, but he’s only been in the House for three sessions. He’s part of a youth movement in the power corridors of the Legislature — one that’s less about age than lack of seniority.
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Criminal Justice
On the Records: The Capitol in 3-D
The next legislative session is more than eight months away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t explore the Capitol grounds — from your desk — thanks to Google Maps.
