Former Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia is headed for the Texas Senate after beating state Rep. Carol Alvarado in a Saturday special election runoff to succeed the late Mario Gallegos, D-Houston.
Texas Legislature
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Health care
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Voting Rights, Medicaid, Sequestration
In this week’s Newsreel: The Supreme Court heard arguments in a voting rights case that could have a big impact on Texas, Republican legislators side with Gov. Rick Perry on Medicaid expansion, and voters will decide on Saturday who will represent Senate District 6.
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Criminal Justice
Video: Bill Increases Punishment in Hit-and-Run Cases
A bill in the Texas Senate would make the penalty for failing to stop and render aid in certain hit-and-run cases equal to that of intoxication manslaughter. It’s a move lawmakers and law enforcement hope causes more drivers to do the right thing and stay put.
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Health care
Restoring Family Planning Cuts Without Ruffling Feathers
Republican legislators have proposed adding $100 million to a state-run primary care program specifically for women’s health services, which could avert a political fight over subsidizing specialty family planning clinics.
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Health care
TribLive: A Conversation About Health Care
Full video of Emily Ramshaw’s 2/27 TribLive conversation about health care with state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown.
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Bidness As Usual
Lawmakers Slam Disclosure Bill — and Rebuke Freshman Who Filed It
Rep. Giovanni Capriglione got a rude awakening in his transparency bill’s hearing before the House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday when members suggested his legislation was a political “vendetta.”
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Energy
Raw Milk Bill Draws Proponents, Detractors to Hearing
Proponents and critics weighed in Wednesday on a bill that would allow the sale of raw milk at farmer’s markets and other sites like fairs and flea markets.
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Health care
TribLive: Zerwas and Schwertner on Women’s Health
At Wednesday’s TribLive conversation, state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, talked to Emily Ramshaw about the state’s role in providing access to preventative health care for women.
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Health care
TribLive: Zerwas and Schwertner on Medicaid
At Wednesday’s TribLive conversation, state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, told Emily Ramshaw they back Gov. Rick Perry’s refusal to expand Medicaid.
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Public Education
Jeb Bush Talks Education Reform With Texas Lawmakers
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told Texas senators on Wednesday “to go big or go home” when it comes to pushing changes to public education policy.
