A group of super PACs backing former Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s now-defunct presidential bid has refunded to donors most of the millions of dollars collected, the groups’ finance chairman said. It’s unusual for a super PAC to find itself flush with cash after a candidate drops out. But Perry’s exit — the first this year among major presidential candidates — was abrupt.

The number of people killed on the job in Texas increased in 2014, and the state retained its grim spot as the county’s leader in workplace deaths, according to preliminary federal data released Thursday. Texas saw 524 fatal workplace injuries last year, compared with 508 a year earlier. The next highest death toll behind Texas was in more populous California, where 334 workers died last year. Texas has led the nation in total workplace deaths in 11 of the past 14 years.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is finding a new pressure point in his proxy war with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: the decision by Bush's brother to nominate John Roberts, a growing target of conservative scorn, to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Experts and insiders are predicting the Texas Supreme Court will rule in the latest school finance appeal early next year, with some predicting a summertime special legislative session. A more important date than when the court rules is what deadline it might give the Legislature to come up with a fix. Past school finance rulings indicate the court is “usually concerned” not with elections but with giving the Legislature time to implement a fix before the next school year or until the end of the next regular legislative session.

While Texas' rate of uninsured people has fallen below 20 percent for the first time in more than a decade, new U.S. Census data released Thursday shows disparities in access to health insurance. Texas still claims the highest percentage of people without health insurance. The Lone Star State has also edged out California with the largest raw number of uninsured people in the country. About 5 million Texans were uninsured in 2014, or 19 percent, compared with 5.75 million, or 22 percent, the year before.

Estimates from the 2014 American Community Survey show that the percentage of poor Texas residents declined in 2014 — dropping to 17.2 percent from 17.5 percent in 2013 — as part of a gradual drop in poverty in the state in recent years. But the share of poor Texans in 11 of the state’s 25 metropolitan areas surpassed the state’s overall share of poor residents.

Much like his posture in the previous August debate, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz avoided the verbal combat that took place among Republican candidates on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library debate stage on Wednesday night. When Cruz did take center stage, he spoke directly into the camera and seemed to draw from his stump speeches, addressing the Iran deal and his efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. At one point, though, he praised Donald Trump and knocked retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson on immigration.

A Waller County judge who helped choose grand jurors to consider the evidence in the death of Sandra Bland is not happy about the state's new grand jury selection process, saying it unfairly puts too much of the selection process on judges.

Saying he was making good on a promise he made to the supporters who helped usher him into office, Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday launched a nine-city tour of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. Abbott made 17 visits to the area during his campaign for governor but still lost Hidalgo County to challenger Wendy Davis by more than 22,000 votes. Still, Abbott was credited with making inroads within the Hispanic community, which has traditionally lent its support to Texas’ Democrats.

An Irving teenager who was arrested after bringing a homemade clock to school said Wednesday that "it's really sad" that a teacher got the wrong impression about the clock. He added that he would probably transfer schools. News of Ahmed Mohamed's arrest prompted a significant wave of support on Twitter, under the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed. Those who have offered support include President Barack Obama and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Monday dismissed the idea of a federal government shutdown, saying instead that elected officials had a duty to serve despite disagreements within Congress.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign has launched a business partnership with a street artist with a history of controversial statements on social media, including using racial epithets and rooting for President Barack Obama's assassination.

Rick Perry blamed his criminal indictment and exclusion from the Republican debate main stage for his failed presidential bid in his first interview since suspending his presidential campaign on Friday.

Donald Trump's raucous presidential bid turned out thousands Monday night in Dallas for a rambling rally that easily qualified as the biggest 2016 campaign event so far in Texas. At the rally, he came with a message that Texas Republicans are beginning to take seriously: "I'm not going anywhere."

The CIA on Wednesday unveiled roughly eight years of presidential daily briefings from the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson — the largest-ever release of such material. The briefings touch on everything from the construction of the Berlin Wall to the space race and fit neatly in line with LBJ’s goal for his library — to tell the story of the 1960s “with the bark off.”

Gov. Greg Abbott named 13 officials to serve on a task force on improving outcomes for juveniles adjudicated of sexual offenses. Those officials are: Devon Anderson, Chris Bratton, James Castro, Robert Ellis, Billy Fletcher, Lisa Jarrett, Kameron Johnson, Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Moore, Allison Palmer, Dean Rucker, Frank Salazar and Donna Vandiver.

Abbott has named Oliver Bell of Houston to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2017.

Abbott appointed AT&T tech architect Aaron Bangor to serve as chairman of the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities, a group that recommends disability policy changes and offers to support to various committees of disabled persons in Texas. In addition, six committee members were also named — Elizabeth Dickey, Archer Hadley, Dylan Rafaty, Diane Rose, Marilou Fowler and Linda Millstone.

Abbott reappointed Joe Ward of Telephone to the State Soil and Water Conservation Board for a term to expire on Feb. 1, 2017.

Ted Cruz named two new state directors for his expanding presidential campaign on Tuesday. Constantin Querard, founder and president of Grassroots Partners, LLC, was appointed Arizona state director while Jason Scalese, a managing partner of Fusion Strategies, was named California State director. The latter will work with Ron Nehring, Cruz’s California state chairman.

Salado lawyer Ryan Downton, a former House Redistricting Committee counsel, officially entered the open Senate District 24 Republican primary race on Thursday afternoon.

Former State Rep. George Lavender announced Wednesday he is running for the House District 1 seat he held during the 82nd and 83rd legislative sessions. State Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, who beat out Lavender for the seat in 2014, has already announced his re-election plans, thus setting up a rematch between the men.

Fort Worth attorney Andrew Piel announced on Thursday that he plans to challenge House District 94 state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, in next year’s party primary. Piel also rolled out a list of endorsements that included former state lawmakers Chris Harris, Kim Brimer and Toby Goodman and former Arlington Mayors Richard Greene and Robert Cluck.

State Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, announced on Tuesday that he will run for re-election in House District 100, which he’s represented for four terms. Johnson’s name had surfaced as a possible successor for Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, who said this week that she is opting for another run for office.

State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, announced Wednesday he was endorsing U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for president.

State Rep. John Frullo, R-Lubbock, announced on Monday that he is endorsing Ted Cruz for president.

Barry Smitherman, who vied against Ken Paxton, Cruz's favored candidate last year for attorney general, is now throwing his support behind Cruz's presidential campaign.

State Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, confirmed on Wednesday his endorsement for “conservative fighter” state Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, in the Senate District 1 GOP primary.

House District 150 GOP challenger Terri Leo received endorsements on Monday from two former colleagues from the State Board of Education. Ken Mercer and David Bradley both threw their support Leo’s way with Mercer calling her a “a rock solid conservative.”

Conservative Republicans of Texas announced on Thursday its endorsement of retired radiologist Brent Mayes in the open Senate District 24 Republican primary.

State Rep. Allen Fletcher, R-Cypress, is endorsing businessman Bill King for Houston mayor. In doing so, Fletcher commended King's plans to aid Houston’s budget, including his strategy for pension reform.

State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, announced Wednesday that he has appointed Desireé Castro as a senior policy adviser in his office. A longtime Hinojosa staffer, she has worked as a policy analyst, focusing on issues related to criminal justice, border security, insurance and business.

Susan Turner Nold, former general counsel to state Sen. Kirk Watson, has been named the new director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the UT Moody College of Communication. She begins her new position on Monday.

The Houston Realty Business Coalition endorsed Bill King in the Houston mayoral race Thursday, praising his plans to add jobs to the city and make changes to the public pension program.

Pledging respect and trust between faith leaders, law enforcement officials and communities, Houston mayoral candidate Sylvester Turner announced endorsements from 135 Houston ministers on Thursday.

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