Check our new Perrypedia — a home for stories and data about you-know-who, Ramshaw on health care in the colonias, Root’s look back at Rick Perry’s years as a Democrat, M. Smith on the pressures facing the TEA, yours truly on David Dewhurst’s impact on the U.S. Senate race, E. Smith’s panel discussion on the Cameron Todd Willingham case, Hamilton on Perry and higher ed, Murphy on who’s paying the pole tax, Grissom on Alto’s decision to close its police department, Aguilar on labor and security worries over trucking on the border and Galbraith on what government can’t do during a drought: The best of our best content from July 11 to 15, 2011.
Courts
Stay up to date on Texas courts with in-depth coverage of major rulings, judicial elections, criminal justice, and the judges shaping state law from The Texas Tribune.
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Criminal Justice
A Naked Gamble That the Pole Tax Gets Stripped
Four years and one seemingly endless lawsuit after Texas lawmakers passed a $5-per-patron strip club fee, just 111 of the state’s 176 strip clubs have paid any money. (View our interactive here.)
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawyers, Guns and Money
The Department of Justice’s decision this week to require firearms dealers in Texas and three other border states to report the multiple sales of long rifles will come down to a funding battle in Washington.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Updated: Shooting Victim’s Case Sent to Federal Court
Rais Bhuiyan is suing Gov. Rick Perry to stop the state from executing the man who shot him in the head 10 years ago.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribLive: A Conversation About Cameron Todd Willingham
Following our Tuesday night screening of Incendiary: The Willingham Case, I talked about the science of fire and death penalty politics with the filmmakers, Steve Mims and Joe Bailey Jr.; former Forensic Science Commission Chairman Sam Bassett; former Texas Gov. Mark White; and acting Corsicana City Attorney Terry Jacobson.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Perry Blasts New Federal Gun Rules
Gov. Rick Perry is attacking new Department of Justice reporting requirements for gun dealers in states on the U.S.-Mexico border, calling the new rules “misguided” and “constitutionally questionable.”
Posted in
Criminal Justice
After Execution, Perry Faces Political Fallout
The U.N.’s top human rights official says that the U.S. broke international law when the state of Texas executed a Mexican national last week. Matt Largey of KUT News reports on what that could mean for Gov. Rick Perry as he nears a presidential run.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aguilar on a change in law that affects applications for state-issued IDs, Galbraith on how the drought is taking its toll on wildlife, Hamilton on an outsider’s attempt to lower the cost of higher ed, Murphy visualizes the partisanship of House members, Ramsey on who becomes Lite Guv if David Dewhurst takes another job, Ramshaw on life in the colonias and three stories about Rick Perry — Grissom on how his death penalty stance might play in a 2012 presidential race, Root on how he cemented his reputation as one of the state’s most powerful governors and Tan on the growing demand for him to speak elsewhere: The best of our best content from July 4 to July 8, 2011.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Supreme Court Gives OK to Leal Execution
Despite the Obama administration’s plea for a stay, the U.S. Supreme Court won’t stand in the way of Texas’ plans to execute Mexican citizen Humberto Leal Jr. tonight.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
For Perry, Support of Death Penalty May Be Mixed Bag Nationally
In tough-on-crime Texas, Rick Perry has overseen the executions of 230 prisoners — more than any other modern governor. As he eyes a White House bid, his support of the death penalty could have mixed consequences.