Judges are elected in Texas, but Gov. Rick Perry has picked the winners on the state’s highest civil court almost without fail since he took office in 2000.
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.
Executions Probably Not an Issue — for Now
This week, Martin Robles became Texas’ ninth execution of the year. Convicted in a Corpus Christi gang shooting, his death was not among the most controversial to happen on the watch of Gov. Rick Perry. During his decade in the Texas governor’s office, Perry has overseen more than 230 executions, more than any governor in modern history.
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aguilar on the denial of asylum petitions by border judges, Galbraith on the history of wind, Grissom talks to the head of the Jail Standards Commission, Hamilton on plans for the state’s new online university, Murphy and Ramsey on political warchests at midyear, Philpott on Texas’ trucker shortage, Ramsey talks data privacy and abortion with Susan Combs, Ramshaw on the Rick Perry’s experimental adult stem cell procedure, Root on the response to The Response, M. Smith on the country’s could-be next first lady and Tan on a few of the ways Texas will change on Sept. 1: The best of our best content from Aug. 1 to 5, 2011.
Political Warchests at Midyear
About two dozen candidates and political action committees have more than $1 million in their accounts, some of them much more, according to our analysis of midyear filings with the Texas Ethics Commission.
Political Armories at Midyear
About two dozen candidates and political action committees have more than $1 million in their accounts, some of them much more, according to a Texas Tribune analysis of midyear filings with the Texas Ethics Commission.
Susan Combs: The TT Interview
The state comptroller talks about the flip in her position on abortion, the data breach at her agency this spring, what office she might seek next and how all of the politics of those subjects mix.
Susan Combs: The TT Interview (audio)
Comptroller Susan Combs, on her agency’s data breach, her changed position on abortion, andher political future.
Adan Muñoz: The TT Interview
Adan Muñoz, executive director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards talks with The Texas Tribune about budget cuts and the challenges of running a jail.
Adan Muñoz: The TT Interview
The director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards on the agency’s budget cuts, jail overcrowding and eroding facilities.
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson examines the Texas jobs “miracle,” Root on how Rick Perry built his financial portfolio, Tan and Wiseman on Perry vs. Ron Paul, Philpott on how budget cuts will affect a mental health provider, yours truly on a House freshman who was less than impressed with his first legislative experience, M. Smith on public schools charging for things that used to be free, Hamilton on a new call to reinvent higher education, Grissom on a rare stay of execution, Galbraith on the end of a Panhandle wind program, Aguilar on the increase of legal immigration into the U.S. and Texas: The best of our best content from July 25 to 29, 2011.

