demographics

Sanctuary Cities Legislation Back on Track

By Julián Aguilar May 20, 2011

Sanctuary cities legislation was revived today and will be sent to the Texas Senate for consideration. A Senate committee reversed course, approving the legislation. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribLive: Ellis and Van de Putte on Sanctuary Cities

By Evan Smith May 20, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Sens. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, explained why controversial sanctuary cities legislation may not make it out of the Texas Senate. Full Story
VIDEO: Ellis, Turner and Van de Putte at TribLive

By Evan Smith May 20, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, and state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio — about how they and their Democratic colleagues fared this session. Full Story
TribLive: Three Veteran Democrats on the 82nd Session

By Evan Smith May 20, 2011

At Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, and state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio — about how they and their Democratic colleagues fared this session. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Williams Explains Move That Gutted HB 12

By Julián Aguilar May 19, 2011

He may have pulled the plug on “sanctuary cities” legislation yesterday, but Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, said today he still supports it — even if he considers his own homeland security legislation a higher priority. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Sanctuary Cities Bill Gutted by Senate Committee

By Julián Aguilar May 18, 2011

In a surprise move that could effectively kill the sanctuary cities bill that Gov. Rick Perry declared an emergency item, a Senate committee today replaced the immigration language with a homeland security bill by state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Will the Sanctuary Cities Bill Survive the Senate?

By Julián Aguilar May 18, 2011

They won’t give names, nor will they engage in a game of hypothetical vote counting, but Senate Democrats will say the coalition forming against the state’s proposed sanctuary cities bill isn’t what observers would expect. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Audio: Todd Staples at TribLive

By Todd Wiseman May 16, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers, what he thinks about the Senate's two-thirds rule, his nascent campaign for lieutenant governor in 2014 and more. Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva
TribLive: Staples on Border Violence, the 2/3 Rule and More

By Evan Smith May 16, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers, what he thinks about the Senate's two-thirds rule, his run for lieutenant governor in 2014 and more. Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva
TribLive: Staples on Border Violence

By Evan Smith May 16, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers — and the web site he maintains to collect tales of the war in progress. Full Story
Video: Todd Staples at TribLive

By Evan Smith May 16, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers, what he thinks about the Senate's two-thirds rule, his nascent campaign for lieutenant governor in 2014 and more. Full Story
Guest Column: Mary and Joseph Were "Undocumented"

By Eddie Lucio Jr. May 16, 2011

As a Christian and a lawmaker, biblical stories form something of a lens through which I try to find focus when making public policy decisions — particularly as anti-immigrant bills have gained a disturbing momentum in Austin over the last few weeks. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Watch for Stowaways

By Ross Ramsey May 16, 2011

The sanctuary cities bill filed by Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, was a victory for conservative lawmakers who called for state enforcement of immigration laws. But the bill, which would prohibit cities, counties and other governmental entities or special districts from adopting a policy that prevents law enforcement from asking persons lawfully detained or arrested if they are in the country legally, could be the only victory in that category as time winds down in the current session. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey May 14, 2011

Aaronson on pork choppers, Aguilar on sanctuary cities legislation, Galbraith on Brownsville's ban on plastic bags, Grissom on Delma Banks and prosecutorial misconduct, Hamilton on a tough week for higher education in Texas, Philpott on wildfires and politics, Ramshaw on the state's pursuit of a federal Medicaid overhaul, M. Smith on what would happen if lawmakers don't rewrite school finance formulas, yours truly on the Lege as schoolyard and Stiles with interactive graphics on how the proposed Senate redistricting maps compare with current ones: The best of our best content from May 9 to 13, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Voter Bill Draws Familiar Fight

By Julián Aguilar May 12, 2011

In keeping with Republican lawmakers' promises to strengthen state voting laws, the House today tentatively passed a bill that would make it a separate punishable offense for an illegal immigrant or non-citizen to vote or attempt to vote. Full Story

Credit: Ben Philpott
More Debate, Same Result: House Passes Sanctuary Cities

By Julián Aguilar May 10, 2011

In a last-ditch effort to tweak one of their most despised bills of the session, House Democrats tried — and failed — to adopt several amendments today to the “sanctuary cities” bill first passed by the House late Monday. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
After Emotional Debate, House Passes Sanctuary Cities Legislation

By Julián Aguilar May 10, 2011

After hours of contentious and often emotional debate, the Texas House passed HB 12, the controversial "sanctuary cities" legislation. The measure was passed on a 100 to 47 vote just after midnight. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Sanctuary Cities Bill Still Stuck in House

By Julián Aguilar May 9, 2011

What will happen next in the debate over the contentious “sanctuary cities” bill is anyone’s guess. As the afternoon bleeds into night, Democrats in the Texas House are still huddling on the floor to discuss their next move. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Birdwell Tries, Fails to Hike Tuition for Undocumented

By Becca Aaronson May 9, 2011

An effort by Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, to require undocumented Texas students to pay out-of-state tuition rates sparked emotional debate in the Senate today, and forced Birdwell to pull the measure down. Full Story

Credit: Julian Aguilar
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith May 7, 2011

Aaronson on the latest attack on Planned Parenthood, Aguilar previews the sanctuary cities debate, Grissom on a death row inmate's unsuccessful appeal, Hamilton on the UT System's faculty "productivity" data dump, Philpott on the prospect of lawsuits over education cuts, Ramsey on puppies and other distractions, Ramshaw on a tobacco fight, my interview with the presidents of UT-Austin and Texas A&M, M. Smith on a former State Board of Ed member who may have violated state ethics law, Stiles interactively displays the effects of House redistricting and Tan on the Senate budget end game: The best of our best content from May 2 to 6, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman