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.
Demographics
Explore population trends, diversity, and data shaping Texas communities, politics, and policy.
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Demographics
Video: Todd Staples at TribLive
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.
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Demographics
TribLive: Staples on Border Violence
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.
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Demographics
Guest Column: Mary and Joseph Were “Undocumented”
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.
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Demographics
Watch for Stowaways
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.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
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.
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Demographics
Voter Bill Draws Familiar Fight
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.
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Demographics
More Debate, Same Result: House Passes Sanctuary Cities
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.
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Demographics
After Emotional Debate, House Passes Sanctuary Cities Legislation
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.
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Demographics
Sanctuary Cities Bill Still Stuck in House
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.