East Texas

Familiar Foes Simpson, Merritt Square Off Again

By Becca Aaronson April 24, 2012

GOP leaders from East Texas see a tight race in the HD-7 primary rematch between state Rep. David Simpson and Tommy Merritt, a former seven-term House member. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
First Minority Cancer Month Highlights Disparities

By Paul Theobald March 28, 2012

Lawmakers and health care advocates gathered today to kick off the state's first annual Minority Cancer Awareness Month, designated in the last legislative session to bring awareness to racial disparities in cancer survival. Full Story
Senate Committee Tackles Rural Child Welfare

By Gerald Rich March 21, 2012

Child Protective Services officials got an earful on Wednesday at a Senate hearing on improving the caseworker retention rates in rural communities. And they got a minor scolding from Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville. Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva
Texas Gets a D+ in Public Integrity Study

By Paul Theobald March 19, 2012

Texas has scored a 68 out of 100, placing 27th in a national state integrity study. The state got high marks for auditing and for monitoring pension funds, but not as high for accountability of the governor and legislators. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Urban Water Use Climbs Despite Restrictions

By Paul Theobald March 14, 2012

In 2011, residents of some large Texas cities increased their water usage — despite the widespread adoption of restrictions on lawn-watering. Full Story
Planned Parenthood Laments Expected Demise of Women's Health Program

By Paul Theobald March 2, 2012

A crowd gathered Friday at the Planned Parenthood Health Center in Austin to express concerns over the expected demise of the Women's Health Program. Full Story
Billionaire's PAC Admits Contribution Error, Seeks Refunds

By Paul Theobald Feb. 23, 2012

The political action committee of Dallas billionaire waste magnate Harold Simmons is asking 18 lawmakers to return about $65,000 in contributions after admitting that an oversight led to illegal campaign contributions. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Group Aims to Bring God Into Politics

By Paul Theobald Feb. 16, 2012

God and Country, a new Texas-based organization, will hold a rally Saturday at a Tyler church to “draw a line in the sand and aggressively and publicly defend those certain unalienable rights endowed by our creator.” Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
With Little Help From Austin, Texas' Solar Use Grows — Slowly

By Kate Galbraith June 3, 2011

Renewable energy companies are looking to this big, sunny state as the next frontier for solar power. But solar is expensive, and once again the Legislature did not pass a statewide solar incentive. Some companies and communities are forging ahead nonetheless. Full Story

Credit: Spencer Selvidge for The Texas Tribune
2010 Census Data for Texas Released

By Matt Stiles, Julián Aguilar and Ryan Murphy Feb. 17, 2011

New U.S. census data shows the Hispanic population in Texas increased by 42 percent since 2000 and makes up 38 percent of the population. The state's total population increased by 4,293,741 since 2000. Full Story
TribBlog: Proposed Immigration Laws Create Unlikely Alliances

By Julián Aguilar Jan. 6, 2011

Proposing state enforcement of immigration laws can produce strange bedfellows. "Who would imagine that after 28 years of law enforcement the ACLU would be talking so nicely about me,” Sheriff Richard Wiles joked after being introduced as a common-sense sheriff by ACLU of Texas Executive Director Terri Burke for his opposition to proposed legislation patterned on Arizona’s. Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller
Triggering a Debate

By Julián Aguilar Dec. 23, 2010

Should Texas gun sellers be required to notify the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when they sell two or more semi-automatic rifles to one person within a five-day period? The feds, desperate to stem the flow of weapons into Mexico, say yes. Gun rights advocates like Gov. Rick Perry say such a policy would be misguided. Full Story
TribBlog: Game On ... for Now

By Julián Aguilar Nov. 30, 2010

Unregistered high school umpires will keep their stripes on, for now. A U.S. district judge granted an injunction today requested by the Texas Association of Sport Officials, halting a University Interscholastic League mandate that all high school sports officials register with the agency. Some officials were refusing to register, risking a lockout. Full Story

Credit: Tom Pennington
Friday Night Lights Out?

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 20, 2010

The drama of the gridiron has found its way into a federal courtroom in a standoff between the Texas Association of Sports Officials and the University Interscholastic League. With the threat of a lockout of referees and their ilk, the result could be the hiring of scabs to replace them — or even the halting of games — just weeks before one of the year's most eagerly anticipated moments in Texas: the start of high school football playoffs. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
ICE Under Fire

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 11, 2010

A year after Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it would reform immigration detention, advocacy groups say the agency has fallen short on a few key counts: addressing alleged human rights violations and expanding alternatives to incarceration. Full Story

Credit: Ben Hassan
T-Squared: A Time of Renewal

By Evan Smith Sept. 22, 2010

Six weeks and counting: November 3, 2010, is the day when we reset the Trib membership clock to zero, when anyone who's been with us for a year or more needs to stand with us again to remain an active member. There are a bunch of good reasons to re-up. Full Story
TribBlog: Los Libertarios

By Julián Aguilar Sept. 20, 2010

Libertarians launch a new political action committee, Texas Libertarios, to show Latinos they have more choices than just Republicans and Democrats. Full Story

Credit: Texas Libertarios
Gubernatorial Debate, R.I.P.

By Ben Philpott, KUT News Sept. 16, 2010

That deadline set by Rick Perry has come and gone. The governor gave his Democratic challenger, Bill White, until midnight last night to release tax returns from his days as Deputy Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration. So, for now, it looks like Texas voters will not get to see the two men duke it out on the same stage. Ben Philpott KUT News and the Tribune has this report. Full Story
TribBlog: Magistrate Says Tort Reform Not Unconstitutional

By Emily Ramshaw Sept. 14, 2010

A federal magistrate says the medical malpractice caps Texas lawmakers instituted in 2003 should withstand a constitutional challenge. Full Story
And They're Off!

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 7, 2010

The start of the 2010 election sprint finds Texas Republicans feverish: Even the sober ones think they could snatch up to 10 more state House seats. Democrats maintain they can still wrest majority control away from the GOP. Full Story