Ramsey on the fourth University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll (with insights into the statewide races, issues, the budget, and Texans’ view of the national scene), Hamilton and Thevenot in Galveston on the anniversary of Hurricane Ike, Ramshaw on secret hearings that separate children from their guardians, Hu on what former state Rep. Bill Zedler did for doctor-donors who were under investigation, Aguilar on the troubles around Mexico’s bicentennial, Galbraith talks coal and wind with the head of the Sierra Club, E. Smith interviews state Rep. Debbie Riddle about tourism babies and godless liberals, Grissom on why complaints about city jails go unaddressed, Philpott on the debate that will apparently never happen and Stiles continues to put the major-party gubernatorial candidates on the map: The best of our best from September 13 to 17, 2010.
Immigration
In-depth reporting on border issues, policies, communities, and the impact of immigration across the state, from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Demographics
A Conversation With Debbie Riddle
For the 12th event in our TribLive series, I interviewed the GOP state representative from Tomball about what she really said on CNN, whether “tourism” babies are a threat to national security, why an Arizona-style immigration law would be right for Texas and whether she’ll back Joe Straus for speaker.
Posted in
Demographics
The Show Must Go On
Despite the violence-fueled cancellation of bicentennial festivities in other major border towns, Nuevo Laredo plans to forge ahead with its celebration of Mexican Independence Day.
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Criminal Justice
A Hardline in the Sand
Nearly half of all Texans would repeal the constitutional promise of citizenship for anyone born on U.S. soil, and nearly two-thirds would favor Arizona-style laws allowing the police to ask about the immigration status of anyone they stop for any reason, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Galbraith’s three-parter on the battle over wind power transmission lines, Grissom on a convicted killer who got probation, Aguilar on how the U.S. census counts inmates in the Texas prison system, Stiles launches a new interactive tool tracking the candidates for governor, Hamilton on the Texas A&M University System’s latest accountability measure for faculty, Hu’s interview with Democratic megadonor Steve “Back to Basics” Mostyn, Philpott on how the Texas economy compares to that of other states and Ramsey on the start of the 2010 election sprint: The best of our best from Sept. 6 to 10, 2010.
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Criminal Justice
Counting Convicts
Almost 157,000 inmates in the Texas prison system were counted by the U.S. Census Bureau as living where they’re incarcerated and not as residents of their home counties — a policy that some opponents argue has dire political and economic consequences.
Posted in
Demographics
Ads Infinitum: White’s “Border Security” Pitch
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill White promises 1,000 more security officers on the Texas-Mexico border in his latest TV spot, appropriately titled “Border.”
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Demographics
TribBlog: Iraq Hand-Me-Downs to Texas?
Eighteen Democrats in the Texas House have asked President Obama to send U.S. surveillance aircraft from Iraq to Texas to help guard the state’s border with Mexico.
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Demographics
2010: Bill White’s Border Security Plan [Updated]
Gubernatorial candidate Bill White unveiled a border security plan today and chided Gov. Rick Perry over border cameras and his “unauthorized” spending of security money.
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Demographics
Emilio’s Exile
Journalist Emilio Gutiérrez says that after he reported on allegations that Mexican soldiers robbed citizens, the military threatened his life. That led him to seek asylum in the U.S. — but instead, he landed in an immigration detention center for seven months. He’s still waiting to find out his ultimate fate.