The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Patrick said funding for health care benefits under TRS-Care should be the responsibility of the Legislature and "not fall on the shoulders of our retired teachers." Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Ross, Marissa and Emma about moldy, rat-infested state office buildings, family reunifications at the border, TV ads in the U.S. Senate race and a Republican state lawmaker's tough words for the Texas governor. Full Story
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When the state hands out report cards on school districts, don't forget the elected officials who write the policies those districts follow. Voters will grade their papers later this year — in the general election. Full Story
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The structure of immigration courts, unique in the federal government, has long been criticized for its potential for conflicts of interest. Full Story
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In a June 22 letter, Abbott's office directed agencies to run rules by him before publishing them. In a letter this week, state Rep. Byron Cook questioned the governor's authority to do that. Full Story
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The party claims that former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego doesn't live in Senate District 19, which includes parts of San Antonio and West Texas. Full Story
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The Texas Tribune’s Facebook community, This Is Your Texas, spent a month discussing how to improve civil discourse. Here's what some experts told us. Full Story
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The plan places a heavy burden on the American Civil Liberties Union, the advocacy group that successfully took the government to court this year to order the reunifications. Full Story
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The Trump administration has promised to phase out the Obama-era immigration program. But the president himself has also expressed sympathy for "Dreamers." Full Story
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The family's lawyer said that the small child “tragically died after being detained by ICE in unsanitary conditions.” Full Story
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The Texas Tribune is happy to announce a partnership with ProPublica this election season to help them track political ads on Facebook. We need your help. Full Story
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After a jump in applications in Texas ahead of the 2016 elections, green card holders seeking to become U.S. citizens have been caught in a growing backlog that has escalated under the Trump administration. Full Story
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Texas will hold its 2018 general election on Nov. 6. View the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian and independent candidates who will be on the ballot in races for statewide, congressional and legislative offices, as well as the State Board of Education. Full Story
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In a court filing, opponents of the state's voter ID law told a federal district judge that the case was settled and that they would not pursue any other changes or remedies. Full Story
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Homeland Security Press Secretary Tyler Houlton hailed the numbers as evidence that the Trump administration’s recent crackdown at the border has deterred immigrants from trying to cross into the country illegally. Full Story
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Texas has sued to end Obama's landmark health care law before. But this time it has support from the Trump administration, a new tax code and a potentially sympathetic judge. Full Story
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“It’s clear the administration’s goal is to deny and deport as many people as possible, as quickly as possible," said Jennifer Chang Newell, an attorney with the ACLU's Immigrants’ Rights Project. Full Story
Abbott said he wanted to fix a flawed system in Texas that allowed the man suspected of killing a trooper last year to get out of jail on bond despite having been previously accused of assaulting a deputy. Full Story
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The Texas Tribune obtained a recording of a town hall meeting with Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt and state workers nearly two weeks after they were relocated from the Austin State Hospital 636 building where a mold infestation had invaded their workspace. Full Story
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A head-spinning sequence of events appears to have put the Trump administration right where it started: running a "catch and release" immigration system in which families crossing the border illegally stay in the country as the government processes their asylum claims. Full Story
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