The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
After questions about a special Senate committee hearing in San Antonio, and the appearance there of a challenger to House Speaker Joe Straus, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt makes a fairly strong case that there’s nothing to see here. Full Story
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Several experts worry that the low-lying residential areas in the Houston region are now more vulnerable to storms. Read more in our "Hell and High Water" project, done in collaboration with ProPublica. Full Story
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At a packed Travis County GOP executive committee meeting Tuesday night, it took less than a minute for someone to acknowledge the elephant not in the room — newly elected chair Robert Morrow. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday night won the the Idaho GOP presidential primary, and placed second to Donald Trump in Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii. Full Story
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He's taking calls from Mitt Romney. Adding Bushes to his finance team. Winning over Lindsey Graham. Emerging as the chief alternative to Donald Trump, Ted Cruz is drawing the attention — and support — of a Republican establishment he has built his political career brutalizing. Full Story
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With billions of dollars at stake, the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a tax showdown whose outcome could shake up the next legislative session while providing a boost to struggling petroleum drillers. Full Story
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Texas saw record turnout numbers in last week’s presidential primaries, but it still had one of the lowest voting-age participation rates of the states that have held primaries so far. Full Story
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Health plans say they could save Texas roughly $100 million per year in Medicaid costs if lawmakers would give them more freedom to choose generic drugs over name brands. Full Story
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Heading into another round of GOP nominating contests Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is determined to solidify his status as the chief alternative to Donald Trump. Full Story
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The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear arguments in a case that could deliver a multibillion-dollar windfall to struggling oil and gas producers, threatening to take a major bite out of state revenue. Full Story
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Texas health officials have asked a prominent academic journal to take the state's name off a published finding that Texas women lost access to health care services after lawmakers kicked Planned Parenthood out of a family planning program. Full Story
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Ted Cruz's allies are launching an all-out offensive to ensure Marco Rubio loses his home state, an effort that reflects the urgency of Cruz's mission to narrow the field to himself and Donald Trump. Full Story
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Endorsements seem harmless enough, but several state senators will have to eat some crow to get their legislation passed next year. They endorsed challengers to fellow legislators — and lost. Full Story
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Storage tanks along the Houston Ship Channel hold one of the world's largest concentrations of oil, gases and chemicals. Some scientists fear a disaster waiting to happen when Houston's perfect storm comes. Read more about this in our "Hell and High Water" project, done in collaboration with ProPublica. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was set Sunday to collect no delegates in Puerto Rico as fellow senator Marco Rubio swept the territorial primary in his second win of the presidential nominating race. Full Story
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Ted Cruz handily won the Kansas and Maine GOP presidential caucuses Saturday, while losing to Donald Trump in Louisiana and Kentucky. Full Story
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Ted Cruz has gotten his groove back. After underwhelming performances in a number of contests since the Iowa caucuses, the U.S. senator from Texas on Saturday night decisively regained momentum with victories in Kansas and Maine. Full Story
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Speaking to a gathering of the nation's most passionate conservatives, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz unloaded anew on the front-runners for the presidency from both parties. Full Story
This week on The Ticket: Jay Root and Ben Philpott give their takes on the March 1st Super Tuesday elections. And we talk about Chris Christie’s endorsement of Donald Trump with WNYC’s Matt Katz. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Higher Education Committee Chairman Kel Seliger expressed frustration Friday with Texas university presidents over recent decisions to raise tuition again this year. Full Story
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