The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
A set of bills from conservative lawmakers would make it illegal for people to use the bathroom other than the one designated for their gender assigned at birth. Members of the transgender community say the legislation specifically targets them and even places a bounty on their heads. Full Story
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In a brief statement, the school said it was notified that Sen. Ted Cruz is "regrettably unable to join us" at the May event. No reason was given. Full Story
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The Opportunity and Freedom PAC, a group set up by Rick Perry's advisers to support his candidacy, raised more than $1 million this week in Texas, according to two Republicans with knowledge of the fundraising activity. Full Story
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A Tribune analysis of gun laws nationwide shows passing "open carry" legislation would make Texas an outlier among states with large urban populations. Many of the nation's biggest cities are located in states that prohibit it. Full Story
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Use our Local Debt Explorer to find out how much tax-supported debt is held by your city, county and school district. The data is collected by the Texas Bond Review Board and reflects each entity’s debt load as of August 2014. Full Story
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Full video of my 4/2 conversation with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, who is contemplating a run for president in 2016. Full Story
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Tuesday's special election to replace former state Rep. José Menéndez appears to have set a record low for voter turnout in races of its kind. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz this week began his first swing through Iowa as a declared presidential candidate. He started out at a college in Sioux City, hoping to attract young people to his fledgling campaign. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Will Hurd raised over $500,000 in his first quarter in Congress. The figure comes hours after the man Hurd ousted last November, Democrat Pete Gallego, announced he would challenge Hurd to a rematch. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has approached Texas A&M International University about speaking at the Laredo college's spring commencement, the A&M System confirmed Thursday. Full Story
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As expected, former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, will run for Congress in a rematch against Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio. Hurd ousted Gallego in 2014 by a 2-point margin. Full Story
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In the contest for the Republican nomination, Jeb Bush tops the field with 20 percent of voters who lean Republican, followed by Ted Cruz at 13 percent. Rick Perry is down around 2 percent, the poll found. Full Story
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Often seen as a workers' rights issue, worker misclassification can have a direct impact on the state's child support collections. Some workers want to be classified as contractors to dodge wage garnishment. Full Story
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One state lawmaker has an idea to encourage Texans to conserve energy: Stop charging them for doing so. Rep. Sylvester Turner's legislation would bar companies from charging customers for using too little energy – a common practice. Full Story
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The city of McAllen, Houston Community College and Texas A&M University have applied to host a presidential or vice presidential debate in 2016, organizers announced Wednesday. Full Story
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A week after becoming the first major candidate to announce he's running for president, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has risen to the "top tier" of Republican White House hopefuls, according to a poll released Wednesday. Full Story
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A bill that would enact a statewide texting-while-driving ban is advancing in the Texas Legislature, and it could affect some local ordinances already in place. Here's a look at which municipalities currently have restrictions. Full Story
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House Democrats tried — and mostly failed — to divert funds allotted for border security and the Texas Department of Public Safety to other departments during Tuesday’s budget debate. Full Story
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The Texas House was poised to take a vote banning private school vouchers as it adopted the state budget Tuesday. But about nine hours into the debate, the lawmaker carrying the measure withdrew it from consideration. Full Story
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Ted Cruz returned home Tuesday evening to a hero's welcome, rallying hundreds of supporters outside the headquarters of his week-old presidential campaign with an impassioned plea to replicate the energy that propelled him to Congress in 2012. Full Story