The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Corsicana Republican state Rep. Byron Cook, who has an adopted child, says both same-sex adoptive parents should be listed on a Texas birth certificate. He believes it's best for the children, though it puts him at odds with his party's stance on gay rights issues. Full Story
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News that U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz would deliver a major speech at Liberty University on Monday set off a wave of speculation late Friday that the Texas Republican was preparing to take a step into the 2016 presidential race. Full Story
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Recent episodes highlight a rapidly deteriorating relationship between the cowboy hat-wearing agriculture commissioner and the Legislature that once counted Sid Miller as one of its own. Full Story
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Ted Cruz has turned his attention to D.C. politics, introducing measures to keep religious colleges from having to fund gay and lesbian student groups and to upend a law on discrimination over reproductive health decisions. Full Story
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Amid an ongoing scandal over how the state awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to a private company, the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday approved Senate Bill 20, which would overhaul the state’s contracting processes. Full Story
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Annise Parker, who is serving her final year as Houston's mayor, has left her mark on the nation’s fourth-largest city and become a national figure in LGBT politics. Doing both at the same time hasn’t always been easy. Full Story
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San Antonio sophomore U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro has landed a spot as a chief deputy whip, making him one of House Democratic leadership's top vote counters on the House floor. Full Story
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As the state’s largest health agency reels from a scandal over how it awarded contracts to private vendors, lawmakers on Wednesday said they are slowing down on their ambitious — and controversial — plan to restructure it. Full Story
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The state of Texas is suing the Obama administration for giving medical leave benefits to certain same-sex couples, according to an announcement Wednesday from Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
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A new judge Wednesday reaffirmed the dismissal of a ruling by the Texas Ethics Commission against conservative power broker Michael Quinn Sullivan. Full Story
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Josh Perry, Ted Cruz's top digital strategist, is joining the Texas senator's political operation in Houston. Full Story
Following a preliminary Senate vote on Wednesday, Texas is now a step closer to requiring public colleges and universities to allow concealed handguns on campus — a policy opposed by many higher education leaders. Full Story
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The Senate's proposed changes to the state's breast and cervical cancer screening program — intended to cut funding for Planned Parenthood clinics — could hit low-income women in rural and West Texas hardest. Use our map to see how. Full Story
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State Rep. Stuart Spitzer is afraid the federal government can use medical records to identify gun owners. Over the objections of the medical community, he has filed a bill that would prohibit doctors from asking patients whether they own a firearm. Full Story
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Plenty of lawmakers are siding with the oil industry in response to Denton's vote to ban fracking inside city limits. What's surprising this session is how few are weighing in for local control. Full Story
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Texas A&M University is finalizing its application to host a 2016 presidential or vice presidential debate. Full Story
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Both Rick Perry and Ted Cruz are showing New Hampshire voters that they are willing to brave icy weather to travel across the state and get their messages to voters. But the two likely Republican presidential candidates are taking different paths. Full Story
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A bill lifting some of the state's restrictions on handguns passed easily on a 20-11 vote after repeated Democratic efforts to amend it were defeated. Full Story
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After taking a backseat in 2013, legislation to cut off funding to so-called sanctuary cities that don't use local police to enforce federal immigration laws is under debate before a Senate subcommittee. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Monday opened the Austin outpost of his likely 2016 presidential campaign. Full Story
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