The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Its brand-new headquarters is almost done, and its influence on public policy in Texas — and nationally — cannot be denied. At age 25, the Texas Public Policy Foundation is the big kid on the block among Austin think tanks. Full Story
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No final resolution was reached in any of the three special elections held on Tuesday. Full Story
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Gun rights advocates will use a 3-D printer to manufacture weapons at the Texas Capitol during an armed rally set for the opening day of the 2015 legislative session. Full Story
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Another day and another threshold is crossed in oil's steady downward march in value. This time it was the price of U.S. oil dipping below $50 during the day on Monday. Full Story
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Joined by many of Texas’ Republican elite as he was sworn in as the state’s attorney general on Monday, Ken Paxton said the state would have to guard against complacency. Full Story
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Central Texas voters will return to the polls on Tuesday to fill three vacant legislative posts — one in the Senate and two in the House. Full Story
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Three special elections are on tap for Tuesday, including two contests to find replacements for a pair of San Antonio Democrats who have opted to run for mayor. Full Story
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On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy and Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey share some political predictions for 2015 with host Jason Whitely. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, announced Sunday morning that he will challenge House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio to be the leader of the House Republicans. Full Story
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For this week's playlist of the news, we’re using our reporters' own predictions for 2015. Kicking things off: “The Best Is Yet To Come,” by Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, backed up by the Count Basie Orchestra. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry has championed private-market health care solutions and criticized public programs like Medicaid for being inefficient. Alexa Ura and Edgar Walters write about that and other notable health care issues that have come up during Perry's tenure. Full Story
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More than 100 firms have benefited from the Texas Enterprise Fund, the economic incentive program championed by Gov. Rick Perry to lure more jobs to Texas. Aman Batheja writes that Perry's office has nicknamed the fund “the deal closer,” but critics have a different name for it: slush fund. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry has given public remarks countless times over his long tenure. Most have gone off without a hitch. But he'll be best remembered for these gaffes or gasp-worthy moments that left him with some explaining to do. Full Story
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Thirty years is a lot to attribute to mere luck. Like Rick Perry or not, his considerable political skills have sustained him throughout his career in state politics. Full Story
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Boiling down Gov. Rick Perry’s legacy into a few bullet points isn’t easy. But reporters Reeve Hamilton and Jay Root look at some things people will surely remember years after Perry has left office. Their feature kicks off our 10-part series, The Perry Legacy. Full Story
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The lieutenant governor used to be the most powerful official in state government, but with a record-setting term in the governor's office, Rick Perry moved that post into the top spot. With new people in the top jobs, will the power shift back? Full Story
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The news crews have drifted away, and the national spotlight has turned elsewhere. But Central American immigrants continue to cross illegally into Texas, and their numbers seem to be growing again. Full Story
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Three Republicans and a lone Democrat say they're running for the District 13 House seat left open when Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, moved to the Senate. Full Story
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In a year in which the governor got indicted, candidates duked it out in races for every statewide political office and Ebola came to Dallas, there were plenty of contenders for this list. But we’ve done our best to collect the most noteworthy quotes of 2014. Full Story
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A clutch of Southern states are in talks to hold 2016 presidential primaries on the same day, according to a story by James Hohmann of Politico. Full Story
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