A Longshot for Speaker, With Money to Spend
Rep. Scott Turner, R-Frisco, has not been in the Texas House for two years, but the freshman lawmaker and former California congressional candidate has his eye on the top job there: speaker. Full Story
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![Scott Turner at the Texas GOP state convention in Fort Worth, Texas, June 5, 2014]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Villalba Urges GOP to Woo Hispanics
State Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, urged the GOP to focus on appealing to Hispanic voters, emphasizing that the “ultimate survivability of the Republican Party” is at stake, in an Austin speech Thursday. Full Story
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![Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, takes questions from reporters after filing the Protection of Texas Children Act on Feb. 6, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Brief: Aug. 1, 2014
Ted Cruz has become the latest D.C.-based practitioner of the Pottery Barn rule: He broke the border bill, and now, possibly more than any other single person, he owns it. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas thanks Republican delegates in Fort Worth on June 6, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
In Bank Debate, High Stakes for Texas Businesses and GOP
A once-obscure federal export credit agency has landed at the center of a national debate over business and free-market ideology, with potentially enduring ramifications for the Texas companies it supports and the Republicans it is dividing. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas.]()
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Time Running Out for Congress to Address Border Immigration Crisis
UPDATED: After the U.S. House called off a vote Tuesday afternoon on a $659 million supplemental bill for border security operations, Gov. Rick Perry said Congress is "abandoning its post." Full Story
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![A detainee sleeps in a holding cell at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility, Wednesday, June 18, 2014, in Brownsville, Texas. CPB provided media tours Tuesday of two locations in Brownsville and Nogales, Ariz. that have been central to processing the more than 47,000 unaccompanied children who have entered the country illegally since Oct. 1.]()
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The Brief: July 31, 2014
This week's House committee hearing in which leading officials in charge of executing the plan said they never asked for Guard troops revealed another aspect of Rick Perry's border action, according to the Houston Chronicle's Patrick Svitek. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry announces the deployment of National Guard troops along the Texas border as Texas Guard Adjutant General John Nichols listens at the Texas Capitol on July 21, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: July 30, 2014
Top officials at the Texas National Guard and the Department of Public Safety on Tuesday told a select House committee looking at the costs of the ongoing border operation that they did not request Guard troops. Full Story
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![Adjutant General John Nichols of the Texas National Guard explains the Guard's role in helping secure the border as Gov. Rick Perry, l, and DPS Director Steve McCraw listen July 21, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Congress Holds Hearing on Red River Land Fight
UPDATED: Lawmakers at a congressional hearing Tuesday considered legislation that seeks to clear up confusion over whether Texans who live along the Red River own their property — or whether the federal government does. Full Story
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![A view of the Red River looking east, north of Bonham, Texas. Texas is to the right, and Oklahoma is on the left. The border between the two states runs along the south (right) bank of the river.]()
Credit: Henley Quadling -
The Brief: July 29, 2014
At a special University of Texas System regents meeting on Tuesday evening, they are expected to name a sole finalist for the system's next chancellor. And their choice is expected to be Admiral William H. McRaven. Full Story
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![Admiral William H. McRaven, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, was named the sole finalist to be chancellor of the University of Texas System on July 29, 2014. McRaven holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.]()
Credit: Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey, U.S. Air Force -
Castro Invites Perry to Discuss Border With Texas Reps
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, has asked Gov. Rick Perry to meet with the entire Texas congressional delegation to discuss the influx of illegal immigrants at the border and to “help set a more positive tone.” Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, at a victory party for congressional candidate Pete Gallego at Don Pedro Mexican Restaurant in San Antonio on Nov. 6, 2012.]()
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GOP State Senate Nominees Speak Out Against Historical Racing
Five Republican nominees for seats in the Texas Senate voiced public opposition Monday to a proposal that would allow a controversial new form of betting on horse races in Texas. Full Story
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The Brief: July 28, 2014
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bob Ray Sanders is pushing back against one major tenet of the conventional wisdom surrounding the race for governor: Wendy Davis needs to maintain a healthy separation between her and President Obama. Full Story
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![State Sen. Wendy Davis, the 2014 Democratic nominee for governor, addressing supporters on July 13, 2014, in East Austin.]()
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With Summer Ads, Some Campaigns Are Testing Conventional Wisdom
In Texas, the traditional model for general election campaign advertising — don't run ads before Labor Day — is being challenged by some campaigns. Full Story
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![Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott isn't on TV right now, but he is spending campaign funds to screen his latest 30-second spot at theaters before screenings of some summer blockbusters.]()
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Denton Fracking Ban Could Spur Legal Clash
A North Texas town's effort to ban hydraulic fracturing may prompt an unprecedented showdown between two powerful rights: a city's authority to shape development and mineral owners' right to tap their resources. Full Story
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![A gas well is shown in 2014 sitting less than 400 feet from a home in Denton.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill -
The Brief: July 25, 2014
Can those National Guard troops being sent to the border arrest people? The latest word is they can. And the reason why is that Rick Perry sent them, and not the federal government. Full Story
![Adjutant General John Nichols of the Texas National Guard explains the Guard's role in helping secure the border as Gov. Rick Perry, l, and DPS Director Steve McCraw listen July 21, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Cuellar: "Failure is Not an Option" on Border Crisis
If lawmakers do not act to address the immigration crisis on Texas' southern border before their August break, smugglers will get the message that the government does not take the crisis seriously, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar says. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) speaks with state Rep. Doug Miller R-New Braunfels, during a visit to the Texas Capitol on Feb. 19, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Study: Gay Marriage Would Boost Economy
Texas could add $180 million to its economy if it allowed same-sex couples to get married, according to a new study. But odds are that Texas lawmakers won't repeal the ban on gay marriage anytime soon. Full Story
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The Brief: July 24, 2014
The Rick Perry Presidential Watch has revved up in a big way. Full Story
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Analysis: A Border Plan — and a Political One
Gov. Rick Perry said a plan to send National Guard troops to the state's border with Mexico was necessary because the federal government isn't doing enough there. The move could also address a political weak spot he discovered in his 2012 presidential run. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry, flanked by State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, and Texas Adjutant General John Nichols, announces the deployment of National Guard troops to the Texas border on July 21, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Series: Falling Behind
Check out Falling Behind, our 10-part series on the flip side of state leaders' aggressive pursuit of the "Texas Miracle" — from water woes and backed up traffic to missed opportunities in public education and climate change. Full Story
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