The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
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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The Austin American-Statesman and Houston Chronicle delved further in their Sunday editions into the circumstances around the no-bid Medicaid fraud software contract awarded to Austin technology firm 21CT. Full Story
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On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics: Gov. Rick Perry and the renaming of a building, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott tours the state and more on the race for speaker of the state House. Full Story
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Almost a decade after voters overwhelmingly added it to the Texas Constitution, the clock may be running out on the state's gay marriage ban. Full Story
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This week in the Roundup: With just a few weeks left in office, Gov. Rick Perry is planning an official farewell address to lawmakers, a Texas A&M proposal to honor Perry is pulled and the state is poised to weigh another sizable investment in mental health care. Full Story
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Is Texas in danger of recession next year because of the current swoon in oil prices? An economist with J.P. Morgan Chase is raising an early warning flag about that possibility. Full Story
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Texas' outgoing governor told Texas A&M graduates on Thursday evening that he needs a job, too — preferably one with a big jet and travel to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Full Story
Just a few years ago, Texas was shipping millions of dollars in food and goods to Cuba. The White House's decision to ease sanctions could reignite the state's once-flourishing economic ties with the island nation. Full Story
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Full video of my 12/18 conversation with U.S. Rep.-elect Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, who talked about the CIA torture report, Cuba, the Sony hack, border security, the Aggie Bonfire and more. Full Story
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The awarding of a no-bid Medicaid fraud detection contract to the 21CT company continues to draw scrutiny with three separate news reports published Wednesday evening. Full Story
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