The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
In a state capital where moving from the Legislature to the lobby — and, sometimes, the other way — is unremarkable, it’s also common to find the relatives of lawmakers lobbying the state government. Full Story
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While members of the Texas Legislature can no longer act as lobbyists before state agencies, plenty of lawmakers still manage to lobby local governments. Others find work that critics would classify as lobbying by another name. Full Story
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The plot in the David Dewhurst campaign fund scandal continues to thicken. Full Story
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Your evening reading: Perry heading to California for business tour; Morton sees "road to accountability" in inquiry; Poe to help lead GOP immigration caucus Full Story
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Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, and Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, both filed legislation on Thursday that would require personal financial statements submitted to the Texas Ethics Commission to be made available online. Full Story
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Last week, House Speaker Joe Straus appointed a committee to examine the state's Code of Criminal Procedure. Committee members and relevant interest groups were caught by surprise, but they say the code is long overdue for revisions. Full Story
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The sparring match between the governors of Texas and California is starting to take on tones of a full-blown rivalry. Full Story
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Ross, Reeve, Ben and Morgan discuss the recent ruling in the school finance lawsuit, ongoing troubles with CPRIT, and the recent emergency meeting of the University of Texas System Board of Regents. Full Story
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If Ted Cruz seems to be marching out of step with GOP leaders attempting to lower the volume on the party’s immigration rhetoric, results from the last UT/Texas Tribune poll suggest the drumbeat he's listening to is the one being played by his voters. Full Story
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Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, criticized Republican Comptroller Susan Combs on Wednesday, saying she had a “cavalier” approach to doling out millions of dollars in tax incentives, including the award eventually granted to the promoters of F1 auto racing. Full Story
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A planned interstate highway stretching from South Texas to Michigan remains decades away, but Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday that lawmakers should find more money for the project and ones like it. Full Story
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Despite strong resistance inside and outside the Legislature, groups representing gambling interests hope that a collaborative approach can help them make a breakthrough this legislative session. Full Story
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As the Boy Scouts of America prepared to reconsider its ban on gay membership, a slew of Texas officeholders jumped into the debate on Tuesday. Full Story
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The new chairman and vice chairman of the Texas Ethics Commission board on the state’s disclosure rules, their efforts to prioritize certain types of ethics complaints and the reforms they anticipate in the 83rd legislative session. Full Story
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CNN host Piers Morgan, who has been fiercely critical of U.S. gun laws since the elementary school killings in Connecticut, is bringing his show to Texas on Monday to debate gun policy. Full Story
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When money was tight two years ago, the state's top budget writers employed cutbacks and accounting tricks to balance the budget. Money is flowing again, but the budget folks are still finding it easy to say no. Full Story
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The renewed debate over gay membership in the the Boy Scouts of America has pitted Gov. Rick Perry squarely against President Obama. Full Story
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Your evening reading: Perry calls for more charter schools; Obama administration offers compromise on birth control rule; governor's call for tax relief sparks confusion Full Story
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The $1.8 billion in tax relief that Gov. Rick Perry called for this week was short on details, but the few that are out there are already sparking questions. Full Story
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The governor stayed away from social issues and some obvious hot-button topics in his State of the State speech this week. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a political speech. Full Story
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