After a relatively calm regular session, Gov. Rick Perry is flexing his partisan muscles as the special session presses on. Redistricting, abortion-related issues and a threat to cut off state funding for the Public Integrity Unit are ratcheting up tensions.
Politics
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Politics
Guest Column: What Redistricting is (and Isn’t) About
Republicans in Texas have their near-supermajorities. They could forfeit many of their arguments over redistricting, make the courts and most of the Democrats happy, and still get what they want.
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Energy
Focus on Border Aquifers Urged During Push for More Water From Mexico
A water war between the U.S. and Mexico dominates headlines amid a record drought. But some experts caution that a larger issue is boiling beneath the surface: the mining of unregulated transnational aquifers.
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Politics
Early in Election Cycle, 2014 Ballot is All Red
The 2014 election cycle is shaping up as a busy one, with open seats across the statewide ballot. Republicans are lining up fast for those spots, but so far, the Democratic side of the ballot is empty.
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Politics
Newsreel: Redistricting, Recess and Rejection
This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: Lawmakers said it would take seven to 10 days to deal with redistricting during the special session, and that turned out to be wildly optimistic.
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Politics
Redistricting is Harder Than It Looked at First
Texas lawmakers set out to do a quick fix on the state’s political maps. They soon found out there was nothing quick about it.
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Demographics
Guest Column: Pulling Young Texans Into Civic Life
Young Texans are less likely to vote than the 30-and-older set, but they do volunteer work and take part in conversations about politics.
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Demographics
Guest Column: Shifting Demographics and the Future of Texas Politics
The fastest-growing population in Texas is also one of the least civically engaged populations in the state. Amid the talk about how new Hispanics in Texas will vote, it’s worth asking how many of them will vote at all.
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Politics
Guest Column: Civic Engagement and the Future of Texas
Texas is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to civic participation in the U.S., according to the Texas Civic Health Index. Only a few states had lower voter registration, political discussion and contact between public officials and the public.
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Bidness As Usual
Video: Session of Transparency Fell Short
When it came to passing major ethics reforms that would have increased transparency for elected officials, the 83rd Legislature didn’t make much headway. Lawmakers, it seems, didn’t have the appetite for increased public disclosure.