The Texas Constitution prohibits government entities from recognizing domestic partnerships and offering those couples insurance benefits, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote in an opinion on Monday.
Politics
Stay informed with The Texas Tribuneโs in-depth political coverage, including Texas elections, state government, policy debates, and the leaders shaping the future of the state.
TribuneFest: Health Care and the 83rd Session
At the Trib’s April 25 symposium on higher education at the University of Texas at Austin, state Reps. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, and John Zerwas, R-Simonton, talked about Medicaid, mental health and more.
The Brief: April 29, 2013
Gov. Rick Perry has taken aim again at California โ this time over a controversial political cartoon.
Perry Willing to Call Special Session
Gov. Rick Perry is warning state legislators that it could be a long, hot summer in Austin if they donโt pass his top priorities: funding water and transportation projects and cutting business taxes.
Agenda Texas: The Influence of Presidential Libraries
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: The George W. Bush Presidential Center is Texas’ third presidential library. Will the accumulation of all that policy history give the state a boost on the national political scene?
House Backs $875 Million Budget Bill After Hot Debate
A debate in the Texas House on a supplemental budget bill Friday veered into debates on the Travis County district attorney’s drunken driving charge and the murder of two Kaufman County prosecutors.
Senate Backs Limits on Subsidies for Event Trust Funds
Promoters say tax subsidies are needed to lure events that otherwise wouldn’t be held in Texas. Critics say the practice is corporate welfare. The Texas Senate on Thursday backed legislation that keeps the subsidies going but with new restrictions and oversight.
South Texas Irrigation District Running Dry
If current drought conditions persist, farmers in Willacy and Hidalgo counties who receive water from the Delta Lake Irrigation District in South Texas will have to look for other options in June.
The Brief: April 25, 2013
The national spotlight turned to Dallas on Wednesday as a cavalcade of political stars began to descend on the city for the dedication of a new presidential library.
Disclosure Bill Clears House Committee
Politically active nonprofits would be required to disclose their donors under a bill that passed handily out of a House committee Wednesday.


