At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples reaffirmed his intention to run for lieutenant governor in 2014 — regardless of what incumbent David Dewhurst does.
Politics
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Politics
University Looks to Land Spot in Drone Program
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, with the support of the governor’s office, is applying to the FAA to become part of a program that aims to significantly expand the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.
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Politics
Agenda Texas: What’s a Point of Order?
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: We look at the ways Texas lawmakers use legislative technicalities — or points of order — to derail legislation they don’t like.
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Health care
TribuneFest: Texas and the Affordable Care Act
At the Trib’s April 25 symposium on health care at the University of Texas at Austin, Becca Aaronson talked about federal health reform with state Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, John Davidson of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Anne Dunkelberg of the Center for Public Policy Priorities and former deputy comptroller Billy Hamilton.
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Demographics
TribLive: A Conversation With Gutierrez and Carter
On Monday, I interviewed two members of the U.S. House’s “Gang of Eight” — Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and John Carter, R-Round Rock — about comprehensive immigration reform: why we need it, what it should include and whether the votes are there in Congress to pass it.
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Economy
State’s Shale Boom Has Major Impact on Budget
Besides boosting the economies of remote towns, the shale boom has big implications for the Texas economy and budget. Already, taxes on oil and gas production have soared above the comptroller’s estimates.
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Politics
Agenda Texas: Perry Joins the Fight
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: With just four weeks left in the legislative session, Gov. Rick Perry has jumped into the fight over spending billions on water, transportation and business tax cuts.
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Criminal Justice
AG: Domestic Partner Benefits Violate Texas Constitution
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.
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Health care
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.
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Politics
The Brief: April 29, 2013
Gov. Rick Perry has taken aim again at California — this time over a controversial political cartoon.