On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: What’s it like being a freshman lawmaker in the Texas Legislature? We talked to state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, about her first session under the dome.
Politics
Stay informed with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth political coverage, including Texas elections, state government, policy debates, and the leaders shaping the future of the state.
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Energy
Slideshow: A Divide Over a Proposed El Paso Power Plant
This slideshow shows various images from a far east El Paso community where a proposed power plant near a colonia has spurred some residents to mobilize in opposition.
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Economy
A House Less Susceptible to Political Stampedes
In 2011, state lawmakers fresh from a Tea Party election surge were hypersensitive to the opinions of and instructions from conservative activists. But as Thursday’s House budget debate showed, this session isn’t quite the same.
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Politics
TribLive: A Conversation With the Castro Brothers
Full video of my 4/2 TribLive conversation with San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin.
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Economy
El Paso Power Plant Draws Opposition
Citing the need for more power to meet the demands of a burgeoning community, El Paso Electric plans to build a natural gas power plant. But a legislator has joined forces with a coalition of residents intent to fight the project.
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Politics
Budget Amendment Pits Arts Against Firefighters
State Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, has reprised an effort from last session to remove funds from the Texas Commission on the Arts and dedicate them to assisting volunteer firefighters.
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Politics
Teachers Group Not Endorsing Amendments From Freshmen
The Texas Retired Teachers Association says it does not endorse any of the controversial budget amendments filed by freshman House Republicans that would put more money into the teachers’ health insurance fund.
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Politics
TribCast: Medicaid Expansion, Budget Fights and CPRIT
Emily, Ross, Reeve and Ayan discuss the debate over Medicaid expansion, the upcoming fight over the budget in the Texas House, and the latest issues with the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
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Criminal Justice
Report Says Gun Running Into Mexico on the Rise
Discussions on gun control are replete with arguments about background checks, ammunition limits and issues related to mental-health awareness. Gun running to Mexico, however, remains a key concern, a new study shows.
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Bidness As Usual
Data App: Ethics Explorer
With the addition of more than a dozen statewide elected officials to our Lawmaker Explorer — including Attorney General Greg Abbott and Comptroller Susan Combs and the state’s railroad commissioners and Supreme Court justices — we’re renaming it the Ethics Explorer.