First two items on the call from Gov. Rick Perry: The “non-revenue” and school finance bill, and the Medicaid reforms that were in SB 23. That’s where we start, and the governor can add as we go.
Politics
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Criminal Justice
20 Weeks in Which the Budget Held Sway
The 82nd Texas Legislature’s regular session ends as it started, with lawmakers arguing about a shrunken state budget and redistricting.
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Politics
Perry: Special Session on Congressional Maps Possible
Gov. Rick Perry opened the door to a special session on congressional redistricting — but only if leaders agree to a map in advance.
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Politics
Updated: Perry Flirting With White House Run
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, in his boldest statement yet about a possible run for national office, said Friday he will think about launching a campaign for president in coming days. “I’m going to think about it,” Perry said. He quickly added, “I think about a lot of things.”
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Politics
Conservative “Outsiders” Have Inside Track in Legislative Session
His nickname around the Texas Capitol is “mucus.” It’s a play on Michael Quinn Sullivan’s initials — MQS — but the moniker underscores how much of an irritant the conservative activist has become to politicians who dare buck his Tea Party orthodoxy. It also says something about his staying power.
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Demographics
AUDIO: Crownover, Taylor and Williams at TribLive
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands — about how they and their Republican colleagues fared this session.
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Demographics
Video: Crownover, Taylor and Williams at TribLive
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands — about how they and their Republican colleagues fared this session.
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University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
Race, Politics Not Always Linked, UT/TT Poll Finds
Texans think it’s more important to elect people who think like them than to elect people who look like them, and a small plurality believes redistricting should be turned over to an independent panel, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.
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Higher Education
A&M Regents Chairman Asks Faculty for “Patience and Trust”
On the eve of an important meeting of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, chairman Richard Box issued a systemwide, tone-setting memo.
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Higher Education
Chairman of A&M Regents Responds to Faculty Concerns
Last week, Texas A&M University System Board of Regents chairman Richard Box received a letter from five Texas A&M University professors concerned about his intended direction for the system. Today, he responded, saying, “We are all in this together.”