Texas could trim the size of its court fights over redistricting by endorsing maps drawn by federal judges, but legislative leaders fear the harmony of the current session would evaporate in the process.
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
Railroad Commission Chairman Apologizes for Retweeting Noose Image
UPDATED: Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman apologized on Friday for retweeting an image that showed a noose beside the names of Republican U.S. senators who had voted down a gun-control filibuster.
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Energy
House to Feds: Pressure Mexico to Release Water
The Texas House on Thursday voted to formally ask the U.S. State Department to apply pressure on the Mexican government to release water owed to Texas under the terms of a treaty signed in 1944.
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Politics
Polling Center: Education Cuts Mattered at the Ballot Box, if Not in the Polls
Polls might show a low interest in public education cuts made by lawmakers in 2011, but some of the candidates who ran in 2012 found a very receptive electorate.
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Criminal Justice
The Polling Center: Cruz Registers Tea Party Embrace of Gun Rights
Attitudes about gun control proposals among Texas Republicans provide a foundation for understanding Sen. Ted Cruz’s resistance to the apparent compromise taking shape in the U.S. Senate.
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Politics
The Brief: April 11, 2013
With gun and immigration bills gaining new momentum in Washington, the spotlight has again fallen on Ted Cruz.
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Politics
The Polling Center: Texans Conservative on Concealed Carry
It’s no shock that Texans tend to be more conservative when it comes to federal gun control measures. But Texans are also conservative in another, more literal sense when it comes to proposals seeking to reduce the requirements to carry a concealed handgun.
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Politics
Carona Sets the Stage for Hearing on Gambling Measure
“You never really know when a major issue like this will find a break or an opportunity to be passed,” state Sen. John Carona said Monday of proposed legislation that could lead to the legalization of casino gambling in Texas.
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Higher Education
At Newspaper Conference, Powers Deflects Talk of UT Conflict
UT-Austin President Bill Powers addressed the future — and turbulent present — of the University of Texas System at the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors convention on Saturday.
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Politics
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Medicaid Expansion, the Budget and CPRIT
This week in the Newsreel: Gov. Rick Perry says no again to Medicaid expansion, the Texas House starts debate on a new state budget and the Senate approves CPRIT reform legislation.
