Because β as both Democrats and Republicans know well β the drawing of congressional, legislative and State Board of Education district lines determines, to a large extent, the outcomes of future elections. Full Story
Aaronson analyzes TWIA claims and lawyer fees, Aguilar talks border security and voter ID with Chuy Hinojosa, Grissom on the latest inmate exonerated via DNA evidence, Hamilton interviews John Sharp on higher ed and the SEC, Murphy interactively maps the changes wrought by redistricting, Philpott on who's running Texas while Rick Perry is out campaigning for president, Ramsey on Perry's history of off-the-cuff remarks, Ramshaw on Perry's childhood years in Paint Creek, Root on Perry's extraordinary first week on the trail and Tan on even more ways Texas will change on Sept. 1: The best of our best content from Aug. 15-19, 2011. Full Story
As the last legislative session demonstrated, the governor has a failing record on issues important to Latinos, including public education, expanded pre-K, college access, redistricting and immigration. Full Story
As expected, state Sen. Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, will run for Congress next year instead of for re-election to the Texas Senate. State Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, may run for his Senate seat. Full Story
Building on the success of our previous redistricting interactive, the Tribune has prepared a new version that includes the redistricting maps for the state House, Senate and State Board of Education. Full Story
Texas bypassed the Obama administration's Department of Justice on Tuesday, opting to ask a panel of federal judges in Washington, D.C., to review the state's new maps for congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts. Full Story
That exhibition of musical chairs is contingent on the outcomes of several lawsuits filed against this or that piece of the new political maps drawn by the Legislature earlier this year. Full Story
Texas lawmakers actually finished their redistricting work this year, drawing new maps for Congress, the Texas House and Senate, and for the State Board of Education. But the fight is just starting, and could last beyond next yearβs elections. Full Story
Your afternoon reading: Rick Perry may or may not be running for president, but he definitely had back surgery today. Also, his security detail may not have to disclose their travel records after all. Full Story
CNN is anticipating another redistricting showdown in Texas. The Mexican American Legislative Caucus, led by state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, is preparing for a court battle over the newly-passed congressional map. Full Story
SB 4, the Legislature's attempt at redrawing congressional lines to make room for four new districts, has made its way through the House and Senate and been sent to Gov. Rick Perry. Use our interactive map to see how each district would change under the proposal. Full Story
Weatherford car dealer Roger Williams switched from the U.S. Senate race to a race for Congress this morning, finishing up a swap that began last week with calls to supporters in and around the new CD-33. Full Story
Now that lawmakers have drawn, approved and sent congressional redistricting maps to the governor for approval, the Senate voted to hand future mapmaking to a bipartisan, non-legislative commission. Full Story
San Antonio State Rep. Joaquin Castro will take on veteran U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett to vie for a newly-created congressional district that spans from San Antonio up to southern Travis County. Full Story
Credit:
Illustration by Caleb Bryant Miller / Justin Dehn
The Tribune counts down to the end of the special session with updates on where the major issues added to the agenda by Gov. Rick Perry stand. Full Story
The Texas House tentatively passed SB 4 on Tuesday afternoon, following nearly four hours of debate in which Democrats argued the congressional redistricting plans under consideration would "ensure" minority voters will lack proper representation in Congress. Full Story
The Texas House Redistricting Committee approved a new version of the congressional map that makes a few tweaks, mainly in North and South Texas. But the overall goal remains the same: Maintain and expand Republican power in Washington. Full Story
Tuesday's contentious debate on the state Senate floor over a proposed congressional redistricting map, which passed on a party line vote, was just a hint of why graduate students at Texas A&M University β and even some lawmakers β are studying alternative ways to handle the process. Full Story
Former Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, who has been running a GOP primary campaign to succeed Kay Bailey Hutchison in the U.S. Senate, has begun actively soliciting endorsements for the congressional seat he intends to seek instead, according to an email obtained Monday night by the Tribune. Full Story