Analysis: The Texas legislative tales that (almost) got away
The big bills and arguments and personalities in the Texas Legislature catch most of the attention and headlines, but little things deserve their time in the spotlight, too. Full Story
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![House Ways and Means Chair Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, speaks with House Appropriations Chair John Otto, R-Dayton, and House Administration Chair Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, on the House floor on May 14, 2015.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Abbott's professor recruitment program could lose funding
Draft budgets by both the Texas House and Senate have zeroed out funding for the Governor's University Research Initiative, a project started by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2015. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to a large crowd of state leaders at the Texas Education & Workforce Summit Sept. 19, 2016 at the AT&T Center.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Sandra Bland Act would change processes for law enforcement, jails
The bill's proposals include limiting police searches during stops, adding reporting requirements for racial profiling and creating an independent ombudsman to monitor inmates' rights and services. Full Story
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![State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, announces the Sandra Bland Act at a press conference at the Capitol on March 2, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
With money tight, will Texas leaders use the state’s savings account?
Facing a shortage of cash, will Texas lawmakers tap the $10 billion piggybank known as the Rainy Day Fund? Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Lawmaker wants to give Texas psychologists power to write prescriptions
A bill from state Rep. Dustin Burrows would let some Texas psychologists write prescriptions. Supporters say the move would ease a shortage of psychiatrists, currently the only mental health doctors allowed prescription privileges. Full Story
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Analysis: With opposition to vouchers, public ed chairman is protecting legislators from voters
Lawmakers rarely get blamed for votes that never take place, and that's the basis for one of the oldest protection rackets in the legislative toolkit: Killing a controversial bill before it comes to the full House or Senate. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Humble, newly appointed chair of the House Education Committee, talks public education at TTEvents on Feb. 28, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Businesses oppose legislation limiting public information exemptions
Businesses opposed SB 407 and SB 408 at a public hearing, arguing that open records requests could put them at a competitive disadvantage. Full Story
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![Sen. Kirk Watson D-Austin during a February 15, 2017 Senate Committee on Health and Human Services]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Texas Senate approves convention of states legislation
The Texas Senate approved a resolution Tuesday calling for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution, one of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's four emergency items. Full Story
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![Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, listens during a debate over Senate Bill 11 on March 18, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Top Republican counsels against secret taping
After unconfirmed reports that House members were recording private conversations with colleagues, the Republican who oversees internal affairs in the chamber said he's asked members to refrain from any surreptitious taping. Full Story
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![State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Ft. Worth, chairman of the House Administration Committee, looks toward the gallery while House members watch severe weather during debate on May 25, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Rise in Texas maternal deaths absent from legislative agenda
Texas’ maternal deaths have been sparingly mentioned during the legislative session, overshadowed by issues such as child welfare, the so-called “bathroom bill” and sanctuary cities. Full Story
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Analysis: In bathroom bill, politics disguised as policy
As policy, the proposed regulations for transgender Texan's restroom choices have some gaping holes. The politics, however, are easy to understand. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Emily Albracht -
Texas proposal would keep cities from restricting short-term home rentals
Senate Bill 451 would prevent Texas cities from banning or restricting short-term home rentals. Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth are among the cities that have enacted such restrictions. Full Story
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![Homes on Garden Street in Austin on Feb. 24, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Anchia and Huffines on how legislative issues impact Dallas (video)
Full video of Evan Smith's 2/24 conversation with state Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and state Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas. Full Story
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Analysis: On child protection, the money might be the hardest part
The safety net for Texas children has some big holes in it, and most lawmakers want that fixed. But it's going to cost money — a harder sell in a conservative Texas Legislature. Full Story
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![Women "walk the track" on a stretch of Bissonnet Street in Houston. Pimps gather nearby in fast food and strip mall parking lots as potential johns circle and standard traffic passes through.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
The UT/TT pollsters on Trump, pot, bathrooms and more (podcast)
In a special edition of the TribCast, Ross talks to University of Texas/Texas Tribune pollsters Jim Henson and Daron Shaw about Donald Trump, marijuana, bathrooms and other poll results. Full Story
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Credit: Emily Albracht / Todd Wiseman -
Texas attorney general on funding for sex-trafficking victims: "We'll take what we can get"
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said more should be done to help sex-trafficking victims and protect vulnerable children in Texas — but that it's not up to him to fund those efforts. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called sex trafficking "one of the most heinous crimes facing our society" at a recent press conference. Estimates suggest there are 79,000 child victims of sex trafficking in Texas.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
With bullet train, state's rural roots and urban future on collision course
A private firm's proposed Houston-Dallas bullet train would connect two of America's biggest metropolitan areas. But the 240-mile line would require a lot of country land that many Texans don't want to give up. Full Story
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![John Stoneham walks in a field with his cows at his ranch on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 in Grimes County. The roughly 1,000-acre ranch is in the proposed path of a high speed rail line. If the rail is built, Stoneham could lose about 50 acres of land in the middle of his property, limiting his access to grazing pastures.]()
Credit: Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News -
"Come and take it": Eminent domain dispute at heart of bullet train battles
In both courthouses and at the Capitol, opponents of a private company’s plans to build a Dallas-Houston bullet train have zeroed on in the firm's claim that it has the authority to take land by condemnation if necessary. Full Story
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![Texans Against High Speed Rail Chairman Ben Leman, who is also Grimes County judge, stands for a portrait in the Grimes County Courthouse in Anderson on Feb. 21, 2017.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
UT/TT Poll: How Texas voters rank the state Legislature’s priorities
Most Texans don't know the state faces a tight budget, but asked what they'd do in a pinch, many of them say they'd dip into the state's savings account, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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UT/TT Poll: A popular governor, an unpopular Congress
The performance and favorability ratings in the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll hold good news for Gov. Greg Abbott among individuals and for the military and the police among institutions. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Emily Albracht