The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
On 11/13, I talked about the future of public education policy in Texas with state. Rep. Mary González, D-Clint; Lizzette González Reynolds of the Texas Education Agency; El Paso ISD Superintendent Juan Cabrera; and Eduardo Rodriguez of the Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/Screencap-PubEdNFY.jpg)
More than two years after the heat of anger over Trayvon Martin's shooting in Florida fused into Black Lives Matter, an Austin chapter is trying to mold its energy into an agenda to influence state lawmakers. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/09/10/BLM-Sign.jpg)
In recommending how Texas State University should comply with a new state campus carry law, a task force says it shouldn’t provide storage for handguns but should ban the guns from places where students are counseled or children come to campus. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/05/26/CampusCarry-PencilBullets-2.jpg)
Former Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, who rose to national prominence after filibustering a restrictive abortion law in 2013, will join other state lawmakers from across the country in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to strike down those regulations. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/09/19/TXMCA124.jpg)
Texas Christian University decided Friday to opt out of campus carry, the new law that would have allowed handguns on campus. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TCU-Campus.jpg)
In the wake of the hanging death of Sandra Bland and other recent suicides, the state agency that oversees jails is issuing a new inmate intake form so jailers will ask more specific, direct questions when booking people. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/07/18/Sandra_Bland_Memorial_2.jpg)
If the Tea Party had its own candidate for Congress, 17 percent of Texans would back that candidate, while 22 percent would vote Republican and 33 percent would vote Democrat, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/11/12/UT-TT-Polls-111215-preference.png)
Calling on the federal government to improve health care services for veterans, Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday said that decreasing the wait times for veterans seeking medical attention should be a national priority. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/11/11/Abbottvets.JPG)
One of a Texas governor's powers is a soft one — the power of persuasion. It's all Greg Abbott really has when he wants to rein in an agency like the Texas Lottery Commission. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/23/Play-Lotto.jpg)
The committee will review and make recommendations on substance abuse, care for veterans, identifying illnesses early and improving delivery of mental health care. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5193ec9afa4282d37e9e30fc7b497db9/BD%20INC%20Straus%20Close%20Up%202013)
Texas lawmakers have designed a congressional district too slippery for either political party to control, making it impossible for anyone to stay in office long enough to build up the clout needed to get things done for the folks at home. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Redistricting_Map_Tweasers_jpg_800x1000_q100_1.jpg)
Texas ranked 38th out of 50 in the latest State Integrity Investigation, an assessment of government accountability and transparency. That suggests that the state may be heading in the wrong direction when it comes to ethics. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/01/15/PerryFinal490.jpg)
Gov. Greg Abbott is planning to release a set of issues he would like Republican primary voters to prioritize next year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/11/06/Abbott_Lubbock_GaggleTT.jpg)
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick revealed Friday he tried to draft state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, to run for lieutenant governor last year before he decided to enter the race. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/11/06/Nelson_FlatteringTT.jpg)
A pending set of gubernatorial appointments could end the current round of brinksmanship over what kinds of gambling are allowed in Texas, but it won’t solve the long-term problem facing the state's troubled racing industry. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/11/06/Horse_Race_TT.jpg)
A state appeals court ruled Thursday that conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan lives in Austin despite his claims otherwise, so his dispute with the state Ethics Commission will play out in Travis County. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/04/15/UP9A7502.jpg)
About 430,000 more Texans voted Tuesday than in the 2013 constitutional election. Hear more about turnout and see how many Texans voted — by county — on Proposition 7, which directed more money to the state highway fund. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/10/30/2015-10-231-2.jpg)
House Speaker Joe Straus issued more than 150 interim charges Wednesday, directing committees to study issues such as the effectiveness of border security operations and the impact of the plummeting cost of oil on the local economy. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/06/09/UP9A7921.jpg)
If lawmakers do nothing to restore the budget of the Texas Racing Commission, the agency will shut down. If it shuts down, the tracks around the state are barred from conducting any wagering. They can sell sodas, but not much else. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Horses.jpg)
Voters overwhelmingly favored seven changes to the Texas constitution, including measures that will cut property taxes, boost funding for road projects beginning in 2017 and let state officeholders live outside of Austin. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/I-VotedSticker.jpg)