The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
More female veterans call Texas home than any other state, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It’s a growing segment of the military population that could soon have a state resource exclusively dedicated to serving its needs. Full Story
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As a key Senate committee prepares to hear public testimony on tax cut proposals Wednesday, senators expressed strong interest in repealing the state's unpopular margins tax on businesses, which has raised $4.7 billion annually. Full Story
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The state has worked for decades to halt the proliferation of colonias, but it has no way to declassify communities that have outgrown the colonia description. Full Story
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As state officials rush to announce tax cuts, a former mayor now in the Senate is pleading for a little restraint and a return to pay-as-you-go government. Full Story
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The new chief watchdog for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission told lawmakers Monday he plans to right the embattled department by going after fraud and waste outside and inside the $37 billion state social services empire. Full Story
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A Democratic state lawmaker on Monday kicked off efforts to force a discussion about climate change in Texas, but he faces an uphill battle in a state where most Republican leaders don't believe it is a problem. Full Story
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The first University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll of 2015 had good news for likely White House hopefuls Scott Walker and Hillary Clinton — so we’re kicking off this week’s playlist with George Jones singing “The Race Is On." Full Story
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This week in the Roundup, we take a look at the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll and a proposal by state Senate leaders to offer tax relief to property owners and businesses. Full Story
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As the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas rebuilds its image after a scandal tied to grant awards, its leaders face a new generation of conservative lawmakers who are questioning whether the state should be in the cancer-fighting business. Full Story
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Voters like the state government slightly better than their local government — and a lot better than the federal government, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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In the latest effort by conservatives to fight what they see as overreach by the United Nations, two Texas Republican lawmakers have filed legislation aimed at a nonbinding plan for sustainable development that the United States and more than 100 other countries signed in 1992. Full Story
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Hell hath no fury like a Senate scorned, the head of the Texas Racing Commission found Wednesday when he tried to make peace with the Senate Finance Committee. The commission ignored lawmakers on a key racing vote, and its budget remains zeroed out. Full Story
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Property taxes clearly have the attention of Texas voters, and not in a positive way, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. And they are not particularly happy with business taxes, either. Full Story
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Committee Chairman Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, took to his soapbox at the beginning of Tuesday's public education hearing to defend the high standards of Texas education. Full Story
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State Sen. Joan Huffman acknowledges that a lobby firm with ties to casino interests helped her draft a GOP caucus letter blasting a proposal to allow expanded gambling at horse tracks. Now a major proponent of the tracks is crying foul. Full Story
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The day before Texas lawmakers begin considering a major transportation bill, state leaders made a concerted push for the measure as part of a larger effort to boost much-needed highway funding. Full Story
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State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, was grilled by fellow senators Tuesday over her proposal to ban foreign control of the Alamo. Full Story
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After 24 years in the Legislature and a failed campaign for lieutenant governor, state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte bid an emotional farewell to her colleagues on Tuesday. She now faces a crowded field in the race to be San Antonio mayor. Full Story
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Most Texans support carrying guns in public, but only a minority supports carrying them openly, whether the carriers are licensed or not, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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Ted Cruz's wide lead over other contenders for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in Texas has disappeared; he is now in a virtual tie with the surging Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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