State government

House Speaker Joe Straus named Denise Davis his new chief of staff and said former Rep. Clyde Alexander, who had held that post, will become a senior advisor.

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"Not even Jesus could save everybody," one teacher laments.

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Just because the Republican debates will make for good television, don’t forget the joys of a live show. Today, the State Board of Education is coming to town

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Texas educators forcibly pinned down students with disabilities as many times in 2009 as they did in 2008, despite efforts to curb the practice.

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Was America ordained by God to lead the world? Are our public school students taught enough about the African American and Hispanic experiences? Was Joseph McCarthy an American hero? The always controversial State Board of Education meets this week to take up such questions as it revises Texas' social studies standards.

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What does the 2010 census mean for 2011 redistricting? Ben Philpott filed this report for KUT News and the Tribune.

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To restore jobs lost during the recession and to prepare for those ready to enter the job market, Texas must create more than two million jobs in the next decade. A key factor in achieving this target is having educated employees available to fill positions as they become available.

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Should reporters wear muzzles when they're around politicians? Some states seem to think so, but not, thankfully, Texas.

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TV and politics collide this week, but it won't include Tom DeLay's dance moves.

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Let's say you're a donor to a candidate or an elected official who quits a race mid-campaign or chooses to not run for reelection. What if you made a contribution to one of the nine Texas legislators who decided not to seek reelection this year, or to a former diplomat who toyed with a bid for governor but ultimately thought better of it, or to a tech executive who considered a challenge to a member of Congress but decided against running at the last minute? What happens to your money?

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If you were interviewing Speaker Joe Straus on Wednesday morning, what would you ask him?

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Gov. Rick Perry appears willing to sign a posthumous pardon for the exonerated Timothy Cole after Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today issued an opinion that said the governor could grant one.

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A posthumous pardon is possible after all, according to an opinion from Attorney General Greg Abbott's office. This clears the way for the possible post-death pardon of Tim Cole, who was exonerated of a sexual assault conviction in a Travis County court last year, but had died in prison many years prior.

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Three years after a sexual abuse scandal rocked the Texas Youth Commission, one in five juvenile offenders in Texas youth lock-ups report being forced into sexual acts.

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We have 10 years and more than $350 million in Texas campaign expenditures available for search and download. Find your own stories.

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Everything old is new again.

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A burnt-orange view of "Roads."

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State Sen. John Whitmire didn't break the law by spending $90,000 in campaign funds on sports tickets, the Texas Ethics Commission finds.

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KERA to Debra Medina: Come and knock on our door. We've been waiting for you…

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It’s no time to be an advocate for rural health care. Rural lawmakers say they're consistently outnumbered and under-represented — and that redistricting will only make matters worse.

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