Prosecutors Stepping Up Fight Against Barratry
Prosecutors are cracking down on barratry, often derided as "ambulance chasing." A handful of notable arrests — including charges against a state representative — have been made this year. Full Story
The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
Prosecutors are cracking down on barratry, often derided as "ambulance chasing." A handful of notable arrests — including charges against a state representative — have been made this year. Full Story
Aguilar on the aftermath of changes in U.S. immigration policy, Batheja on how the Republican candidates for Senate are handling that sensitive issue, KUT's Philpott on new driver's license laws and immigration, M. Smith on racial tensions and an ousted police chief in Jasper, Galbraith on the state's efforts to limit electric service blackouts, Hamilton on the hot Campbell-Wentworth Senate runoff in Central Texas, Murphy maps the May primary voting, Root on the restoration of the arson-damaged Texas Governor's Mansion and Dehn's latest Weekend Insider on obese Texans: The best of our best content from June 18 to 22, 2012. Full Story
As legislators tinker with what some say is the cornerstone of America's food safety net, some Texans are concerned about what cuts could mean for low-income families, if they come to fruition. Full Story
Restoration of the Texas Governor’s Mansion takes a significant step Wednesday, with the return of historic furnishings to the building. Gov. Rick Perry and the first lady are expected to return to the mansion late next month. Full Story
When legislators die or resign, their seat is filled through a special election. The new representative serves out the end of the old representative's term. Full Story
A defamation lawsuit filed by WallBuilders founder David Barton has become an early test of new tort reform legislation intended to protect free speech. Full Story
It's easy to forget that redistricting and the Voting Rights Act are about voters. But sometimes, the voters jump up and remind you. Full Story
House Speaker Joe Straus, coming out of a big and expensive win in a rare contested primary at home, began the runoff reboot by tweaking Michael Quinn Sullivan and his Empower Texans group, deriding them as ineffective, ugly and resentful of his success. Full Story
First, the state’s Medicaid director announced he was retiring. Now, Health and Human Services chief Tom Suehs says he hasn’t decided whether he will quit in August. Will HHSC rival public education for next session's biggest leadership void? Full Story
A lawsuit by state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, alleges that his general election opponent, Michael Berlanga, does not meet residency requirements for Senate District 19. Full Story
Those who bought losing scratch-off Texas lottery tickets should still be able to enter online for a follow-up contest, according to an opinion issued by the attorney general’s office this week. Full Story
A new state requirement that students must retake standardized tests if they do not achieve a minimum score has landed hundreds of thousands in summer school, carrying a hefty price tag for school districts. Full Story
In Part 4 of the Tribune's series on family planning, we take a closer look at how abortion has shifted public policy in Texas in recent years — and where the political battle may be headed next. Full Story
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a death sentence for Manuel Velez, citing inaccurate testimony during Velez's sentencing. Full Story
For this week's nonscientific survey of governmental and political insiders, we asked about the election results, about Joe Straus' chances for another term as speaker, about who might replace David Dewhurst as presiding officer of the Senate, and about who'll control that selection. Full Story
State employees leaving jobs with the state of Texas to work for the very industries they regulated is legal and commonplace. But as Dave Fehling of KUHF News reports for StateImpact Texas, critics say the state's ethics laws on the matter are too lax. Full Story
In initial results from the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, just more than half of students working on a ninth-grade level met the passing standards for writing, while 87 percent passed biology. Full Story
A Juneteenth monument was built for the Capitol, but it won't be installed after all. Concerns were raised about the design of one of the statues as well as historical inaccuracies. A new monument is coming to the Capitol instead. Full Story
The Sunset Advisory Commission found that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has room for improvement. The commission on Tuesday discussed accountability, budgetary efficiency, response to inmate grievances and communication. Full Story
The Legislative Budget Board — headed by House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — is asking state agencies to assume they'll have 10 percent less to spend in the next budget than they have now. Full Story