The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
After a crushing loss in his bid for U.S. Senate, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's influence in next year's legislative session remains a question mark. Thursday's committee assignments may reflect efforts to appease some critics. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on Thursday appointed state Sen. Dan Patrick as chairman of the education committee. He also replaced state Sen. Judith Zaffirini with state Sen. Kel Seliger as chair of the higher education committee. Full Story
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Advocates for inmate Donald Rash, who suffers numerous medical problems, argue that he should be granted parole. They say the state is wasting millions caring for infirm and elderly inmates who no longer pose a threat to society. Full Story
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For this week's nonscientific survey of government and political insiders, we asked about tax reform, swapping local property taxes for something else, and whether voters and legislators are on the same page on casinos. Full Story
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Thanks to a new law, a consortium of school districts could offer a new way forward as policymakers address the increasingly heated opposition to the state's high-stakes standardized test-based accountability system. Full Story
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In state Sen. Wendy Davis' hotly contested bid for re-election, her legal practice — and, in particular, her closely held list of government and quasi-public clients — is drawing heat from her Republican opponent, state Rep. Mark Shelton. Full Story
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At the unofficial kickoff of the 2012 Texas Tribune Festival, I talked with the superintendents of the Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Houston and Northwest school districts about the state of public education. Full Story
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Jewish prison inmate Max Moussazadeh is demanding that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice serve him kosher food. On Monday, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear his case. Full Story
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Getting elected takes a particular set of skills, governing another. And some members of the incoming freshman legislative class have no experience running things. Full Story
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More black and Hispanic students in Texas are taking the SAT, but they aren't doing as well, according to a report released Monday by the Texas Education Agency. Full Story
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We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival, and from this special morning session with Texas House Speaker Joe Straus. Full Story
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This week in the Newsreel: Paul Sadler tries to get the word out about his campaign for U.S. Senate, state senators (and others) wait for committee assignments, and Texas Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright resigns. And there's some dancing. Full Story
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We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Energy & Environment track, which includes panels on the future of water in Texas, the state's electricity woes and the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
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We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Law & Order track, which includes panels on exonerated inmates, forensic science, prosecutorial misconduct and the future of juvenile justice. Full Story
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With the launch of its new Moon Shots Program on Friday, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center hopes to go where no cancer research center has gone before: It wants to cure eight types of cancer. Full Story
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At our Hot Seat conversation at the University of Texas at Tyler, state Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, and state Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, discussed the 82nd Legislative Session and looked ahead to the 83rd. Full Story
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The cost to treat Texas inmates with hepatitis C is expected to soar by as much as 380 percent next year. Legislators, already facing a strained budget, will have to find millions more dollars to pay for this care. Full Story
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If a federal court decides that the state intentionally discriminated when drawing its new political maps, is it more difficult for Texas lawyers to argue against Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act? And is it fuel for the constant struggle over the leadership of the Texas House? Full Story
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Texas has a severe shortage of mental health professionals, according to the federal government. This interactive map provides information on state-funded mental health care statewide. Full Story
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The former prosecutor, state lawmaker, Texas Tech chancellor and AT&T executive talks about his latest initiative to make casino gambling legal in Texas. Full Story
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