The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
Sen. Florence Shapiro’s departure means the end of a nearly two-decade-long tenure in the state Senate — and an opening in the top position on the Senate Education Committee for the first time since 2003. Full Story
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State Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, is exploring a 2014 run for comptroller — an office that would open up if Susan Combs decides to move on, perhaps to run for lieutenant governor. Full Story
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Child Protective Services officials got an earful on Wednesday at a Senate hearing on improving the caseworker retention rates in rural communities. And they got a minor scolding from Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville. Full Story
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A mentally unstable man has been charged with throwing a bag filled with six Molotov cocktails at the door of the Fort Worth office of state Sen. Wendy Davis. Full Story
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School districts are taking advantage of the Texas Education Agency's decision to waive the requirement that STAAR exams count for 15 percent of students' grades for the 2011-12 school year. Full Story
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Will the Planned Parenthood brouhaha affect elections? Should state officeholders be able to collect retirement while they're still on the job? And should Texas lawmakers have term limits? Full Story
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Texas has scored a 68 out of 100, placing 27th in a national state integrity study. The state got high marks for auditing and for monitoring pension funds, but not as high for accountability of the governor and legislators. Full Story
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As the Ogallala Aquifer slowly declines, some West Texas farmers are facing a new type of regulation: a limit on the amount of water they would pump from wells on their own land. And many aren't happy about it. Full Story
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Part news program, part call-in show, "The Prison Show" aims to help inmates stay connected to family, friends and the outside world. Full Story
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Texas Republicans are stuck, having won as many seats as it is possible to win by elections or by creative political mapping. But the solution for them is simple. Full Story
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Since Texas' lowest dip in the recession, the state has added nearly 500,000 jobs. This interactive explores how the economy has changed by industry and region. Full Story
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State agencies have paid fired or resigning state employees more than $500 million in unused vacation time over the last decade. Full Story
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The February 2012 University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows a riptide of very conservative opinion is exerting a strong pull on state politics. Full Story
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Critics are questioning the use of state money they say is being spent to attract sporting events that originated in Texas and don’t appear to be leaving anytime soon. Full Story
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Comptroller Susan Combs endorsed Rick Santorum in the 2012 GOP primary for president today, telling the Tribune the former Pennsylvania senator is "the only real conservative left in the race." Full Story
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The federal government will not renew the Women's Health Program, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in Houston on Friday. Full Story
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Still on the track to recovery, Texas added 67,200 jobs in January. For the 18th consecutive month employment in the state has grown. In 2011, the state gained a total of 258,200 jobs. Full Story
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Nearly four years after Hurricanes Ike and Dolly ravaged the Texas coast, thousands are still waiting for housing assistance. Full Story
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New congressional maps reveal splits between lawyers for minority groups over districts in the Metroplex and in the Hill Country. Full Story
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Public schools in Texas employ about 25,000 less employees than they did at this time last year. Use this interactive to see what happened in your school district. Full Story
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