The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
After years of controversy and legal wrangling, a bit of good news for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association came today in a report from the State Auditor's Office: The insurer's claims process is improving. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst are set to be back for another legislative session in January, in spite of their plans and ambitions. Full Story
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Patricia Vojack, the former chief of staff to incoming Health and Human Services Commissioner Kyle Janek, will serve as the inaugural compliance officer for the embattled Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus has appointed two top aides, one from his current staff and another from outside. Full Story
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Disability rights advocates encouraged state legislators to expand community-based care and in-home nursing at a Tuesday Senate hearing. They also raised questions about a new computer-based program to track care services. Full Story
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In the case of a 64-year-old former Texas inmate with high blood pressure and other health conditions, a federal appeals court ruled that extreme temperatures can violate prisoners' constitutional rights. Full Story
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A runoff for the state district court in Marshall, just east of Longview near the Louisiana border, has two Republicans slinging lawsuits and ethics complaints over provisions of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act. Full Story
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The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is undergoing a review of all youths in its system to better assess security threats, but advocates worry it will become a tool to recommend more youths for imprisonment in adult facilities. Full Story
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The state's lieutenant governor has clearly sided with and protected the Republicans in the Texas Senate, but has he presided as a conservative? That's in the eye of the beholder. Full Story
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State Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, expected a tough fight in the GOP primary for Senate District 25. But instead, as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, Wentworth has instead been tussling with a political newcomer who has broad Tea Party support. Full Story
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With the July 31 runoff around the corner, the Democratic candidates in Congressional District 23 are busy rallying voters across the district. And the size of CD-23 is only adding to the challenges for Pete Gallego and Ciro Rodriguez. Full Story
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The four Republican Railroad Commission candidates sound remarkably similar on the big-ticket topics. But that doesn't mean they will vote the same way on everything once they get into office. Full Story
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Use our interactive map to chart the locations of health care providers participating in Texas' Women's Health Program. Flip through various map styles to compare women's health statistics statewide, or get a video tutorial here. Full Story
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From the evolution of state and federally subsidized contraception to the battle over Planned Parenthood to the cost of unplanned pregnancies, this six-part series is the most comprehensive look yet at the politics of reproductive health in Texas. Full Story
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As Gov. Rick Perry and his wife prepare to move back into the restored Governor's Mansion, we take a look back at some of the highlights of the building's history. Full Story
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Four years after an arsonist nearly burned down the Governor’s Mansion, Gov. Rick Perry and his wife, Anita, stood a few feet from its iconic front porch and announced Wednesday that a painstaking restoration of the 156-year-old structure is complete. Full Story
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The Department of Family and Protective Services is moving forward on redesigning its foster care system, which will outsource services to private contractors. At a hearing Monday, some raised concerns about accountability. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry looks like he will be in office as long as voters will have him. He talks like he wants voters to keep him where he is. Many think he's just bluffing, but that's not how he has operated in the past. Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the Texas General Land Office and the Texas Department of Agriculture, alleging that the agencies are liable for pay discrimination against three women. Full Story
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Use this interactive to explore the geographic distribution of committee members in the Texas Senate, by committee, to see who's got what clout, geographically speaking, on what subject. Full Story
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