The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
God and Country, a new Texas-based organization, will hold a rally Saturday at a Tyler church to “draw a line in the sand and aggressively and publicly defend those certain unalienable rights endowed by our creator.” Full Story
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UPDATED: Election officials were told to prepare for a possible May 29 primary, as redistricting foes reached agreement on a map for Texas Senate elections this afternoon and continued talks on state House and congressional maps. Full Story
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UPDATED: April primaries are all but impossible for the state's election administrators, a Bexar County elections official said today, as an agreement on political maps remains elusive. Full Story
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The state's political mapmakers will be back in court this morning, trying to produce maps in time for April primaries. Full Story
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Some of redistricting is about getting a good seat in the office. Some is about getting good seats when you're not at the office. Full Story
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With greening disease infecting some Texas citrus trees, some growers fear the infections could spread and seriously damage their industry. Full Story
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Aguilar on an environmental battle in South Texas, Galbraith on the impact of the drought, Grissom on the latest in the Michael Morton case, Hamilton and Theobald on plans for greater scrutiny of faculty performance, Murphy on Rick Perry's campaign donors and expenditures, Ramsey on where we stand on redistricting, Ramshaw on the intense interest in stem cell rules, Root on a congressman's controversial pipeline holdings, M. Smith on the backlash against student testing and Tan on the fight for a new medical school in Austin: The best of our best content from February 6-10, 2012. Full Story
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Federal judges told redistricting lawyers Friday afternoon to redouble their efforts to reach a quick settlement — by next week — on interim political maps for the state's congressional and legislative elections. Full Story
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Pushing the state's primaries from March back to April (or further) could cheat Texas voters out of a rare chance to choose the next nominee for president. Full Story
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A brawl is brewing in South Texas, but this one has nothing to do with cartels or drug smuggling — it's an environmental battle over a proposed surface-mining site that some Eagle Pass residents worry will ruin their way of life. Full Story
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Start here: The judges in charge of the redistricting case in Texas haven't rejected the maps proposed by the state and agreed to by some but not all of the plaintiffs. They simply observed that no deal has been made to satisfy everyone and told everyone to keep talking and get ready for a hearing next week. Full Story
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In the latest Texas Tribune Weekend Insider, dying citrus trees in the Rio Grande Valley and a battle along the border over a proposed coal mining site. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry targeted “left-wing, pro-abortion radicals” in a speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, blaming the Obama administration for the state’s stand-off over the Women’s Health Program. Full Story
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Animal protection organizations are pushing for legislation in Texas that further regulates ownership of exotic animals as pets, but one East Texas resident says she'll fight to keep her 22-year-old African lion. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Ben, Ross, Emily and Morgan discuss redistricting, public school accountability testing and the controversy involving Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Planned Parenthood. Full Story
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Former Perry campaign manager Rob Johnson has a new job: running a Super PAC for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's U.S. Senate bid. Full Story
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Some say that the Texas Department of Public Safety is going against its own policy with its "limited term" designations for driver's licenses and identification cards. Full Story
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The Department of State Health Services will begin enforcing Texas' abortion sonogram law, after releasing guidelines for women's health clinics on Monday night. Full Story
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Since Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones moved to San Antonio to run for Senate, she shouldn't be collecting a paycheck for a job that requires her to live in Austin, according to a lawsuit filed this afternoon. Full Story
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UPDATED: The state unveiled proposed redistricting maps, saying some of the parties in that litigation have signed off on at least some of the lines. Full Story
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