Peña Files Guest-Worker Bill to Address Immigration
State Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, has filed legislation he said will explore the possibility of a state-run guest-worker program. Full Story
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Deuell: Lowe Lacks Votes for Senate Confirmation [Updated]
Sen. Bob Deuell, who chairs the Senate Nominations Committee, says Gail Lowe has not been scheduled for a hearing as chairwoman of the State Board of Education because she lacks the votes for a confirmation on the floor. Full Story
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After Bolstering Red Tide, Tea Party Still Making Waves
Atter making their presence known during election season, the various Tea Party groups in Texas continue to steer the political agenda. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports. Full Story
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Will Lawmakers Cut Their Own Benefits?
As they talk of cutting pension contributions and raising premiums for state employee health care and mandating layoffs and furloughs at state agencies, what are lawmakers doing to their own compensation and benefits? Full Story
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Does Gas Drilling Put Radiation in Texas Water?
With drilling on the rise, the Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality answer questions about whether Texans need to worry about radioactivity in their water. Full Story
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Texas' Next Tort Reform Battle: "Loser Pays"
Advocates say requiring the losing parties in litigation to pay their opponents’ legal fees is the cure for courts choked with the costs of “junk” lawsuits. Full Story
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Lights Out for Seniors, Poor
State Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, is concerned about budget cuts to a program that discounts utility bills for the elderly and those with low incomes. Full Story
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Enviros to Shapiro: Don't Be a Pest
A bill filed by state Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, has an unusual group turning out to education committee meetings: environmentalists. Full Story
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LiveBlog: Budget Writers Weigh Tapping Rainy Day Fund
We're liveblogging the House Appropriations Committee hearing, where lawmakers are expected to consider whether to tap into the state's Rainy Day Fund. Full Story
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TribLive: Straus on the Rainy Day Fund
At today's TribLive conversation, Speaker Joe Straus stopped short of supporting the tapping of the Rainy Day Fund to cover the current biennium's $4.3 billion deficit, but he left the door open. Full Story
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New Day Rising: The Changing Public Policy Landscape
At the Tribune's New Day Rising symposium on Feb. 28, four public policy experts talked about criminal justice, education, health care and other issues and the impact of the coming Hispanic majority. Full Story
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Bill Would Make Restroom Peeping a Felony
State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, filed a bill today that would make it a state jail felony to "lewdly violate" a person's privacy in a place like a public restroom. Full Story
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![State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, at the 2010 Texas Democratic convention in Corpus Christi, Tex. on June 26.]()
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Liveblog: TribLive with House Speaker Joe Straus
This morning's TribLive event is a return engagement: House Speaker Joe Straus on stage with Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith. Full Story
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Video: Lawmakers Unswayed by Pleas to Fund Family Planning Services
Hundreds rallied this week to preserve funds for Planned Parenthood's family planning services, but their pleas did not sway conservative lawmakers. “They can expect less or even zero funding for their organization this session," says state Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville. Full Story
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The Weekly TribCast: Episode 70
This week's TribCast features Evan, Reeve, Ben and Emily discussing the holdup with abortion sonogram legislation, cuts to public education, and bickering in higher education. Full Story
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Senator Asks Ag Commissioner to Pull Website
State Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso, today asked Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples to take down the border website his office launched last week, protectyourtexasborder.com, saying it has become a “forum for promoting violence.” Full Story
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![State Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso, on June 26, 2010, at the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi.]()
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New Day Rising: Four House Members on the 82nd Session
At the Tribune's New Day Rising symposium on Feb. 28, four members of the Texas House talked about the issues affecting the Hispanic community — and all Texans — during the 82nd Legislative Session. Full Story
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Family Says No Text Message Is Worth a Life
At the Capitol today, the family of a young girl who died in a car accident caused by texting and driving urged lawmakers to ban the practice. Full Story
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Execution Set for April, but State Out of Key Drug
The next execution is scheduled to take place April 5 — less than a month from now — but the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has not yet decided which drug it will use to replace sodium thiopental, one of three used in the state's execution protocol. Full Story
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Craddick's Collapse Not Serious, His Office Says
Former House Speaker Tom Craddick collapsed in the Capitol this morning while laying out a bill before the House Transportation Committee. His office said EMS doesn't consider the situation serious. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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