state government

An Interview With Arc of Texas President Clay Boatright

By Emily Ramshaw Oct. 4, 2010

Full Story
TribBlog: State Forgoes Millions in Federal Sex Ed Funds

By Reeve Hamilton Oct. 4, 2010

At the end of the summer, Texas quietly opted to forgo another pot of federal money — specifically, $4.4 million that would have gone toward educating youth on abstinence and contraception to prevent teen pregnancy. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
2010: Moody Hearts Perry?

By Brandi Grissom Oct. 4, 2010

The Republican Party of Texas is accusing Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody, of El Paso, of plagiarizing the text of a State of the State address by Gov. Rick Perry, and it has launched a website to make its case: www.madatmoody.com. Full Story

Credit: Spencer Selvidge
Pay to Win

By Tristan Hallman Oct. 4, 2010

If you're lucky enough to win the lottery, you can cash in not just some but all of your future payouts for a lump sum. The Texas Supreme Court last week invalidated a state law that prohibited winners from selling their final two payments to finance companies offering cash now, often at a steep price. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
A Place to Shoot

By Matt Stiles Oct. 3, 2010

In a pattern that's playing out in San Antonio and other major metro areas in Texas, residents in low-income neighborhoods aren't taking advantage of the state's concealed-carry law as often as residents living in wealthier, more conservative areas. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 2, 2010

Thevenot on the fastest-growing charter school chain in Texas, Hu on the continuing legal fights between tort reformers and trial lawyers over the state's windstorm insurance pool, Hamilton on the push for accountability in Texas colleges, Philpott on legislative skirmishing over federal education funds, Grissom on misdemeanor convicts choosing jail time instead of probation that's more expensive for them but cheaper for the state, M. Smith on Bill Flores' challenge in what's billed as the hottest congressional race in the country, Ramshaw looks at scandals that have put some otherwise safe statehouse incumbents in deep electoral trouble, yours truly on the closest and ugliest race on the statewide ballot and Galbraith and Titus on pollution from idling vehicles and why it's so hard to control: The best of our best from September 27 to October 1, 2010. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
TribBlog: Murder at Falcon Lake

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 1, 2010

Law enforcement agencies are again warning patrons of Falcon Lake in South Texas to stay on the U.S. side of the popular fishing spot. The warning follows the fatal shooting of a U.S. man by Mexican pirates who allegedly attacked him after he traveled into Guerrero Viejo, Tamaulipas, on his Jet Ski. Full Story
TribBlog: A Bill for Asher Brown

By Reeve Hamilton Oct. 1, 2010

State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, says it would be "irresponsible" not to act in the wake of the suicide of 13-year old Asher Brown, a student who committed suicide after being bullied for his size, religion and perceived sexuality. Full Story
Where They Stand: HD-45

By Ben Philpott, KUT News Oct. 1, 2010

In House District 45 — which covers Hays, Blanco and Caldwell counties — incumbent Democrat Patrick Rose faces a stiff challenge from Republican Jason Isaac. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at where the candidates stand on two flashpoints this election year: the budget and immigration. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Bob Daemmrich/Todd Wiseman
Ana Yañez-Correa: The TT Interview

By Brandi Grissom Sept. 30, 2010

The executive director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition on how criminal justice austerity measures demanded by state leaders would affect Texas prisons, poor people accused of crimes and the counties responsible for overseeing overcrowded jails. Full Story
Growing Ugly

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 30, 2010

In a year that appears to be custom-made for GOP statewide candidates, the last thing Todd Staples wanted was for Hank Gilbert to make the race for agriculture commissioner interesting, let alone turn it into a minor spectacle. "I have an opponent who is a pathological political liar," says Staples, the Republican incumbent, citing a list of transgressions. "This guy is likely the most unfit person to run for office in recent Texas history." Gilbert says things are going just the way he'd hoped. "I like where we are," the Democratic challenger says. "I like that we've gotten under his skin a little bit." Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman/Bob Daemmrich
A Burning Issue

By Brandi Grissom Sept. 29, 2010

The Innocence Project of Texas will launch a campaign today not only to exonerate Sonia Cacy, a woman who experts say was wrongly convicted of setting fire to her uncle, but also to overhaul of the use of "junk science" in the prosecution of criminal cases. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
In the Soup?

By Emily Ramshaw Sept. 29, 2010

Double-billing taxpayers for travel expenses, driving a luxury car owned by a state transportation contractor and repeatedly failing to pay taxes won’t put a lawmaker in good standing with the ethics police, as state Reps. Charles “Doc” Anderson, R-Waco; Joe Driver, R-Garland; and Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, are finding. The three hope the headlines dogging their re-election bids won’t follow them to the polls, while their Democratic opponents are reveling in their misery at every campaign stop. Yet whether a scandal forces an incumbent from office depends on the scenario. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
A Schoolyard Brawl

By Ben Philpott, KUT News Sept. 28, 2010

Tension between Texas and the federal government has been a major focus of Rick Perry's re-election campaign. But on Monday, two top Democratic leaders in the Texas House ganged up on Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott and, by proxy, the governor over the recent federal education funds fight. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports. Full Story
Go Directly to Jail

By Brandi Grissom Sept. 28, 2010

Across Texas, defendants charged with misdemeanor offenses are choosing to spend time in the local lockup rather than endure months on probation. They don’t want to deal with the hassle of probation's conditions, and they can’t afford the thousands of dollars in fees that it requires. People on both sides of the criminal justice system agree that the trend is troubling: It’s helping to fill local jails beyond capacity, and even worse, it means that people charged with DWI, possession of small amounts of drugs and family violence are not getting the treatment they need. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Jacob Villanueva
Judge Orders TWIA Settlement Kept Private

By Elise Hu Sept. 27, 2010

In an issue that's sparked a nasty political fight, attorneys for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association and attorneys for the homeowners who sued them appeared at a Monday hearing to argue whether the legal fees in a record $189 million Hurricane Ike settlement should be kept private. Judge Susan Criss ultimately sided with homeowners' attorney Steve Mostyn and granted a new temporary restraining order that keeps TWIA from releasing settlement details, at least for now. Full Story
TribBlog: Housing Department Broke Disaster Recovery Rules

By Emily Ramshaw Sept. 27, 2010

In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs broke several regulations when it contracted with a firm to distribute more than $200 million in disaster recovery funds, according to a federal audit. Full Story

Credit: NASA
In Perfect Harmony?

By Brian Thevenot Sept. 27, 2010

Harmony Public Schools is the largest and fastest-growing charter school network in Texas, with eight new schools open this year and a total of 33 schools statewide serving about 16,500 students. Founded by Turkish academics, Harmony boasts small classes, a worldly faculty with advanced degrees and outstanding TAKS scores — which is why, perhaps, it's one of just three charter operators given permission by the Texas Education Agency to open new schools without going through the usual bureaucratic channels. Full Story

Credit: Wenjing Zhang
Wind Storm

By Elise Hu Sept. 27, 2010

In a courtroom Monday, a Galveston County judge will decide whether to release details of millions of dollars in fees earned by attorneys in the largest class-action settlement paid out by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Full Story
Justice on the Cheap

By Ben Philpott, KUT News Sept. 27, 2010

As part of an occasional series looking into how shortfall-inspired budget cuts could affect different state agencies heading into the 2011 legislative session, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports on the likely impact on the state's criminal justice system. Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller