state government

TribBlog: Castro Incontrovertible

By Evan Smith Nov. 26, 2009

Well, now it's official: The mayor of San Antonio will save us all. Full Story
HuTube: Hammer All Over This Land

By Elise Hu Nov. 25, 2009

A very special season finale of Dancing with the Stars features Texas' paunchy political star, Tom DeLay. Full Story

Credit: ABC
The Checks Aren't in the Mail

By Abby Rapoport Nov. 25, 2009

Sorry, retired teachers and other public employees: You'll have to do without that extra $500 you were expecting. And you shouldn't count on any additional benefits next year — not if the state pension fund continues to be, in the words on one state senator, "actuarially unsound." Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva
Hidden Force

By Emily Ramshaw Nov. 25, 2009

School district police departments use tasers, pepper spray, dogs and drawn handguns to control crime on campus. But most don't keep data on the incidents, leaving parents no way to track them. Many even refuse to turn over their “use of force” guidelines, saying parting with their policies could create a security threat. Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva
2010: Chavez Not Running for Senate

By Brandi Grissom Nov. 24, 2009

State Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, announced today on a local radio show that she plans to run for reelection to the Texas House instead of making a go at the state Senate seat that Eliot Shapleigh is vacating. Full Story

Credit: Campaign
TribBlog: Texas Sidelined in Race for the Top?

By Abby Rapoport Nov. 24, 2009

Texas will not adopt national school curriculum standards, risking its ability to get a $700 million federal grant. Full Story
TribBlog: The (Very) Skinny

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 24, 2009

Comptroller Susan Combs says the state will have $77.7 billion in general revenue for the current budget, which calls for $77.6 billion in general revenue. Full Story

Credit: Comptroller's Office
The $4.2 Million Question

By Dan Leyendecker Nov. 24, 2009

How much of Bill White's federal war chest could be used in a race for governor? Most of it. Full Story

Credit: Bill White campaign photo
TribBlog: State Board of Education and the ABCs

By Abby Rapoport Nov. 23, 2009

Two legislative ABCs — Anybody But Craddicks — back the Republican moderate challenging Christian conservative member Don McLeroy. Full Story
2010: The More You Know ... About Bill White

By Reeve Hamilton Nov. 23, 2009

Who is this bald, wonkish, moderate Democrat, where’d he come from, and why’s everyone talking about him? Full Story

Credit: Elise Hu
2010: Shapleigh endorses Bill White

By Brandi Grissom Nov. 23, 2009

Houston Mayor Bill White hasn't even announced yet that he's running for governor. But state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, is endorsing him. Full Story

Credit: senate media services
Soul Search: Dallas churches unite to right historic wrongs

By Brian Thevenot Nov. 23, 2009

The Dallas church community has vowed to forge 25 partnerships with high-poverty public schools and push for 700 units of housing for the homeless — a down payment on a larger effort to heal wounds left by racism and injustice. Full Story
Retired, Rehired

By Emily Ramshaw Nov. 23, 2009

No snowbirds here. A growing number of state employees are retiring and coming straight back to work, padding — and in some cases nearly doubling — their state salaries with pension pay-outs. Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva
2010: The Texas Tribune Index

By Ross Ramsey and Matt Stiles Nov. 22, 2009

The number-crunchers among the Republicans and the Democrats in Texas use election results to get a feel for the political environment in each legislative district. They start with statewide races and then bake in some assumptions about what might happen if they put the right candidates in place. We and other political watchers need the same thing, without the partisan ingredients. So we cooked up the Texas Tribune Index. Full Story
TribBlog: Rick Perry as Chuck Norris in the Twittersphere

By Brian Thevenot Nov. 22, 2009

He can "can blow bubbles with beef jerky"? Full Story

Credit: @rickperryfacts
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 21, 2009

Multi-part stories from Ramshaw and Grissom and Stiles on mental health services for detained immigrants and on payday lenders who provide exorbitantly priced credit to people with nowhere else to turn... Twitter, word clouds and the race for governor — a Stiles joint... Farouk Shami is in and Hu was there to watch... Philpott went to Bastrop for a gather of Republican governors... Rapoport finds a State Board of Education that's trying to control itself... and we have the skinny on legislative races that are likely to be competitive (only about 5 percent of the races on the ballot). It's the best of The Texas Tribune from November 14 to 20, 2009. Full Story
TribBlog: Unemployment Rises in Texas

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 20, 2009

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent in October, up from 5.2 percent a year ago. Full Story

Credit: Texas Workforce Commission
Debtors' Treadmill, Part Two: Political Payday

By Brandi Grissom and Matt Stiles Nov. 20, 2009

Groups that offer high-interest, short-term consumer loans and want to avoid state regulation contributed more than $1.4 million to Texas politicians over the past nine years, Texas Ethics Commission records show. Full Story

Credit: Matt Stiles
TribBlog: Perry Won't Grant Thompson Clemency

By Emily Ramshaw Nov. 19, 2009

Gov. Rick Perry won't grant clemency to Robert Lee Thompson, who was sentenced to death under Texas' controversial "law of parties." Full Story
Ads Infinitum: Up and at 'Em

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 19, 2009

Republicans Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rick Perry have started their air war, and Democrat Farouk Shami — new to the race — starts on TV at the same time. Full Story