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The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.

  • Pleading the Tenth

    By Reeve Hamilton

    The final amendment in the Bill of Rights provides state leaders their best avenue around federal policies they don't agree with. That is, if the Tenth Amendment actually means something. Full Story 

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  • Beyond Textbooks and Tests

    By Brian Thevenot

    Hoping to push a wide array of digital content and teaching tools to public schools, the Texas Education Agency has cut a deal with a division of The New York Times for an electronic curriculum portal and searchable access to the newspaper’s content since 1851. Full Story 

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    Credit: Ante Vekic

  • Gattis is Out, says Ogden is In

    By Ross Ramsey

    State Rep. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown, is dropping his bid for state Senate and won't seek reelection to the Texas House next year, he said Sunday. Gattis said State Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, will seek reelection after all. Full Story 

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    Credit: Dan Gattis campaign photo

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    Ramsey and others on Bill White and the changing state of the race for governor; Thevenot's two-parter on what Dallas churches are doing to combat social ills and racial division; Ramshaw on the use of force by school district police departments (and why parents don't know about it); Grissom's two-parter, abetted by Stiles, on unregulated payday lenders; Aguilar on Mexican immigrants who play against type; and Rapoport on those missing extra checks for retired public employees. The best of the best from November 21 to 25, 2009. Full Story 

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  • The Checks Aren't in the Mail

    By Abby Rapoport

    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 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Hidden Force

    By Emily Ramshaw

    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 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Retired, Rehired

    By Emily Ramshaw

    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 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • 2010: The Texas Tribune Index

    By Ross Ramsey and Matt Stiles

    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