We’ve set up our first Twitter list, aggregating the feeds of 58 tweeting Texas elected officials
State Government
Stay informed on Texas state government with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth coverage of the governor, Legislature, state agencies, and policies shaping the future of Texas.
On the Records: Ethics Fines Now Searchable
In keeping with our goal of making government data more accessible, we’ve created a simple application for searching fines issued by the Texas Ethics Commission.
TribBlog: A Timely Announcement
Gov. Perry made a timely announcement today: He’s proposing initiatives to improve mental health programs for veterans.
TribBlog: Sunset’s Up
House Speaker Joe Straus’ picks for the legislative committee that says whether the state should kill or keep state agencies: Reps. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and Byron Cook, R-Corsicana. San Antonio attorney Lamont Jefferson, who’s with the Haynes and Boone law firm, will serve as the House’s public member.
Texas Reading Exams Fail the National Test
Federal officials say Texas’ testing standards in reading are below the “basic” proficiency standards — and that low bar means those passing the TAKS may not be as proficient as advertised.
Stump Interrupted: Kay Bailey Hutchison
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is the first to get her stump speech interrupted by The Texas Tribune.
The Brief: November 9, 2009
With 220 approving U.S. House votes down and the U.S. Senate to go, healthcare reform is now closer to becoming a reality — but that’s no easy hurdle ahead.
Texas Weekly: Are Republican candidates ignoring Hispanics?
What concerns me as a Republican is that the race for governor may be focusing too much on the personalities of the candidates and the highly charged nature of the race rather than the long-term vision and consequences. I worry that either candidate could win the race but lose the future — too much focus on the politics of the next year, rather than the policies of the next decade.
Stump Interrupted: Kay Bailey Hutchison
Remember VH1’s “Pop-up Video”? We loved it, too. It inspired us to launch a new feature we call Stump Interrupted, a twist on the traditional stump speech. U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is the first to get the S.I. treatment. We take her seven-minute monologue from a Waco campaign event and put it into context.



