As lawmakers look for a way to fix infrastructure crumbling under the weight of a drilling boom, talk of reducing the tax money that feeds the state’s Rainy Day Fund is drawing attention.
Transportation
Reporting on roads, transit, infrastructure, and policy shaping travel and mobility across the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Criminal Justice
Lawmakers Renew Push to Ban Texting While Driving
At a briefing Tuesday, lawmakers and relatives of people killed while texting and driving renewed a push to make the practice illegal. A proposal passed during the last session but was vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry.
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Economy
Lawmakers Considering Fees on Electric Cars
In search of new revenue for road construction and maintenance, Texas lawmakers are weighing whether to raise fees on electric cars, a move that is gaining ground in some other states.
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Energy
Lawmakers Talk of Bold Measures This Session
Momentum is growing for Texas lawmakers to commit large amounts of money to address the state’s long-term infrastructure needs, particularly water and transportation.
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State Government
Dewhurst: Set Money Aside for School Lawsuits
In a wide-ranging interview, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst talked about the state budget, education, immigration, water, transportation, and his hopes and plans for the legislative session that began this week.
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Transportation
Panama Canal Expansion Will Be Boon for Texas Exports, Report Says
An upcoming expansion of the Panama Canal will boost Texas exports but not do as much for imports, according to a report commissioned by the Texas Department of Transportation.
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Energy
Year in Review: Energy, the Environment and Transportation
Drought, oil and gas production, fast lanes and toll lanes made headlines in 2012 in the Tribune. Here’s a look back at the year’s biggest stories on energy and the environment and transportation.
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Economy
School Finance Lawsuits Give Lawmakers an Out
The courts aren’t expected to finish their work on school finance until after the regular legislative session, giving lawmakers an excuse for leaving some expensive work incomplete for now.
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Transportation
Feds May Offer New Credit Line for Texas Toll Projects
TIFIA, a popular transportation-focused federal loan program, has $17 billion ready to dole out and Texas is jumping at the chance to tap billions of dollars in credit.
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Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: About the Infrastructure…
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about big-ticket infrastructure issues — whether lawmakers will approve any of them and where they might look for money.