The inflamed immigration rhetoric of the past couple of years has waned, but a report the National Conference of State Legislatures released today shows that state lawmakers still have passion for the issue. Full Story
If at first you don't succeed, you'd better hope the GAO gives you a second chance. Full Story
The U.S. Border Patrol says its illegal immigration repatriation program is working to break the crossing cycle in Arizona, but officials in Texas and Mexico worry the program creates more problems than it solves. Full Story
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Texas voters won't be offered a real chance at change in the Legislature and Congress next year. Four out of five state and federal lawmakers face no real competition in their primary or general elections. Full Story
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As a consultant for campaigns in Texas and across the country, I have conceded elections on live TV. Republicans have held press conferences to denounce my hiring, and their lawyers have second-guessed my decisions under oath in a deposition. But none of these trials has struck me quite as strangely as reading about myself getting fired by a campaign. Full Story
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In the health care debate, universal coverage has significant if not overwhelming support, but is also marked by pronounced partisan differences, and Texans appeared truly split down the middle on the “public option.” Full Story
Say what you will about Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina — she delivers (on commercials, at least). Full Story
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Your afternoon reading. Full Story
Humorist and author Kinky Friedman is setting his sights on a new prize: the agriculture commissioner post. Full Story
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Kinky Friedman’s song “Before All Hell Breaks Loose” begins, “Time to resign from the human race.” Today, we will find out if he thinks it’s time to do the same in the governor's race. Full Story
One education model — with unproven results — serves almost a third of pre-kindergarteners in Texas. Its grade? Incomplete. Full Story
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Congratulations, Mayor-Elect. Now you get to govern a great city — Houston — that’s much bigger than the electorate and much more complicated than the campaign. Perhaps you’d like some aspirin? Or a re-count? Full Story
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Some Texas sheriffs are looking to an unlikely source to get them out of the hole as private prisons win away federal contracts for inmates and put the financial squeeze on county jails. Full Story
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Think like the political pros and your mind will go to the long game instead of the short one. The short game is the elections of 2010. The long game is redistricting in 2011, when maps are drawn that corral the voters into the districts that will elect legislators for the next ten years. Full Story
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Sales taxes are down and the recession in Texas hasn't bottomed, so financial concerns will almost certainly factor into the governor's race. Ben Philpott, covering that contest for KUT News and the Tribune, takes a look. Full Story
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Think of the long game instead of the short one. This election is the one that picks the people who draw the maps that corral the voters into the political districts that will elect state and federal legislators for the next ten years. Full Story
Alberto Gonzales — remember him? — in Esquire. Full Story
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You may now print our stories, blogs, etc. (You're welcome.) Full Story
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NBC-5 in Dallas used our data application for a story on red-light cameras. Full Story
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Stiles and Babalola's long-awaited red-light camera data app. Grissom's two-parter on a powerful Texan's quest to change the DPS report on the crash that killed his son. Ramshaw's two-parter on transitional medicine. Thevenot on the charter school queue. And a ton of political news: KBH filed (but our TribCasters wondered about her path to the GOP nod); Debra Medina filed (and Hamilton tried to sort out what effect she'll have on the race); Farouk Shami defiantly remained in the Democratic primary (but Hu couldn't find evidence that he'd voted very often, let alone like a Democrat); and Rick Perry sent personalized messages to every Tom, Dick, and fill-in-the-blank. The best of our best from December 7 to 11, 2009 Full Story
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