Texas Legislature

TribLive: McCall on the 82nd Session

By Evan Smith Nov. 4, 2011

At this week's TribLive conversation, Texas State University System Chancellor Brian McCall — a former state lawmaker — reflected on his first legislative session out of office in two decades. Full Story
Flying the Flag

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 4, 2011

Early voting is underway and has been since October 24, but it's not easy to prove it. Full Story

Credit: Erik Hersman
Weekend Insider: Courts Legislate Lawmakers, GOP Who Don't Support Perry

By Justin Dehn Nov. 3, 2011

In this edition of the Texas Tribune Weekend Insider, executive editor Ross Ramsey explains how courts legislate for state lawmakers, and deputy editor Emily Ramshaw describes the risks Texas Republicans face when they don't support Rick Perry for president. Full Story
Interactive: Budget Cuts Continue to Shrink Texas State Government

By Becca Aaronson Nov. 3, 2011

This interactive shows the dramatic drop in employment at Texas state agencies from the third quarter of fiscal year 2011 to the last quarter, right before $15 billion in cuts to the 2012-2013 biennium budget kicked in Sept. 1. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
UT/TT Poll: Mormon Candidates Face Hurdle

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 3, 2011

More than one in five Texas voters say most of the people they know would not vote for a Mormon presidential candidate even if they agreed with him or her on the issues, according to the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Full Story
Proposition 7 Aims to Boost El Paso Parks

By Ben Philpott, KUT News Nov. 3, 2011

Voters will have 10 state constitutional amendments to consider on Election Day this Tuesday. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports on Proposition 7, which would create a parks system in El Paso County. Full Story

Credit: Jason Brackins
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 104

By Reeve Hamilton Nov. 2, 2011

This week on the TribCast, Ross, Reeve, Ben and Jim pore over the new UT/TT poll, review Gov. Rick Perry's viral video, and consider the recent statements of Speaker Joe Straus. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
UT/TT Poll: Top Pick for U.S. Senate? Undecided

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 2, 2011

Half of all GOP voters haven't decided who should be their nominee for the U.S. Senate, according to the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Full Story
School Dropouts, Politicians and the Funny Arithmetic of State Budgets

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 28, 2011

Every time a student drops out of public school, taxpayers save money. That’s one fewer student, at an annual savings of more than $11,000 per year from state and local sources. Full Story
Some GOP Hopefuls for Texas House Pick Education Message

By Morgan Smith Oct. 27, 2011

At least some Republican 2012 primary candidates for the Texas House hope to trade the anti-government cries of the last election cycle for a message with a decidedly different focus: the state of Texas public schools. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Anti-Tax Groups Oppose Constitutional Amendments

By Susannah Jacob Oct. 26, 2011

Texas voters started going to the polls this week to decide whether to add 10 amendments to the state's massive Constitution, potentially taking the total number of amendments to 477. A few of them have drawn the ire of anti-tax groups. Full Story

Credit: Jason Brackins
TribLive: A Conversation with Susan Combs

By Evan Smith Oct. 23, 2011

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about the health of the Texas economy, her agency's data breach, her shifting position on abortion and more. Full Story
Things to Do: The House's Interim Charges

By Reeve Hamilton Oct. 20, 2011

The House's interim charges are out, starting with instructions to everyone to consider ways to improve the state's manufacturing capability and increase the "transparency, accountability, and efficiency" in state government. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
TribLive: Combs on 82nd Session Budget Cuts

By Evan Smith Oct. 20, 2011

At this morning's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about the billions cut from the state budget during the last legislative session — and whether kicking the can down the road on health care costs was a sound financial decision. Full Story
Straus Releases Interim Charges for House Committees

By Reeve Hamilton Oct. 20, 2011

House Speaker Joe Straus has released the interim charges that will direct the work of the lower chamber's legislative committees for the next 11 months — and lawmakers will be busy. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribLive: Combs on Abortion and Family Planning

By Evan Smith Oct. 20, 2011

At this morning's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about her late-in-life switch from pro-choice to pro-life and the impact of cutting family planning funding. Full Story
Education Board Could Give Schools More Control Over New Exams

By Morgan Smith Oct. 20, 2011

The State Board of Education may try to modify the state's rigid new standardized exams — the STAAR tests — in a way that allays school districts’ concerns that they're losing local control over grading. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Video: Planned Parenthood Clinics Close In Hidalgo County

By Justin Dehn and Thanh Tan Oct. 16, 2011

The state's family planning reductions hit the Planned Parenthood Association of Hidalgo County especially hard. In September, the association shut down four of its eight health clinics and laid off half of its staff. Anti-abortion advocates argue the state should not "subsidize the abortion industry." The Trib's Thanh Tan and Justin Dehn report from Hidalgo County. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith Oct. 15, 2011

Aaronson interactively asks if stimulus funds created jobs in Texas, Aguilar on new voter registrar rules that could decrease voter turnout, Galbraith on a UT professor's debunking of climate change "myths," Grissom on an epic clash of El Paso political titans, Hamilton on the right's new higher ed guru, Murphy maps household data from the 2010 Census, Ramsey on a coming rules fight in the Texas Senate, Root and M. Smith on Rick Perry's performance at the New Hampshire debate and M. Smith talks public ed cuts with the state's Superintendent of the Year: The best of our best content from October 10-14, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
In Perry's Texas, the Man Behind the Curtain

By Ross Ramsey and Jay Root, The Texas Tribune, and Jim Rutenberg, The New York Times Oct. 14, 2011

Behind every politician there are men and women working in the wings, who can make calls, fix problems, raise money, punish enemies. In Rick Perry’s world, one man stands above them all: Mike Toomey. Full Story

Credit: Texas State Library & Archives Commision / The Texas Tribune