House Tentatively Passes Eminent Domain
Another bill on Gov. Rick Perry's emergency items list — eminent domain — tentatively passed in the House today, and it could further curb the government's right to take private property. Full Story
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Senate OKs Renaming, Shrinking RR Commission
The Senate approved a bill today that would change the name of the Railroad Commission to the Texas Oil and Gas Commission and reduce the size of the commission from three elected members to one elected commissioner. Full Story
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House Lawmakers Prepare for Intense "Sanctuary Cities" Debate
House lawmakers are gearing up for a battle as emotional and time-consuming as Voter ID when they take up legislation addressing another one of Gov. Perry’s emergency items — abolishing sanctuary cities, which could hit the House floor as soon as next week. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / John Carleton / Marjorie Cotera -
Zerwas: Texas Health Insurance Exchange May Be Dead
State Rep. John Zerwas, the Simonton Republican who has filed legislation to implement one of the key elements of federal health care reform, said his bill may be permanently stuck. Full Story
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State Senate, Facing Tight Budget, Hunts Revenue
The Texas Senate isn’t allowed to raise money. It’s right there in the state’s Constitution, which says all revenue bills must originate in the House. But there it goes, looking for “non-tax revenues” to put enough meat on the skimpy proposed budget to get senators to vote for it. Full Story
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UT System Redefines Adviser's Position, Sets End Date
The University of Texas System leadership has officially reassigned controversial new hire, Rick O'Donnell, to a new position — one that will only exist for a matter of months. Full Story
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Perry Fined $1,500 by Ethics Commission
Gov. Rick Perry was fined $1,500 by the Texas Ethics Commission for failing to report rental income from a house in College Station, and for filing incomplete information regarding debts on the same property, in personal financial statements required by state law. Full Story
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Short of Funds, State Eyes School Reserves
The state’s 1,030 school districts have — in total — $10.2 billion in reserves and another $2.1 billion in unspent federal stimulus money. Can they use that money to avoid draconian cutbacks? It's not that simple. Full Story
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Who's Watching the Stimulus?
The House Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding has expired, and its outspoken leader failed to get re-elected. So, amid all the state's fiscal concerns, who is keeping an eye on the stimulus? Full Story
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Texplainer: What's the Select Committee on State Sovereignty?
The State Sovereignty Committee, which meets today to discuss bills related to federal health care reform, was likely formed for efficiency’s sake, and to create a kind of heat sink for contentious debate. Full Story
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![Rep. Dan Branch R-Dallas, clerk Laura Collins and Rep. Brandon Creighton R-Conroe listen to testimony during State Sovereignty Committee. March 17th, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 71
This week on the TribCast, Ross, Reeve, Ben and special guest Jim Henson discuss the Rainy Day Fund, Hispanic Republicans, Tommy Lee Jones and a good deal more. Full Story
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Six Degrees of Jeff Sandefer: Reform and Texas Higher Ed
The recent hiring of Rick O’Donnell as a special adviser to the board of regents at the University of Texas System has some observers — worried about the implications for the University of Texas at Austin — playing connect the dots. Full Story
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Prominent UT Alumnus Warns of "Degradation" at University
Prominent University of Texas alumnus Gordon Appleman says recent changes at the UT System Board of Regents "seemed important enough to where I ought to do something rather than sit by and watch it happen." Full Story
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Voter ID to Hit House Next Week
The House Calendars Committee voted this evening to place the voter ID bill, SB 14, on the schedule for Monday. Full Story
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Perry: Campaign's Social Media Warrants a Book
Gov. Rick Perry, who has 52,000 fans on Facebook, said Tuesday that his 2010 re-election campaign's use of social media could make history. Full Story
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Will Lawmakers Cut Their Own Benefits?
As they talk of cutting pension contributions and raising premiums for state employee health care and mandating layoffs and furloughs at state agencies, what are lawmakers doing to their own compensation and benefits? Full Story
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After Bolstering Red Tide, Tea Party Still Making Waves
Atter making their presence known during election season, the various Tea Party groups in Texas continue to steer the political agenda. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports. Full Story
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TribLive: Straus on the Rainy Day Fund
At today's TribLive conversation, Speaker Joe Straus stopped short of supporting the tapping of the Rainy Day Fund to cover the current biennium's $4.3 billion deficit, but he left the door open. Full Story
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Students Talk Sex at the Capitol
High school and college students from across Texas came to the Capitol today to talk sex ed with lawmakers. Full Story
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![State Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio speaks to youth group in Austin to advocate for more comprehensive sex education in public schools. March 8th, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Tribune Directory Updated to Include 2011 Lege Staffers
We've updated our elected officials directory this week to include the names and e-mail addresses of legislative staffers in the 82nd session now that the House Research Organization has released a complete list. Full Story
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