The Brief: Feb. 9, 2015
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz talked presidential politics and foreign policy in a pair of appearances on Sunday morning talk shows. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during the 2014 RedState Gathering at the Worthington Renaissance Hotel in Fort Worth on Aug. 8, 2014.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill -
Texas Justices Skirt Underground Trespassing Question
Texans must wait for an answer to a vexing question: How far below the earth’s surface do property lines extend? The Texas Supreme Court evaded the issue Friday, deciding a case that pitted petroleum interests against property rights advocates. Full Story
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![Fracking water during different stages of a purification and recycling process.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill -
For State's Seismologist, Earthquakes Will Be the Easy Part of the Job
A peripatetic seismologist and son of McCamey has been hired to figure out whether oil and gas drilling is causing earthquakes in Texas. No matter what he says, some people will not believe him. Full Story
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![Each day, dozens of trucks hook up to the Gulf Coast-run fracking fluid disposal well site near Gonzales, Texas.]()
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The Brief: Feb. 6, 2015
Rick Perry had some choice words in an interview Thursday with the Tribune and the Washington Post on what separates him from Ted Cruz. Full Story
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![Former Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz]()
Credit: Cooper Neill -
Price Plunge Adds New Wrinkle to Mexican Energy Reform
After years of political wrangling, Mexico is poised to open up its state-run energy monopoly to private investment, pumping excitement into Texas. But as crude oil prices fall, will investors walk through that door? Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
The Brief: Feb. 5, 2015
House Speaker Joe Straus leaned toward the familiar in filling open spots at the top of the chamber's top-tier committees. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, in the Texas House of Representatives, Feb. 8, 2011.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: Feb. 4, 2015
The ability of Austin tech firm 21CT to secure a $20 million Medicaid fraud software contract through a no-bid program run by the state's Department of Information Resources drew intense scrutiny from Senate budget writers on Tuesday. Full Story
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![This is a photo of one of two $2800 chairs ordered by Jack Stick's office when he was deputy inspector general. The chairs which resemble the ones used in the Texas Legislature committee hearing rooms, were discovered after the resignations of Stick, and Doug Wilson, inspector general.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
Texas Justices Renew Royalty Owner's Fraud Case
In a case that highlights the challenges Texas mineral owners face in ensuring oil and gas operators pay what they promise, the Texas Supreme Court has revived the claim of a man who alleges he was shortchanged on royalties. Full Story
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Texas Bearing Brunt of Drop in Oil Drilling
After months of plummeting oil prices, nightmares about idled drilling rigs have become reality, hitting Texas the hardest. See how many rigs the state has lost in recent months. Full Story
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![Pipes used for fracking are shown in front of a Fasken OIl and Ranch drilling rig outside of Midland on Oct. 8, 2013.]()
Credit: Jerod Foster -
The Brief: Feb. 3, 2015
The state representative at the center of a controversy over treatment of visitors to the Capitol for Texas Muslim Capitol Day last week told the Tribune on Monday that she didn't expect her Facebook post to raise such a ruckus. Full Story
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![Rep. Molly White R-Belton in her Capitol office on February 2nd, 2015]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Legislation Would Let Electric Generators Get Bigger
Texas bars companies from owning or controlling more than 20 percent of the electric generation capacity in the state. A lawmaker wants to eliminate that cap. Full Story
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Friday Night Football Returns to Water Politics
Two years ago, the drought prompted a rare outbreak of teamwork as lawmakers from both parties and most corners of Texas together crafted a $2 billion fund to provide more water. This session, though, it looks like we're going back to good old-fashioned water rivalries. Full Story
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![Texas Governor Rick Perry ceremonially signed House Bill 4, which lays the foundation for Texas' future water needs. He is joined by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Speaker Joe Straus, Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland and Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay on May 28, 2013]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Brief: Jan. 30, 2015
In a week where the news was driven to a large degree by rallies on the Capitol grounds — from open carry activists to anti-Muslim protesters — it's perhaps fitting that the week closes with another one. Full Story
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![A look at the Texas Capitol before the inaugural festivities begin.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Drought Summit Offers Help to Organic Farmers
Small and organic farmers being sapped by the drought often don't qualify for, or know about, government programs that might help them out. A gathering Thursday aimed to help them get over those stumbling blocks. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: Water Wars in Central Texas
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Water wars in Hays County and on the Edwards Aquifer, the new ag commissioner says water is a top issue and an interview with Anthony Tarquin of the University of Texas at El Paso Full Story
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In Revising Media Policy, Railroad Commission Stresses Transparency
The Texas Railroad Commission is overhauling its media policy, striking language that mentions punishment for agency employees who relay incorrect information to news outlets. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Lawmakers Consider Boosting Earthquake Research
State lawmakers are considering a nearly $2.5 million plan to help answer a pressing question in some Texas communities: Why does the ground keep shaking? Full Story
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![Lynda Stokes, the mayor of Reno, Texas, testified before the Texas Railroad Commission on Jan. 21, 2014, about her concerns with an increased number of earthquakes around Eagle Mountain Lake.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Groundwater Wars Brewing in Austin's Hill Country Suburbs
A crack in Texas' mishmash groundwater regulatory framework is allowing a water company to pump a huge amount of water from underneath Hays County with virtually no oversight. Full Story
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![Electro Purification's wells (the yellow dots on the map) are outside any regulator's purview. They're also near many other wells that depend on the Trinity Aquifer (the blue and green dots).]()
Credit: Graphic by Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District -
A Debate Over Fracking and Local Control
After Denton voters decided to ban fracking, other Texas cities could weigh similar moves. Legislators are expected to look at ways to avoid a city-by-city fight over drilling regulations. This is the fourth video in our eight-part State of Mind series. Full Story
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The Brief: Jan. 23, 2015
More news reports are highlighting growing questions about 21CT's activity at various state agencies. Full Story
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