The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
Republican state Sen. Dan Patrick cruised to a landslide victory Tuesday night in the race for lieutenant governor, easily defeating Democratic opponent, Leticia Van de Putte. For more election results, see our Election Scoreboard. Full Story
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At our 10/31 symposium on the impact of the shale boom on Texas, Jim Malewitz talked with state Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, and Texas Railroad Commissoner Barry Smitherman about what it will take to keep the boom booming. Full Story
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After Tuesday's general election, political observers will examine voter turnout and exit poll data, seeking insights into where Texas is politically, and where it may be headed. Full Story
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With early voting wrapping up Friday, turnout numbers don't seem to reflect much result from Democratic efforts to cultivate new voters. Full Story
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State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, is reaching out to voters in conservative hotbeds in North and East Texas — a nod to Democrats’ dependence on increasing voter turnout in statewide races. Full Story
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Check out the full video of Gov. Rick Perry's speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Perry centered much of his speech on President Obama, and said come 2016, voters will be looking for an alternative to “this season of disappointment." Full Story
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Democrats are hoping to take advantage of the shifting demographics in Irving to flip Texas House District 105, which has been held by a Republican for more than a decade. Full Story
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Full video of my 10/23 TribLive conversation with state Rep. Travis Clardy, R-Nacogdoches, and state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. Full Story
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At a news conference Friday, Gov. Rick Perry said he has asked President Obama to ban air travel from West African countries fighting outbreaks of the Ebola virus, with exceptions for aid workers. Full Story
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A representative of the Dallas hospital under scrutiny for its handling of the first Ebola case in the United States apologized on Thursday for mistakes he said the facility made when it initially misdiagnosed the patient. Full Story
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Dan Patrick, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, has made clear that he wants to lower property taxes. What he has left unclear — both to voters and to prominent business groups that have endorsed him — is exactly how he'll do that. Full Story
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A provision of the Texas abortion law that closed all but eight abortion facilities in the state almost two weeks ago was put on hold Tuesday by the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
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A state audit found the governor's office amended Texas Enterprise Fund awards given to private firms 36 times between 2003 and 2013, often in an effort to reduce the penalties the firms had to pay for falling short of job creation goals. Full Story
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Attorneys challenging the state’s voter ID law — which was struck down by a federal judge on Thursday — asked a federal appeals court on Sunday not to allow the state to enforce the law. Full Story
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A federal ruling that Texas' strict voter ID law discriminates against minority voters has kicked off a rapid-fire legal race over whether photo identification will be required on Election Day this November. Full Story
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday refused to reconsider a March ruling that allowed Texas to require physicians who perform abortions to obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of an abortion facility. Full Story
A week after the first Ebola case in the U.S. was confirmed at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, the patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, died Wednesday morning, hospital officials said. Full Story
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As the state grapples with the first diagnosed case of Ebola in the country, health officials on Tuesday told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that an outbreak was extremely unlikely. Full Story
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As the first known Ebola patient in the U.S. continued to fight for his life at a Dallas hospital, public health officials and doctors told Texas lawmakers in the state Capitol on Tuesday that an outbreak of the virus is extremely unlikely. Full Story
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While many Texas women now live hundreds of miles away from abortion facilities, some may still have another option: their doctor’s office. Full Story
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