The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
Comptroller Susan Combs added $1.2 billion to her estimate of state revenues, making that much more money available to budget writers who are scrambling for cash. She said the state's income is up. Full Story
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Call it the Justin Timberlake Treatment: The Legislature has found itself boxed in as it searches for a way out of the budget divide. Full Story
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A controversial bill meant to shut down puppy mills has drawn another opponent in state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston. "I'm a barking 'no,'" Patrick said during a recent public hearing. Full Story
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House and Senate negotiators have reached agreement on everything in the state budget except for public and higher education and a section of general provisions that can be used later to make sure the numbers in the budget balance. Full Story
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House Democrats put up one final fight against the voter ID bill but begrudgingly saw it move one step closer to the governor’s desk today. Full Story
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Public school budget cuts are coming, but for now, school districts still don't know by how much. As Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, a special session on education funding could push decisions past school district deadlines. Full Story
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A contentious measure that would allow Texas counties to consider the income of a legal immigrant’s sponsor when determining if the immigrant is eligible for indigent health care passed the state House today. Full Story
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The Texas Senate approved a $3.97 billion draw on the state's Rainy Day Fund to cover a deficit of the same size in the current budget, but not before rejecting efforts to add on a larger amount to help balance the 2012-13 budget. Full Story
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Republicans should beware of the backlash cuts to higher education could bring, members of the Texas College Democrats said at a press conference today. Full Story
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At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I asked Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples to assess the tenure of the man he hopes to succeed as lieutenant governor, David Dewhurst. Full Story
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At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers, what he thinks about the Senate's two-thirds rule, his run for lieutenant governor in 2014 and more. Full Story
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At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers — and the web site he maintains to collect tales of the war in progress. Full Story
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At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers, what he thinks about the Senate's two-thirds rule, his nascent campaign for lieutenant governor in 2014 and more. Full Story
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At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the Senate's two-thirds rule, the Rainy Day Fund, abortion sonograms and other issues that he'd confront as lieutenant governor. Full Story
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At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers, what he thinks about the Senate's two-thirds rule, his nascent campaign for lieutenant governor in 2014 and more. Full Story
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As a Christian and a lawmaker, biblical stories form something of a lens through which I try to find focus when making public policy decisions — particularly as anti-immigrant bills have gained a disturbing momentum in Austin over the last few weeks. Full Story
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It’s easier to spike legislation than to pass it, and timing is important. Nothing is dead for certain until the session ends, but lots of important things are not done, and the regular session ends on Memorial Day. Full Story
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Texas could save money, and prisoners could get a better education, some lawmakers say, if inmate learning programs were provided online. But correctional education experts and teachers say lawmakers’ ideas — particularly about online programs — show a lack of understanding about prison life. Full Story
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For the latest installment of our unscientific survey of political and policy insiders, we asked about politics — whether Barack Obama will do as well in Texas in 2012 as in 2008, whether Republicans can lose a statewide election, whether any top officeholders are in danger, and which issues in the Legislature will become issues in the elections, for better and for worse. Full Story
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Kel Seliger decided to run the redistricting marathon by saving up his energy until the end and then running a sprint. The Amarillo Republican's Senate Redistricting Committee met less than three weeks before end of the session to consider Senate district maps that had at that point been public for less than 24 hours. He told members — this was on Thursday — that they had until 5 p.m. to get their amendments to him and to make sure they were legally vetted and so on. And he said he planned to vote on the plan, along with a House plan already approved on the other side of the rotunda, on Friday. That sets up a full Senate vote for as early as next week. Full Story