Trial Balloons
The ideas on what to do with the state budget are getting weirder and weirder. Full Story
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Situation Normal
The House has blown its stack and made up again a couple of times since our last conversation, all within the rules, and all — if you take a long view of things —right on schedule. Senators, who had a group conniption fit last week, have remained clear to partly cloudy and calm. Full Story
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson on pork choppers, Aguilar on sanctuary cities legislation, Galbraith on Brownsville's ban on plastic bags, Grissom on Delma Banks and prosecutorial misconduct, Hamilton on a tough week for higher education in Texas, Philpott on wildfires and politics, Ramshaw on the state's pursuit of a federal Medicaid overhaul, M. Smith on what would happen if lawmakers don't rewrite school finance formulas, yours truly on the Lege as schoolyard and Stiles with interactive graphics on how the proposed Senate redistricting maps compare with current ones: The best of our best content from May 9 to 13, 2011. Full Story
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Exchange of Words Between Former Friends Caps Off Tense Week at Lege
A South Texas border brawl, complete with personal attacks about weight and cowardice, took place between former allies Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, and Armando Martinez, D-Weslaco. Full Story
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Texas House Passes Bill Against TSA "Groping"
Texas lawmakers have a message for Transportation Security Administration: hands off. The House passed a bill today that would prohibit invasive searches and pat-downs at airport security or other public buildings. Full Story
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Guest Column: Why "Loser Pays" is a Loser
The Governor, with the help of the Legislature, seems driven to dilute one of our most enduring constitutional bulwarks: the ability of Texas residents to get a fair shake in court. Full Story
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Video: The Week in Texas Politics, May 9 to May 13
No time to follow all the happenings of the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly recap of the biggest political stories in the state. Full Story
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Guest Column: Why "Loser Pays" is a Winner
Forget the hyperbolic editorial rhetoric. The Governor’s proposals for improving our civil justice system will help make lawsuits less expensive and less time consuming. Full Story
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House Approves Four Loko Ban
The Texas House passed a bill today on malt liquor drinks that contain caffeine, ginseng, taurine or guarana. The bill prohibits the sale, manufacture, import and possessing of alcoholic energy drinks, like the infamous Four Loko. Full Story
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Senate OKs Forensic Science Commission Bill
The mission and jurisdiction of the ever-controversial Texas Forensic Science Commission would get some clarification under a bil the Senate approved today. Full Story
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Video: Outnumbered Democrats Struggle
This session, Texas Democrats are a frustrated bunch. From sanctuary cities to the state budget, they have so far lost every battle they've waged against the GOP. Texas Politics Project Director Jim Henson analyzes the struggle between the majority and the minority. Full Story
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"Pork Choppers" Soon to Be Open for Business
When state Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, introduced a bill last legislative session to allow licensed hunters to shoot feral hogs from helicopters, Texas lawmakers jokingly passed out “pork chopper” buttons. They're not laughing anymore. Full Story
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Budget Cuts Jeopardize Care for Critically Ill Children
Facing an estimated 28 percent reduction in funds to care for medically fragile children, in-home nursing companies say they could be forced to shut their doors, or else dramatically slash what they pay nurses. Full Story
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Lawmaking That Looks Like a Schoolyard Fight
It turns out you can do a lot of damage with nothing more than a rule book, which is hazardous in a place that often runs like a schoolyard: Conduct trumps content. Full Story
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House Finally Kills Class Size Bill
In what may be the Democrats' first concrete victory of the session, the House at last sent HB 400 to its grave when it failed to take up the controversial education legislation before its midnight deadline. Full Story
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Voter Bill Draws Familiar Fight
In keeping with Republican lawmakers' promises to strengthen state voting laws, the House today tentatively passed a bill that would make it a separate punishable offense for an illegal immigrant or non-citizen to vote or attempt to vote. Full Story
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K2 Closer to Being Outlawed
Synthetic pot, also known as K2, is one step closer to being outlawed in Texas. Full Story
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"Spanking" Bill Passes After Being Reconsidered
A controversial bill that would require parental permission before school administrators are allowed to paddle unruly public school children passed the House today after failing on Wednesday. Full Story
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Women's Health Program Circling the Drain?
Texas' Women's Health Program may be circling the drain. Sen. Bob Deuell says he doesn’t have the votes in the Senate to bring up a bill to renew the family planning and preventative care program — and Rep. Garnet Coleman says his House bill is stuck. Full Story
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TribLive: Staples on the 2014 Lite Guv Race
At this morning's TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples talked about his plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2014 — and offered his assessment of the other likely candidates in the race, Comptroller Susan Combs and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. Full Story
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