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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey April 30, 2011

Aguilar and Weber on a subdued debate over homeland security, Galbraith on rising concern about natural gas drilling, Grissom on a controversial psychologist, Hamilton on the aftermath of the Rick O'Donnell episode, Philpott on the comptroller's apology, Ramshaw with more on the statewide database of child abusers, E. Smith interviews Lance Armstrong, M. Smith on what House budget cuts would mean for school districts, M. Stiles on how redistricting would change things for each House member, Tan on the Senate's wobbly attempts to approve a budget and my interview with David Dewhurst: The best of our best content from April 25 to 29, 2011. Full Story
Senate Debates "Non-Tax Revenue"

By Ross Ramsey April 29, 2011

The Texas Senate, digging publicly for money while it battles quietly over a proposed budget, approved a "non-tax revenue" bill that would make $4.3 billion available for spending over the next two years. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Video: The Week in Texas Politics Recap: Apr. 25 to Apr. 29

By Justin Dehn April 29, 2011

No time to follow every twist and turn of the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly recaps of the action under the dome. Full Story
Perry Temporarily Gives Up His Personal Email Account

By Reeve Hamilton April 29, 2011

Anyone planning to email Gov. Rick Perry for the remainder of this session need not bother trying to reach him on his personal account. He won't be using it. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
SB 4 Sparks Quarrel Between Shapiro, Teachers Groups

By Morgan Smith April 29, 2011

A bill authorizing a major rethink of teacher evaluation in Texas public schools has teachers organizations scuffling with Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro, R-Plano. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
House Gives Early OK to TxDOT Sunset Bill

By Brandi Grissom and Becca Aaronson April 29, 2011

Consider it a do-over. The House today tentatively approved the Texas Department of Transportation Sunset bill, the measure that last year sent lawmakers into a surprise special session. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
UT President, A&M Professor Tussle With TPPF

By Reeve Hamilton April 29, 2011

At a panel hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation today, Bill Powers, the president of the University of Texas, and Robert Strawser, an accounting professor at Texas A&M University and the speaker of its faculty senate, responded to the conservative think tank's proposed higher education reforms. Full Story

Credit: Justin Dehn
The Midday Brief: April 29, 2011

By David Muto April 29, 2011

Your afternoon reading: budget could hit Senate on Monday; Zaffirini may let higher ed bill die; House committee OKs yacht tax break Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Where Are Perry's Emergency Items?

By Julián Aguilar April 29, 2011

With fewer than five weeks left in the regular session, none of Gov. Rick Perry's emergency items — voter ID, sanctuary cities, sonograms for women getting abortions, a federal balanced budget amendment, and eminent domain protection — have made it to his desk. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Senate Approves "Bath Salts" Ban

By Christopher Smith Gonzalez April 29, 2011

The Senate today passed a bill that would make it illegal to make "bath salts," a drug that can have effects similar to cocaine or amphetamines and can be bought legally online or in smoke shops. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
The Brief: April 29, 2011

By David Muto April 29, 2011

Comptroller Susan Combs, whose office exposed the Social Security numbers and other data of millions of Texans, struck a decidedly new tone Thursday. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmerich
Guest Column: The Case for Higher Ed Accountability

By Ronald L. Trowbridge April 29, 2011

Taxpayers and students make considerable financial investments in Texas universities. As such, they deserve excellence in both teaching and research. Full transparency and accountability are needed to ensure that neither of those priorities is shortchanged. Full Story
Accused Wait Years, Face Backlog to Fight Abuse Registry

By Emily Ramshaw April 29, 2011

More than 2,000 people listed in a statewide database of people who mistreat children are caught in a backlog of cases waiting for appeals, many with their careers and families hanging in the balance. Full Story

Credit: Todd Spoth
Guest Column: What Would Elmer Kelton Say?

By Joe Nick Patoski April 29, 2011

The greatest chronicler of drought and wildfires — the person everyone in Texas turned to for perspective at times like these — is no longer with us to make sense of it all. But according to his son, he'd see an a silver lining in all the devastation. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Bill Aims to Expand Organ Registry, Save Lives

By Julián Aguilar April 29, 2011

Lawmakers are hoping nonprofit organizations can do a better job of recruiting organ donors and saving lives. HB 2904 would transfer management of the state-run organ-donation registry from an agency to a new collaboration of nonprofits, a shift supporters say will reduce the number of Texans who die while waiting on the list. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Senate Approves Major Homeland Security Bill

By Julián Aguilar and Andrew Weber April 28, 2011

You wouldn't know it by the miniscule amount of debate Thursday, but the Senate approved what some lawmakers called the most significant piece of homeland security legislation filed this session, a measure civil liberty groups worry is a major encroachment on civil rights. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
House Tentatively OKs New Juvenile Justice Agency

By Brandi Grissom April 28, 2011

Texas youths who get crossways with the law could soon find themselves under the supervision of a new state juvenile justice agency whose main mission is to keep young offenders close to home and quickly headed in a more positive direction. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
House Democrats Applaud Senate's Budget Delay

By Becca Aaronson April 28, 2011

House Democrats are applauding the Senate's delay in taking up what they call a “woefully inadequate” appropriations bill. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Senate Approves Medicaid Savings Bill

By Emily Ramshaw April 28, 2011

The Senate unanimously approved Sen. Jane Nelson’s bill to find extensive cost savings in Texas’ Medicaid program, the primary health care provider for children, the disabled and the very poor. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Jacob Villanueva
Combs: "I Am Responsible" for Security Breach

By Ben Philpott, KUT News April 28, 2011

Comptroller Susan Combs now says she takes full responsibility for the data exposure. Some of her initial comments criticized the agencies that sent the data to her office. Today she says, "We're the last door. We're it. And as head of the agency, I am responsible." Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich