If Ted Cruz seems to be marching out of step with GOP leaders attempting to lower the volume on the party’s immigration rhetoric, results from the last UT/Texas Tribune poll suggest the drumbeat he's listening to is the one being played by his voters. Full Story
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Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, criticized Republican Comptroller Susan Combs on Wednesday, saying she had a “cavalier” approach to doling out millions of dollars in tax incentives, including the award eventually granted to the promoters of F1 auto racing. Full Story
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At Wednesday's TribLive conversation, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, talked about the likelihood of withdrawals from the Rainy Day Fund and whether the state can meet its obligations under the spending cap. Full Story
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The family of Gregory Cheek has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Nueces County Jail, saying Cheek should have been transferred from the jail to a mental health facility. Full Story
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At Wednesday's TribLive conversation, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, reacted to this week's ruling on the school finance lawsuit and talked about what happens now. Full Story
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A planned interstate highway stretching from South Texas to Michigan remains decades away, but Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday that lawmakers should find more money for the project and ones like it. Full Story
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A long-awaited agreement between physicians, nurses and state legislators to increase the prescriptive power of advanced practice nurses could improve Texans’ access to care, health care leaders said Wednesday. Full Story
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Newly appointed House Public Education Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock filed legislation Wednesday that would restructure the state's high school graduation and student testing requirements. Full Story
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State Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, has filed a bill that would allow Texas schools to appoint "school marshals" — employees who could carry guns in an effort to protect students from violence. Full Story
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Judge Doug Arnold, a former Williamson County assistant district attorney who worked for Ken Anderson and for former district attorney John Bradley, testifies Wednesday about the Michael Morton case as the court of inquiry resumes. Full Story
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The University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday announced $5 million worth of new financial aid programs specifically designed to help boost the institution's four-year graduation rates. Full Story
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Despite strong resistance inside and outside the Legislature, groups representing gambling interests hope that a collaborative approach can help them make a breakthrough this legislative session. Full Story
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The culture of gift-giving is alive and well in the Texas Capitol, and lobbyists are the chief benefactors. Full Story
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Hey, Texplainer: I keep hearing that the money the state spends on public education has increased over the past decade. But the ruling in the school finance trial said Texas schools are underfunded. Who is right? Full Story
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The last substantial Texas ethics reforms passed during the 72nd legislative session. It wasn't easy then — and won't be easy now. But members pushing for new rules say they're optimistic that their colleagues will support making the state's business more transparent. Full Story
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As the Boy Scouts of America prepared to reconsider its ban on gay membership, a slew of Texas officeholders jumped into the debate on Tuesday. Full Story
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The embattled Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas was put under the microscope Tuesday when the Senate Finance Committee questioned whether public trust in the institute could be restored. Full Story
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El Paso again ranks as the safest city of its size, according to a report released the same day that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visited the border city. Full Story
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At a joint House and Senate Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday, officials found common ground over the need for conservation and the development of new technologies that could be used to increase the state’s water reserves. Full Story
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Your evening reading: California governor calls Perry's ad campaign "barely a fart"; Branch says he's considering bid for attorney general; Castro testifies on federal immigration reform Full Story
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