UPDATED: State Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt, R-Lexington, said Friday that he has suspended his chief of staff, John Higgins, who was indicted this week on 12 felony charges stemming from allegedly improper travel reimbursements. Full Story
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Your evening reading: Perry talks re-election, backs dedicated car sales tax for transportation funding; Stockman bumper sticker stirs controversy; Railroad Commission chairman apologizes for retweeting noose image Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry on Friday said he likes the idea of dedicating a portion of future car sales taxes to road projects and also said he's open to spending up to $6 billion of the Rainy Day Fund on infrastructure projects. Full Story
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Full video of my 4/11 TribLive conversation with state Sens. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston; Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio; and Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo. Full Story
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Erica Grieder, a senior editor at Texas Monthly and the author of a new book on the "Texas Model," on the state's successes, its critics and whether the model needs any tweaks. Full Story
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As Texas reconsiders whether all students should take algebra II to earn a high school diploma, it is bucking a national trend that it helped launch a decade ago toward more stringent math curriculum. Full Story
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Texas could trim the size of its court fights over redistricting by endorsing maps drawn by federal judges, but legislative leaders fear the harmony of the current session would evaporate in the process. Full Story
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With universities across the state grappling with aging infrastructure and growing student bodies, a state senator has filed a bill that would use tuition revenue bonds to fund more than $4 billion in construction costs for college campuses. Full Story
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Friendliness toward the drilling industry is typical in Texas, where many lawmakers receive campaign contributions from oil and gas groups or have investments in drilling companies. Full Story
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The sweeping immigration reform bill heading to the floor of the U.S. Senate could end up blocking hundreds of thousands of immigrants from citizenship. Full Story
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On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: As Texas lawmakers work to reform the embattled Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, we take a look back at how the institute was created in the first place. Full Story
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Your evening reading: UT regents agree to turn over records to lawmakers; Cornyn and Cruz vote to block debate on gun bill; state Senate to consider spending half of Rainy Day Fund Full Story
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A significantly altered version of Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick's legislation expanding the state's charter school system quickly passed out of the upper chamber Thursday afternoon. Full Story
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Parks advocates on Thursday urged state lawmakers to fund the Texas Parks and Wildlife Local Park Grant Program, which has provided more than $390.2 million in matching grants for local parks projects across the state. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Sens. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston; Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio; and Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, weighed in on outreach to Latino voters. Full Story
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Lawmakers reacted positively to the University of Texas System regents' unanimous vote on Thursday to turn over requested documents to legislators, but they also indicated that tensions had not been entirely laid to rest. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Sens. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston; Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio; and Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, talked about the sudden outbreak of peace and comity in the 83rd legislative session. Full Story
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UPDATED: Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman apologized on Friday for retweeting an image that showed a noose beside the names of Republican U.S. senators who had voted down a gun-control filibuster. Full Story
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The Texas House on Thursday voted to formally ask the U.S. State Department to apply pressure on the Mexican government to release water owed to Texas under the terms of a treaty signed in 1944. Full Story
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Under a bill by Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, applicants for unemployment benefits could be subject to drug testing if their responses to a questionnaire raise red flags. Full Story
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