The Brief: May 20, 2013
With a budget deal struck, the spotlight now shifts to Gov. Rick Perry. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Legislators Devote New Funding to Mental Health
Legislators are preparing to dedicate hundreds of millions more dollars to mental health care for the first time in years. Haven for Hope in San Antonio serves as a model of the services and success they aim to emulate. Full Story
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![Ray Gutierrez, 61, is a recovering alcoholic who was nearly blind when he came to Haven for Hope. He believes Haven for Hope saved his life.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
The Playlist: The Compromise
From the budget bill to a new university in South Texas, a number of big agreements were reached in the Capitol this week. Fittingly, our playlist inspired by this week's Texas news opens with The Format's "The Compromise." Full Story
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Texas Weekly Newsreel: Budget, Ethics and 2014
In this edition of the Newsreel: Will lawmakers finish the budget? Will the governor call for a special session? And when this is over, who will be running for office in 2014? Full Story
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
M. Smith on a key player in education policy, Ramshaw on an "Obamacare" critic putting his frustrations to music, Aguilar finds that misclassification bills are losing steam, Murphy adds the latest financial statements to our Ethics Explorer, Grissom on Perry's signing of the Michael Morton Act, Aaronson on the fight over end-of-life legislation, Galbraith and Batheja discuss Texas' infrastructure challenges, Root on a bipartisan effort in D.C., and Ramsey leads an ethics discussion and looks at the proposed budget's impact on legislators' pensions. The best of our best content from May 13-17, 2013. Full Story
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Credit: Jacob Villanueva -
House Backs Bill to Crack Down on Medicaid Fraud
A House bill designed to curb Medicaid fraud became a vehicle to save floundering health care legislation on Friday. Full Story
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Bill to Increase Pharmacy Rate Transparency Advances
Independent pharmacists struggling to keep their doors open could soon expect more transparency in negotiating rates with Medicaid managed care organizations. Full Story
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Measure Allowing Driver's Permits for Undocumented Immigrants Stalls
An amendment that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain a permit to legally drive and purchase insurance in Texas was derailed Friday on a point of order. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Jacob Villanueva -
House OKs Bill to Expand Mental Health in Managed Care
Managed care plans would be required to offer more mental health services to Medicaid recipients under a bill tentatively approved by the House on Friday. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Agenda Texas: Daily Drama at the Capitol
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: A look at how quickly things can change in the waning days of a Texas legislative session. Full Story
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![Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie speaks with Rep. Todd Hunter R-Corpus Christi and Rep. Abel Herrero D-Robstown on House floor before voting on HB 10 February 21st, 2013]()
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The Evening Brief: May 17, 2013
Your evening reading: budget deal reached; Gonzalez says she'll seek re-election; debate over end-of-life bill gets personal Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Texas on Track to Restore Cancer Research Funding
The House tentatively approved a bill to reform the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, bringing the state one step closer to restoring financing for the beleaguered agency. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Guillermo Esteves -
"Merry Christmas Bill" Heads to Governor
The Senate passed a House bill that would allow teachers and other public school staff to use holiday greetings like "Merry Christmas” and "Happy Hanukkah" and to display Christmas trees, menorahs and other cultural icons of winter celebrations. Full Story
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House, Senate Negotiators Reach Deal on Budget
After days of negotiations, House and Senate representatives agreed to a budget plan that would add roughly $4 billion in extra funding for public education. It also paves the way for a $2 billion fund for water infrastructure projects. Full Story
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Adding More Exemptions, Senate Approves Drone Bill
Police officers, oil and gas pipeline inspectors, news photographers, and movie producers may now all have access to drone footage under certain conditions in language added to legislation banning the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as it passed the Texas Senate. Full Story
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![Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi engineering student Adam Ersepke and lab coordinator Jack Edward Esparza prepare for the take off of the University’s RS-16 unmanned aerial vehicle, otherwise known as a drone, for a test flight over the Kennedy Ranch near Sarita, Texas on January 18, 2013.]()
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Bill Would Give Unclaimed Ashes of Veterans a Final Resting Place
Funeral homes across the country face a grim challenge: storing large amounts of of unclaimed cremated human remains. A bill before Texas lawmakers would address part of the problem, at least for the state's deceased veterans. Full Story
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How Lawmakers' Pensions Would Grow Under Proposed Budget
The proposed state budget would increase state judge's base salaries by 12 percent — and would do the same thing to state legislators' pensions. Check out the added benefit by member. Full Story
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House Democrats: Budget Deal Still Not in Place
UPDATED: Half a day after Senate budget leaders said the contours of a budget deal were in place, confusion and uncertainty reigned in the Capitol as key negotiators argued over competing proposals. Full Story
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Gonzalez Says She Will Seek Re-election
State Rep. Naomi Gonzalez, D-El Paso, said on Friday she intends to seek another term in the Texas House, despite her pending drunk driving case. Full Story
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House, Senate Clash Over Dutton Bill Resolved
UPDATED: Friday morning's clash between the House and Senate appears to be water under the bridge. Lawmakers in the upper chamber said it was a tussle over a local Houston matter — but that they're working to resolve it. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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