Is Texas failing special education students? (video)
Houston Chronicle reporter Brian Rosenthal discusses the state's special education policies with a panel of experts at The Texas Tribune's March public education symposium. Full Story
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The Brief: Will Abbott's pre-K program get funding?
The Senate Finance Committee cut $180 million the Senate had allocated for pre-K funding in an earlier version of the budget, going against Gov. Greg Abbott. Full Story
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![An early reader looks to teacher, Josefina Pineda, in her Pre-K at the Dallas Independent School District elementary school Cesar Chavez Learning Center in Dallas, Texas.]()
Credit: Robert W. Hart -
New in Trib+Edu: School funding fix floated in House
In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: The House Public Ed chairman floats a $1.6B school funding plan, voters in New Mexico weigh soda tax to fund a pre-K program and an interview with Kelly Williams of the University of Texas at Austin. Full Story
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Education committee chairs push major edits to A-F ratings for schools
House Public Education Committee Chairman Dan Huberty and Senate Education Committee Chairman Larry Taylor filed bills to help make the A-F accountability system more palatable to educators, who say grading their schools won't help them serve students better. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty (left), R-Houston, and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood.]()
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Child welfare workers fear legislative push to outsource their jobs
Former and current caseworkers say a plan to move case management services to nonprofits could be problematic and that no one in power is listening to their concerns. Full Story
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![The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services building in Austin.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
House committee makes changes to anti-"sanctuary" bill
More than 600 people signed up on Wednesday to testify before the House State Affairs Committee on the lower chamber's version of the controversial proposal to outlaw "sanctuary" jurisdictions. Full Story
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![State Affairs Committee member Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, at the hearing on Senate Bill 4, the "sanctuary cities" bill, on March 15, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Senate panel tentatively votes to defund Abbott's pre-K program
The Senate Finance Committee gave initial approval to budget items that would cut $180 million from state-funded pre-K in favor of a $40 million public-private partnership. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott signs HB4, which adds funding for pre-K, into law at the Anita Uphaus Early Childhood Center in Austin Texas May 28, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Universities face funding cuts of 6 percent to 10 percent in Senate plan
In an attempt to make major changes in how higher education is funded, the Senate Finance Committee is proposing major cuts to each state university. Full Story
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After years of insisting on "repeal," Ted Cruz walks a fine line on health care
"If Republicans take this opportunity and blow it, we will rightly be considered a laughingstock," U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday regarding divisions among Republicans on the leading proposal to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was a keynote speaker at Dallas County Republican Reagan Day Dinner on March 11, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Buckman for The Texas Tribune -
A day later, Hurd and O'Rourke reach D.C., ending road trip and impromptu town hall
U.S. Reps. Will Hurd and Beto O'Rourke — a Republican and a Democrat from Texas, respectively — arrived at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, ending a two-day trek from San Antonio that drew thousands of fans. Full Story
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![U.S. Reps. Beto O'Rourke (left), D-El Paso, and Will Hurd, R-Helotes, completed their road trip from Texas to Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2017.]()
Credit: Rep. Will Hurd's Facebook page -
Senate gives approval to two abortion-related bills
The upper chamber gave final passage to a bill that would ban what opponents call "partial-birth" abortions and put restrictions on donating fetal tissue, and initial approval to one that would ban doctors from performing dilation and evacuation abortions. Full Story
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![A woman reflects quietly in the waiting room at Planned Parenthood of Gulf Coast's ambulatory surgical center in Houston Friday, August 2, 2013.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas bullet train firm calls provision added to budget a "job killer"
Officials with Texas Central Partners, the private firm developing the Houston-Dallas high-speed rail line, said the rider added to the state senate's proposed budget Wednesday would put their project at risk. Full Story
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![A high-speed Texas train is planned to run near railroad tracks along Hempstead Road in northwest Houston.]()
Credit: Brandon Formby for The Texas Tribune -
Watch as Texas House committee debates anti-"sanctuary" bill
The Texas House State Affairs Committee is set to debate a bill that would gut funding from local and state entities that don’t enforce immigration laws. Full Story
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![Critics of Senate Bill 4, a bill banning sanctuary cities, protest at the Texas Capitol as the bill is scheduled to be debated before the Senate State Affairs committee on Feb. 2, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes statewide ban on texting while driving
Members voted 113-32 to tentatively approve the legislation, which will get a final vote in the House before it can proceed to the Senate. A Senate committee has passed a similar measure. Full Story
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Masturbation fine, bathroom bill, Beto and Will's road trip (podcast)
On this week's TribCast, Evan talks to Alexa, Ross and Patrick about Jessica Farrar’s proposed fine for masturbators, the Senate’s passage of the so-called bathroom bill, last week’s court ruling on redistricting and the congressional car trip social media can’t get enough of. Full Story
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Credit: Emily Albracht / Todd Wiseman -
Are Texas schools and students making the grade? (video)
Texas Tribune reporter Aliyya Swaby weighs testing and accountability standards with a panel of experts at the Tribune's March public education symposium. Full Story
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Texas sues feds — including Rick Perry — for failing to license nuclear waste facility
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accuses U.S. agencies of violating federal law by failing to license a nuclear waste repository in Nevada. Full Story
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![John Ward, operations project task manager at Waste Control Specialists' facility near Andrews, Texas, walks over to inspect concrete canisters that will house drums of nuclear waste.]()
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Patrick: Straus "out of touch with the voters" on bathroom bill
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Wednesday that House Speaker Joe Straus is "out of touch with the voters" for opposing the so-called bathroom bill that passed the Texas Senate a day earlier. Full Story
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![House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick at a Texas Legislative Budget Board meeting on December 1, 2016.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for the Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Texas House committee taking up "sanctuary cities" bill
The House State Affairs Committee is expected to take up legislation that would effectively ban sanctuary cities in Texas. Full Story
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![State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, answers questions regarding Senate Bill 4, better known as the anti-"sanctuary cities" bill, on Feb. 7, 2017 in the state Capitol in Austin.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Texas proposal would limit prosecutors in grand jury proceedings
Grand jury reform legislation would allow suspects' attorneys to be present during questioning and would prevent prosecutors from going to another grand jury if the first one declines to indict – unless there's new evidence. Full Story
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