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Alana Rocha was the director of news partnerships for The Texas Tribune until June 2022. She was previously a multimedia reporter, after working in television and radio news for eight years. Alana covered politics for stations in Florida, Kansas and Texas and traveled the country reporting from the 2012 and 2016 presidential campaign trails. She was the lead reporter on several award-winning projects and launched “The Brief,” a daily audio update. A native of Tampa, Florida, Alana received bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from the University of Florida.
In the Roundup: The debate over early education reforms gets caught up in politics, a private school scholarship plan advances in the Legislature and George P. Bush marks his first 100 days as land commissioner. Full Story
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You’ve heard of crowdsourcing funding for nonprofits. Now one person is testing his online platform in Texas to crowdsource money to help people pay their energy bills in a new Travis County community. Full Story
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The Legislature is one step closer to allowing concealed handgun license holders in Texas to carry openly in public. The House gave tentative approval to House Bill 910 Friday evening after hours of debate and opposition from Democrats. Full Story
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In the Roundup: State lawmakers kept busy this week advancing a slew of items in both chambers – including a measure on the trade of shark fins. And they considered several controversial bills in committees. Full Story
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The Texas Senate passed out a state budget plan Tuesday that spends $211 billion over the next two years. The budget debate on the Senate floor contrasted greatly with the marathon budget debate in the House two weeks ago. Full Story
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Millions of dollars ride on the balls the Texas Lottery uses for its various drawings. The state Department of Agriculture helps preserve the integrity of the process as part of its consumer protection duties. Full Story
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In the Roundup: The Legislature took steps on key issues this week, including tax cuts, improving the quality of pre-kindergarten programs and repealing in-state college tuition rates for some undocumented immigrants. Full Story
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In the Roundup: The House debates hundreds of budget amendments, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz raises money and moves up in the polls in his first couple of weeks as a 2016 presidential contender. Full Story
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The Texas House passed a $210 billion budget early Wednesday, 18 hours after it started debate. House Appropriations Chairman John Otto said he was very proud of what lawmakers accomplished — but knows nothing is final yet. Full Story
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A bill that would enact a statewide texting-while-driving ban is advancing in the Texas Legislature, and it could affect some local ordinances already in place. Here's a look at which municipalities currently have restrictions. Full Story
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