Past Contributions

• The Brief: The House and Senate clash over cash

  By Sanya Mansoor and Bobby Blanchard April 17, 2017

  The House and Senate budgets have both allocated about $218 billion for the state. But crucial differences remain on how much each proposal funds important resources. Full Story 

• The Brief: TABC's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad hearing

  By Bobby Blanchard and Sanya Mansoor April 14, 2017

  The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's spending controversies landed them in the hot seat with Texas lawmakers on Thursday. The House Committee on General Investigating and Ethics grilled top officials from TABC for more than three hours. Full Story 

• The Brief: House panel takes up Convention of States

  By Bobby Blanchard and Cassandra Pollock April 13, 2017

  Lawmakers on a Texas House select committee are expected to consider today a resolution calling for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution. Full Story 

• The Brief: An often-absent Dawnna Dukes

  By Cassandra Pollock and Bobby Blanchard April 12, 2017

  State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, has missed more record votes during the current legislative session than any of the 150 members of the House by far, a Texas Tribune analysis shows. Full Story 

• The Brief: The battle over veterans' tuition

  By Sanya Mansoor and Bobby Blanchard April 11, 2017

  For years, Texas universities have raised alarms about the increasingly high cost of a state program called Hazlewood, which offers free college tuition to veterans' kids. This session, lawmakers are poised to scale the program back. Full Story 

• The Brief: Will Texas Senate pass a texting ban?

  By Cassandra Pollock and Bobby Blanchard April 10, 2017

  The Texas Senate may take up a bill this week that'd ban texting while driving, marking the first time in six years the measure may make it a step further in the legislative process. Full Story 

• The Brief: It took 15 hours, but the House passed a budget

  By Cassandra Pollock and Bobby Blanchard April 7, 2017

  At about 1:30 a.m., the Texas House passed its version of the two-year state budget: a $218.2 billion document that delivered hefty blows to statewide GOP leaders. Full Story 

• The Brief: Texas House prepares for marathon budget debate

  By Sanya Mansoor and Bobby Blanchard April 6, 2017

  Texas House kicks off a marathon budget debate today. More than 400 amendments have been filed, so lawmakers are expected to work into the night and possibly even into the morning. Full Story 

• The Brief: Texas alcohol regulators could lose funding for out-of-state travel

  By Cassandra Pollock and Bobby Blanchard April 5, 2017

  Among the 400-plus amendments filed to the House's proposed state budget, two legislators filed amendments that would cut off future out-of-state travel by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Full Story 

• The Brief: Bathroom access? Border security? Abortion? It's all in the budget amendments.

  By Sanya Mansoor and Bobby Blanchard April 4, 2017

  Bathroom access? Border security funding? Abortion? You'll find these issues and more in the 400-plus amendments Texas House members have filed as they prepare to consider the chamber's budget. Full Story