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Lawmakers will debate different approaches to graffiti in a House committee hearing on Tuesday. While some argue for less harsh punishments, others say tougher consequences are the way to reduce graffiti crimes. Full Story
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Though a payday lender group says the industry supports some regulation, consumer advocates worry that a measure intended to protect low-income Texans from predatory loans has been so watered down that it would allow unfair practices to continue. Full Story
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A bill that would make it easier for Texas parents to ask school boards to take action against failing schools sparked contentious debate in a Senate committee on Tuesday. Full Story
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A pair of bills recently introduced to the Texas Legislature could make it easier for landowners to cut down trees on their property, overriding certain local laws that extend protection to tree populations. Full Story
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In New York on Wednesday, Gov. Rick Perry bragged about his home state's many strengths, praising two of his signature health care initiatives — tort reform and stem cell research — in an interview with Steve Forbes. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fd3b7f7d4748968f69566fa18b589325/DONT%20USE%20Perry%20Stem%20Cells%20)
Rick Perry's presidential campaign is touting a positive "independent" analysis of its flat tax plan. But interviews, company literature and a visit to the office of the firm hired to review it indicate the research falls short of a rigorous economic analysis. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry delivered a harsh denunciation of the Obama administration's Middle East policy on Tuesday, calling it "naive, arrogant, misguided and dangerous," and said its "appeasement" led the Palestians to pursue U.N. recognition. Full Story
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This morning we've posted a 2011 update to our government employee salary database, which now includes 140 entities and salary data for more than 664,000 public employees. Full Story
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Hey, Texplainer: Why does the Texas Constitution have so many amendments? The way it's written makes it both fairly easy to amend and highly restrictive in the powers it grants, making frequent and often highly specific changes necessary. Full Story
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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is warning that the worst one-year drought on record is causing black bears to change their behavior, roaming farther from traditional habitats and potentially becoming more aggressive toward people. Full Story
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