George P. Bush Pledges Coastal Protection
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush told the Energy Thought Summit in Austin on Tuesday that protecting the Texas coast will be his priority during the 2017 legislative session. Full Story
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Madlin Mekelburg
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Madlin Mekelburg was a reporting fellow for the Tribune in 2015 and 2016. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied journalism and French. Madlin previously worked at the Houston Chronicle as both a metro intern in Houston and as an intern in their Austin bureau covering the Texas Legislature.
Past Contributions
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![Land Commissioner George P. Bush speaking at the GOP election night party at the Moody Theater in Austin on Nov. 4, 2014.]()
Credit: Julia Robinson -
Font on Texas Highway Signs Set for Another Shift
The Federal Highway Administration is no longer permitting states to use an experimental font called Clearview on highway signs. Texas, one of the typeface's earliest adopters, has used it on its new highway signs since 2004. Full Story
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![Two sample highway signs reveal the differences between Clearview, above, which Texas began using in 2004, and the traditional highway sign font, Standard Highway Alphabet, below.]()
Credit: Graphic by Ben Hasson -
Texas Supreme Court Denies Effort to Rewrite Austin Ballot on Uber Ordinance
The Texas Supreme Court denied a request Monday aiming to rewrite the ballot language for an upcoming referendum that will determine how the city of Austin regulates vehicle-for-hire companies like Uber and Lyft. Full Story
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Texas Supreme Court Asked to Weigh in on Austin's Battle with Uber
An Austin resident, supported by Uber, has asked the Texas Supreme Court to weigh in on the ballot language for a measure related to vehicle-for-hire companies scheduled to come before voters on May 7. Full Story
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![Austin Uber drivers participate in a rally against the proposal set by the Austin Transportation Department on Sept. 2, 2015.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles/ Texas Tribune -
Uber to Leave Third Texas City Over Background Check Laws
Corpus Christi will be the third city Uber has left this year in response to local laws. In February, the company ceased operations in Galveston and Midland after the cities voted to enact background-check requirements. Full Story
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Bullet Train Opponents Sue TxDOT and Attorney General Ken Paxton
A group opposed to to a private firm's plans to build a bullet train stretching from Dallas to Houston has filed a lawsuit in order to obtain communications between the firm and state officials. Full Story
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![Japan Central's N700 high speed train, the same train that a private firm wants to bring to Texas.]()
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Texas Sues EPA Over Wilderness Haze Regulations
In the state’s first lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2016, Texas is suing the agency for rejecting parts of a seven-year-old state proposal targeted at reducing haze in wilderness areas. Full Story
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Open Legislative Races Draw More than 70 Candidates
A slew of open seats in the Legislature means there will be at least 18 freshman lawmakers in the Capitol come January. Two thirds of the open seats are currently held by a Republican. Full Story
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![The March 1 primary ballot will feature 18 open seats in the Texas Legislature – two in the Senate and 16 in the House.]()
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Open Senate Seat Sparks Four-Way Race
With longtime state Sen. Kevin Eltife's retirement, four GOP candidates in Senate District 1 are racing to define themselves as conservative outsiders, including state Reps. Bryan Hughes and David Simpson. Full Story
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![Top Row: David Simpson and Bryan Hughes
Bottom Row: Major General James K. "Red" Brown Jr. and Mike Lee]()
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VanDeaver, Lavender Face Off Again in NE Texas House Race
Two years after Rep. Gary VanDeaver defeated George Lavender in a race to represent part of Northeast Texas in the state House, the two will face each other once more on the Republican primary ballot March 1. Full Story
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![Former state Rep. George Lavender, left, is challenging state Rep. Gary VanDeaver, right, in the Republican primary for Texas House District 1.]()
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