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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey July 27, 2013

Aguilar on the federal government’s aggressive voting rights stance, Aaronson on a headline-grabbing Medicaid overbilling case, Batheja’s profile of Sylvester Turner, Luthra on Cruz and Cornyn and the ACA, Satija and Dehn go bee watching, Grissom catches inmates farming for food banks, Murphy, Swicegood and Jordan update our government salary database, and M. Smith and Serrano report on a politically charged curriculum battle: The best of our best for the week of July 22 to 26, 2013. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
Pickett: House, Senate Negotiators Agree on Road Funding Deal

By Aman Batheja and Ian Floyd July 26, 2013

UPDATED: Key negotiators in the House and Senate finalized a deal on Saturday to boost funding for transportation, according to a lawmaker involved in the talks. Now backers of the plan will have to rally enough lawmakers to vote for it. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Corey Leopold
The Evening Brief: July 26, 2013

By David Muto July 26, 2013

Your evening reading: Legislature closer to transportation funding deal; Republicans fire more criticism at Obama administration over voting rights move; federal court sides against Texas in EPA case Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Houston Ambulance Service Providers Focus of Moratorium

By Becca Aaronson July 26, 2013

The federal government issued a temporary moratorium on Friday to halt enrollment of ambulance service providers in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program to combat fraud in the Houston area. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Legislators Considering Compromise Road Plan

By Becca Aaronson and Aman Batheja July 26, 2013

UPDATED: Amid ongoing negotiations over transportation funding plans, members of the House sent a new proposal to the Senate on Friday afternoon that could break the logjam. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman / Lynda Giddens
For Abbott, a Legal Fight and a Political Bonanza

By Ross Ramsey July 26, 2013

The newest legal battle over voting rights in Texas could go either way in court, but for Attorney General Greg Abbott, it's a golden opportunity to square off with a Democratic administration in Washington, D.C., that is far from popular in Texas. Full Story

Credit: Jerod Foster
Farmers Look to TCEQ to Restore Water to Dry Crops

By Elizabeth Koh and Ian Floyd July 26, 2013

Farmers who rely on the Brazos River say they are “out of water and out of luck” because the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has curtailed their use of water from the river. Full Story

Credit: Wikipedia
Abortion and the Economic Argument Behind the Political One

By Ross Ramsey July 26, 2013

The state's abortion and health care policies intersect in the budget — even though that might not always be part of the debate — and the budget is where the impact of decisions on abortion and Medicaid will be revealed. Full Story

Credit: Dave Herholz
Easing Elementary, Middle School Testing Comes With Caveat

By Morgan Smith July 26, 2013

For parents and educators who want less classroom time spent on state exams, hopes rest on recently passed legislation, but it comes with a challenge: Texas likely must first obtain waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Full Story

Credit: Jerod Foster
Two Decades On, Turner Holds Sway in the House

By Aman Batheja July 26, 2013

Throughout his 24 years in the Texas House, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, has taken a pragmatic approach to politics, maintaining close ties with Republican leaders if it means a seat at the negotiating table. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
The Brief: July 26, 2013

By David Muto July 26, 2013

The debate over voting rights in Texas took a new turn on Thursday as the Obama administration forcefully entered the fight. Full Story

Credit: Spencer Selvidge
The Evening Brief: July 25, 2013

By David Muto July 25, 2013

Your evening reading: Republicans slam Obama administration over Texas voting law push; Davis in D.C. for fundraisers; no deal yet on road funding Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Turner: Needy Should Apply for Electricity Rebates

By Jody Serrano July 25, 2013

State Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, on Thursday urged low-income Texans to participate in a program that provides rebates on their electric bills. The Legislature increased the discount to 82 percent this year, but the program is set to expire. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
TxDOT to Convert Some South and West Texas Roads to Gravel

By Aman Batheja July 25, 2013

More than 80 miles of roads in West and South Texas will be converted to gravel, state transportation officials announced Thursday. Officials cited a funding shortfall and the impact of the current drilling boom in making the decision. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / KUT
Justice Department Seeks to Restore Voting Law Restrictions on Texas

By Ross Ramsey and Julián Aguilar July 25, 2013

The U.S. Justice Department will seek to once more require that a federal court approve Texas’ controversial voter ID law, despite a Supreme Court ruling that such a practice is outdated. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
The Brief: July 25, 2013

By David Muto July 25, 2013

Stalled negotiations over a transportation deal have pushed the Legislature to the brink of yet another special session. Full Story

Credit: Phil Sonpott
With Time Running Short, Lawmakers Scramble on Road Plan

By Aman Batheja July 25, 2013

With less than a week left in the current special session and lawmakers anxious to go home, negotiators reached an impasse over transportation funding, prompting the governor to threaten to call a third session if more time is needed. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
As Health Care Law Nears Rollout, Cruz, Cornyn Remain Prominent Critics

By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News July 25, 2013

With major components of the Affordable Care Act set to take effect in the coming months, Texas' U.S. senators have remained vocal in their calls to defund or dismantle the law. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Despite Resources, Higher Ed Eludes Many Students in Foster Care

By Veronica Zaragovia, KUT News July 25, 2013

State help, including free tuition, is available for students in foster care who wish to pursue higher education in Texas. But foster students often face a host of challenges accessing college, including basic housing and transportation needs. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
Dewhurst, Patrick Continue Push to End CSCOPE

By Morgan Smith and Jody Serrano July 24, 2013

An extended drama over a controversial curriculum tool used by Texas public schools took a new turn Wednesday as Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst entered the fray with a letter to the State Board of Education and Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick pushed to add the issue to the special session agenda. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman