The Brief: May 6, 2011
Immigration legislation — mostly dormant so far this session — will see some action in the Legislature today. Full Story
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Schools for Troubled Students Can Often Face Long Odds Too
A bill in the Legislature aims to adjust the formula for assessing completion and dropout rates at dropout recovery charters, which supporters say penalizes the schools who serve challenging populations. Full Story
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![Substitute teacher Nemir Naayem watches the hallways at Austin Premiere Academy during TAKS testing.]()
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Puppies, and the Legislative Power of Distraction
It’s tense at the Texas Capitol. It’s May — the last month of the session. Deadlines are arriving daily. Bills are dying. Legislative wish lists are drying up and blowing away. Blame the puppies. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
For Congress, Fundraising Can Never Begin Too Early
Members of Congress from Texas — and potential candidates for those offices — have raised more than $9 million in the first quarter of this year in advance of the 2012 federal elections, campaign records show. Full Story
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Video: 2011 Membership Drive — Why We Do This
Meet the folks behind The Texas Tribune: who we are, why we do what we do — and why we are asking for your support. Full Story
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Schools Consider Legal Action Over Budget Cuts
With school districts across the state passing belt-tightening budgets due to cuts expected at the Legislature, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports that some districts are gearing up for legal challenges. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
House Prepares for Sanctuary Cities Debate
Is it about security or racial profiling? Will U.S. citizens be targets of harassment? Will it stain Texas with the reputation Arizona thrust upon itself? The Texas House will likely entertain those and other sensitive questions when House Bill 12, commonly referred to as the “sanctuary cities” bill, hits the chamber's floor on Friday. Full Story
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Abortion Sonogram Moves to Governor's Desk
House lawmakers have sent the controversial abortion sonogram bill to the governor's desk — after a last-ditch effort by disability rights advocates to change language they called highly offensive. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
UT System Releases Data on Faculty "Productivity"
This afternoon, the University of Texas System released much-anticipated data on faculty "productivity" — noting, however, that the 821-page spreadsheet is in a raw draft form that has not been fully verified and "cannot yield accurate analysis, interpretations or conclusions." Full Story
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Perry on Senate Budget, Sanctuary Cities and Rainy Days
The governor told a press gaggle today that the Senate budget vote is a "step in right direction" — and that big-city police chiefs who oppose sanctuary city legislation must not have been listening last Election Day. Full Story
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The Midday Brief: May 5, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Obama to stop in El Paso before Austin visit next week; conservative think tank launches budget ads; Down syndrome group wants abortion sonogram change Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Senate Approves Rape Kit Testing Bill
Some of the thousands of untested rape kits lining evidence storage room shelves statewide would finally get testing under a bill the Texas Senate approved today. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Juvenile Justice Merger Heads to Governor
A bill to merge Texas' two state juvenile justice agencies is headed to the governor for a signature. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Video: David Barton on The Daily Show
On last night's episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart interviewed the former Texas GOP vice chairman and State Board of Education curriculum expert. Full Story
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The Brief: May 5, 2011
Democrats — stripped of power on Wednesday after Republicans skirted a Senate procedural tradition — may now be shut out of the budget debate entirely. Full Story
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Procedural Move Allows GOP to Pass Senate Budget
The $176 billion budget was approved along party lines, with all 19 Republicans voting for it and all 12 Democrats voting against. Full Story
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Will E-Verify Legislation Still Pass This Session?
Despite a bevy of bills filed this session that would require Texas employers to use the federal electronic verification system known as E-Verify, the legislation has, so far, failed to advance out of committee — and the clock is winding down. Full Story
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Bills Targeting Teen Pregnancy Making Little Headway
According to researchers, Texas taxpayers would save about $57 million per year if the state cut its teen birth rate. But as Gretch Sanders of KUT News reports, proposed legislation to curb the state’s teen pregnancy problem — and save taxpayer dollars — hasn’t gotten much traction. Full Story
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Video: 2011 Membership Drive — Our Impact
Ever wonder how many stories, videos and blog posts we've published and how many people have come to the site and the number of pages they've viewed since the Trib launched 18 months ago? The short answer: a lot. Full Story
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Video: Perry Responds to Disaster Declaration Denial
On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Perry blasted the federal government's decision not to give Texas a disaster declaration for wildfires. "There is no consistency with this administration," he said. Full Story
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