Talk has resumed in the Senate — albeit quietly — about a so-called quality assurance fee, a revenue generator that would effectively tax hospitals to prop up the state’s cash-strapped Medicaid program. Full Story
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The House Public Health Committee put its stamp of approval this morning on a much-watered-down version of Rep. Fred Brown's Texas Medical Board bill, a measure designed to protect doctors from unfounded complaints. Full Story
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House Republicans may be inching toward a compromise on the billions of dollars they just voted to slash from the state budget. Full Story
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She’s volunteered at Emancipet, an Austin animal rescue group. Her Facebook page is populated with posts from animal rights groups. And she’s also an attorney for the state’s regulating agency who is helping to draft a bill that dog breeders say is designed to kill their industry. Full Story
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Lawmakers are looking for ways to reduce the effects of budget cuts on local governments — community colleges, school districts, cities and counties — by easing the unfunded mandates the state imposes on them. Full Story
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On the heels of a newly approved House budget that leaves public schools $7.8 billion short of what they're entitled to under current funding formulas, the House Public Education Committee today considered a round of school finance bills. Full Story
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A House panel today considered bills that would decriminalize homosexual sex in Texas. Full Story
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Less than two days after approving a state budget that cuts $23 billion from current spending, Rep. Jim Pitts says House leaders are already talking among themselves about how much more money they'd be willing to spend. Full Story
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Fresh off its voter ID victory last month, the majority party in the House made good on its promise to go beyond that controversial measure to combat what it alleges is serious voter fraud with several new proposals. Full Story
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Much has been made about higher education reformer Rick O'Donnell's opinions on academic research. The controversial UT System adviser recently elaborated on them himself in a letter he wrote to a UT regent. Full Story
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The House Natural Resources Committee is taking testimony today on a controversial groundwater bill that would give landowners "a vested ownership interest" in water below their land. Full Story
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There aren't any maps yet, but now there are two Texas redistricting lawsuits. The Mexican American Legislative Caucus has filed suit to block the use of what it calls flawed census data in drawing new political maps for legislative, congressional and State Board of Education districts. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading: Supreme Court stays first execution set to use new drug; Senate rejects House's voter ID bill; Leppert cites "positive conversations" with Cornyn Full Story
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The Senate approved a bill today that would help charter schools borrow money by allowing them to use the state’s Permanent School Fund as a bond guarantee Full Story
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A bill that would create a committee of experts, school officials and parents to develop guidelines for schools to use to craft food allergy protocols passed the Senate today. Full Story
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Confused about the state's budget process? Trust us — you’re not alone. Check our flow chart to help understand where we are in the process (highlighted in yellow) and what steps are next (highlighted in gray). Full Story
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With a football helmet in hand, Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-San Benito, won preliminary approval from the House today for a bill to ensure school districts keep close tabs on how often helmets are checked and repaired. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 30-day stay for death row inmate Cleve Foster, who was scheduled tonight to become the first Texas inmate executed using the state's new three-drug lethal injection cocktail. Full Story
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Generally, committee meetings are open to the public and recorded — one way or another. Full Story
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If federal health care reform stays on the books, it will help 5 million Texans get health insurance and increase state health care spending by roughly 10 percent in the next five years, according to the RAND Corporation. Full Story
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