On New Toll Road, Texans May Get to Drive 85
The Texas Department of Transportation will decide soon whether to grant a new stretch of toll road the fastest speed limit in the country. More than just bragging rights are at stake. Full Story
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Davis to Law Enforcement: Report Rape Kit Backlog
State Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, and the Department of Public Safety are sending a reminder message to Texas law enforcement agencies: They must follow a new state law requiring them to report their backlog of untested rape kits. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
DPS Renews Warning Against Spring Break Trips to Mexico
UPDATED: The Texas Department of Public Safety today renewed a warning that cautions Texas students against traveling to Mexico. The break begins next week for most of the state’s schools. Full Story
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![National pride was in abundance at the Mexican independence day festival at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin, Texas. The holiday celebrates Mexico's war of independence from Spain in 1810.]()
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Concerns Raised Over "Limited Term" Licenses
Some say that the Texas Department of Public Safety is going against its own policy with its "limited term" designations for driver's licenses and identification cards. Full Story
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Perry's Taxpayer-Funded Security Costs Rise
Though Gov. Rick Perry's political fortunes on the presidential campaign trail have plummeted, the bills for his omnipresent security detail continue, costing Texas taxpayers as much as $400,000 a month. Full Story
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![Republican Presidential candidate Texas Governor Rick Perry attends a campaign event in Spencer, Iowa December 17, 2011.]()
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El Paso is Tops Again on Low-Crime Cities List
El Paso has the lowest crime rate of American cities with populations over 500,000, according to rankings assembled by the CQ Press and released earlier today. This is the second year in a row the border city has topped the list. Full Story
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31 Days, 31 Ways: Despite State Budget Cuts, Border Security Funding Increases
DAY 30 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: During a legislative session where hardly any services were spared the budget ax, funding for border security actually increased. Full Story
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Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa: The TT Interview
The state senator from McAllen sat down with the Tribune to talk border security, how Democrats move forward after voter ID and what he thinks the upper chamber will look like in 2013. Full Story
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31 Days, 31 Ways: Driver's License Policy Becomes Law
DAY 12 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: applicants for driver's licenses and IDs must furnish proof of legal status. Full Story
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On the Border, Selling the High Price of Security
It's not a sales pitch heard too often in the Rio Grande Valley, but farmers and ranchers here have a new, tax-deductible option for improving their businesses — and the company offering it promises to take a bullet for its client. Full Story
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Too Tough, But Not for Long
An Austin judge ruled this week that the Texas Department of Public Safety overstepped its authority when it enacted tougher requirements for immigrants trying to obtain driver's licenses, giving immigrants' rights groups and some business leaders a glimmer of hope. Full Story
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DPS Now Says Key Perry Travel Records Preserved
The Texas Department of Public Safety said Monday it had preserved certain travel records associated with the cost of providing security to Gov. Rick Perry before 2008, contrary to information it provided on Friday. Full Story
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DPS Can't Reveal Cost to Protect Perry, Purges Records
State officials said Friday they can’t reveal how much money taxpayers are spending to protect Gov. Rick Perry — and that records of security costs compiled before 2008 have been “purged.” Full Story
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Fire the Police? Some Cities Consider Novel Ways to Save Money
The tiny East Texas town of Alto recently made headlines when it furloughed its five-man police department. But Alto is hardly the only Texas city struggling to fund public safety in a tough economy. Full Story
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I.D. Overreach?
The idea was to rein in the amount of unauthorized immigrants with IDs or driver's licenses. But steps lawmakers took in that direction have some concerned they cast too wide a net. Full Story
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Proof of Legal Status Now Required for State-Issued ID Cards
An amendment attached to SB 1 during the special session will require applicants for driver's licenses and other state-issued identification cards to produce government-issued documents affirming their legal status. Full Story
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Lawmakers Move to Limit Scrutiny of Perry Travel
Just as Gov. Rick Perry steps out on the national stage, lawmakers back home are moving to limit public access to detailed records showing how much it’s costing to protect him during his travels. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry speaks to the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans on June 18, 2011]()
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Lucio Asks Perry to Add Checkpoints to Agenda
A border lawmaker has written Gov. Rick Perry in the hopes of adding another item to the agenda for the current special session. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Public Safety patch worn on a uniform during an April 7, 2011 graduation ceremony in Austin.]()
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Southbound Checkpoints Face Uphill Battle
A measure eyed by some lawmakers as a means to stop the flow of illicit cash and weapons into Mexico via the Texas border is on life support. Full Story
![Texas Department of Public Safety patch worn on a uniform during an April 7, 2011 graduation ceremony in Austin.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Senate Approves Texting-While-Driving Ban
The Texas Senate approved a measure this evening that would ban texting and sending e-mails and instant messages while driving. Full Story
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Credit: Tim Caynes
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