The latest Governor's Office news from The Texas Tribune.
Of the hundreds of bills that were approved by both the House and the Senate in the 83rd legislative session, more than two dozen were vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry. Use our interactive to see which measures did not survive Sunday's veto deadline. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry issued more than two dozen vetoes Friday, including a line-item veto that wipes out funding for the Travis County prosecutors who investigate government fraud and public corruption. He also vetoed a bill that would have had Texas law mirror gender wage protections in the federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry has signed into law Senate Bill 21, a measure that will subject Texans applying for unemployment benefits to a drug test if their responses to a screening questionnaire indicate possible drug use. Full Story
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With the special session set to end in less than two weeks, Gov. Rick Perry said there's no more time to add items to the agenda. Full Story
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UPDATED: Some lawmakers and lobbyists had been pushing for gun-related bills to be added to the special session agenda. But Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday that with time ticking away, the agenda call could not be expanded. Still, gun advocates say the importance of their legislation hasn't withered. Full Story
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After a relatively calm regular session, Gov. Rick Perry is flexing his partisan muscles as the special session presses on. Redistricting, abortion-related issues and a threat to cut off state funding for the Public Integrity Unit are ratcheting up tensions. Full Story
The special session's agenda now includes the hot-button issue of abortion — which is sure to spark partisan warfare. Gov. Rick Perry also ordered the Legislature to take up a measure dealing with sentences for 17-year-olds convicted of capital felonies. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry would deal a "huge blow" to prosecutors who handle public fraud and corruption cases if he carries out a threat to end state funding for the state's public integrity unit, the unit's director said. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry on Monday added transportation funding to the agenda of the special session. He said Texas' transportation network is facing added pressure because of the state's growing economy and population. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry is pushing back against conservative critics who say the state budget is growing too fast. Perry is still analyzing the budget legislation, but his defense of it was the clearest signal yet that he plans to sign the two-year, $197 billion appropriations bill into law. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry will start spreading the news of his state's strong economy to the Big Apple on Monday. A $1 million ad campaign, dwarfing previous buys in California and Illinois, is aimed at convincing businesses to bring jobs here. Full Story
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As soon as Gov. Rick Perry signs Senate Bill 24, which creates a new university in the Rio Grande Valley, "the real work begins," says University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa. Full Story
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The 2014-15 budget plan for the Texas Department of Public Safety doesn't include money for big-ticket items like gunboats or planes, but it does include money for troopers’ raises and retains funding for the agency’s fusion center. Full Story
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Robert Black, a former aide to Gov. Rick Perry, has some advice for people who think they can predict the governor's next political move: "For those out there trying to read the tea leaves, don’t. Because you’re probably going to be wrong.” Full Story
The comity of the regular session might disappear in a special session: The rules change to the disadvantage of the Democrats, and the agenda changes to the advantage of the governor. Full Story
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As the longest-serving Texas governor, Rick Perry has vetoed his share of bills — 275 of them since taking office in December 2000. Use our interactive to see the history of Perry's veto power. Full Story
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A plan to fund Texas highway construction by diverting half of the money that currently feeds the state's Rainy Day Fund could find new life in a special session. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry signed a major water infrastructure bill into law on May 28. Speaking to reporters afterward, he remained coy about his political future and wouldn't say if he will add any items to the special session agenda. Full Story
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Lawmakers raced to get several bills passed before the 83rd Legislature's regular session ended. And with Monday's announcement of a special session, their work isn't done. Here's a look at the deals reached and the measures that fell short in the regular session. Full Story
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Lawmakers talked a big game about improving transparency this session, but when push came to shove, they did next to nothing to advance it. Full Story
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