The latest Texas Ethics Commission news from The Texas Tribune.
A state appeals court ruled Thursday that conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan lives in Austin despite his claims otherwise, so his dispute with the state Ethics Commission will play out in Travis County. Full Story
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The Open Government track at The 2015 Texas Tribune Festival featured a panel discussion on public integrity and state government and a conversation over ethics. We also featured a conversation with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. Full Story
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Houston state Sen. Joan Huffman, who tried to shield the spouses of elected officials from ethics disclosure rules, has now revealed on her personal financial statement a slew of business interests held by her husband. Full Story
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At our 6/9 conversation, State Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, the Speaker of the Texas House, enumerated what the Legislature did — and could have done — on ethics this session. Full Story
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The governor asked lawmakers to put ethics reform at center stage this year. They filed bills. They even voted in favor of some strong restrictions on lobbyists' and officeholders' official behavior. But most of it never got to Greg Abbott's desk. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott's call for meaningful ethics reform prompted heated debates this session on secret recordings, "dark money" and the lawmaker-to-lobbyist "revolving door." See what happened to ethics reform using our Texas Legislative Guide. Full Story
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When the gavel comes down on the legislative session on Monday, lawmakers will have failed to pass into law about two dozen different proposals aimed at curbing conflicts of interest and shining light into the dark corners of the Capitol. Full Story
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Now that the massive overhaul contained in Senate Bill 19 has gone on life support, a few targeted efforts to shine the light on conflicts of interest and enhance transparency remain. Here's a guide to what's moving and what's not. Full Story
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At our 5/28 conversation, state Sens. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills; Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham; and José Rodríguez, D-El Paso, discussed whether meaningful ethics reform will pass this session. Full Story
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In February, Gov. Greg Abbott asked lawmakers to dedicate this legislative session to ethics reform. With only two weeks left, he's still waiting. Full Story
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The Texas House on Monday night rejected a bill that would have increased the level of detail in personal financial statements filed by lawmakers and other state officials. Full Story
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The Texas Ethics Commission has fined former state Sen. Wendy Davis $5,000 after finding "credible evidence" she failed to disclose her relationship with two lobbyists on financial disclosure forms filed during her 2012 re-election campaign. Full Story
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A state lawmaker is pushing to make all financial disclosure statements filed with the Texas Ethics Commission available online so the public can easily find them. In that spirit, the Tribune presents the disclosures filed by scores of state agency heads, regents and others that you can't get online now. Full Story
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Tax cuts and politics ethics legislation have this in common: When lawmakers have to vote in public view, they're often forced to set aside their private opinions. Full Story
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The Senate voted in often odd coalitions to reveal more about the money members make, prohibit themselves from immediately becoming lobbyists, post their financial statements online and even subject themselves and other elected officials to drug testing. Full Story
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A heavily watered-down ethics reform bill will soon be taken up by the full Senate. Lawmakers on Monday rejected an amendment that would have required legislators to publicly disclose their tax returns each year. Full Story
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State politicians, high court judges and top bureaucrats would get public corruption cases against them moved to their home counties under a controversial bill that cleared the Texas House on Monday. Full Story
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Proposed ethics reform legislation underwent a significant overhaul Thursday in a Senate committee. Gone is the plan to take state pensions from lawbreaking lawmakers. Also out: a proposal to stop legislators from cashing in on a piece of the public debt business. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott wants ethics reform, but the legislation working its way through the Senate faces major revisions as early as Monday. The debate demonstrates how difficult it is for legislators to change the rules that govern their own behavior. Full Story
Legislators frustrated and angry with public corruption prosecutions in Travis County want to move them somewhere else. But the problems are likely to tag along: It's always hard to prosecute the people who pay for the prosecutors. Full Story