Senate Passes K2 Ban
The Senate today approved SB 331 by Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, which would ban the substance known as K2, a type of incense that mimics marijuana when smoked. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/k2.jpg)
-
![Article thumbnail]()
-
House Lawmakers Prepare for Intense "Sanctuary Cities" Debate
House lawmakers are gearing up for a battle as emotional and time-consuming as Voter ID when they take up legislation addressing another one of Gov. Perry’s emergency items — abolishing sanctuary cities, which could hit the House floor as soon as next week. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Sanct-City-Solomons2.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / John Carleton / Marjorie Cotera -
"Retarded" Likely to Be Struck From Texas Statutes
File this in the "this hasn't happened yet?" category: The Texas Legislature has taken one big step toward banishing the "R" word from state statutes. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Privitization-Mental-Health_b.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
GRAPHIC: How Lawmakers Set the Budget
Confused about the budget? Trust us — you’re not alone. Later this week, the House votes on several key pieces of legislation. We've created a flow chart to help keep track of the process. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TexasOnTopofMoney_1_jpg_800x1000_q100.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Lawmakers Want Fewer Tickets for Students
Last year, Texas police issued 300,000 students for offenses like chewing gum, truancy and cursing. The Senate Criminal Justice Committee today discussed a bill that would mean far fewer citations for youngsters in schools. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-AusDiscoverySchool-SM007.JPG)
![Students at Austin Discovery School work on a project at the Texas charter school on Tuesday, February 15th, 2011.]()
Credit: Steve Moakley -
Supporters: Gaming Would Generate Needed Revenue
Allowing gambling in Texas could boost the economy, create thousands of jobs and help lawmakers close the state's looming budget gap, gambling advocates told lawmakers in a House committee meeting today. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/gambling.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Texas Hospitals: Budget Cuts Are Too Deep
Texas hospital officials, anticipating a House budget vote later this week, warned this morning that the current proposal could mean funding cuts of up to 37 percent for some hospitals. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/_KCB4346.jpg)
![Leaders from Texas Hospital Association and other hospital groups urge members of the Texas House to protect funding for local hospitals, doctors and nurses. March 29th, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Jack Pratt: The TT Interview
Jack Pratt, chairman of the Texas Gaming Association, has tried for years to convince Texas lawmakers to let voters decide whether to allow casinos in the state. He's back again, proposing a combination of casinos, "racinos" (racetracks with slot machines), and Indian casinos that he and his economists say would bring more than $1.2 billion into the state treasury every year. We asked Pratt about the new proposal, the political environment, and the odds. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/JackPratt.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Jack Pratt: The TT Interview (audio)
An interview with Jack Pratt of the Texas Gaming Association. Full Story
-
Jack Pratt: The TT Interview
The head of the Texas Gaming Association, who's trying to convince Texas lawmakers to legalize casinos, on what's different this year, what he says to people who just don't like gambing, and how his likes his chances. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Senate Committee Endorses Rural Hospital Hiring Doctors
Rural hospitals are one step closer to being able to directly hire doctors — something they say is necessary to attract new doctors to rural areas, but is not currently allowed by Texas law. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Hospital-Scene.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Capitol Access Pass Moving Right Along
For those who frequent the Texas Capitol but don’t feel like sacrificing the time it takes to get a concealed handgun license, there may soon be a special pass allowing them to bypass the building’s metal detectors at Capitol entrances. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/cbm_7280.jpg)
![Capitol visitors pass through metal detectors.]()
Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller -
Inside Intelligence: Redistricting Will Be...
For the latest installment of our nonscientific survey of political and policy insiders, we asked whether the Legislature will finish its redistricting chores or will need help, whether Republicans will be able to ensure future supermajorities, and how lawmakers will split four new congressional seats between the political parties. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo_1.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
An Unexpectedly Important Bloc on Budget: Freshmen
Behold the mighty freshman Republicans of the Texas House of Representatives. They’re supposed to be quiet, to bow to their tenured colleagues, to stay out of the way. But here they are, quietly and deferentially exercising some clout on the only piece of legislation that absolutely has to pass: the state budget. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/NoNewTaxes.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
M. Smith on the continuing controversy over Beaumont's school administrators, Tan on the deepening divide over the consequences of the House budget, Hamilton on the latest in the fight over higher ed accountability, Grissom on young inmates in adult prisons, Aguilar on the voter ID end game, Tan and Hasson's Rainy Day Fund infographic, Ramsey on the coming conflict over school district reserves, M. Smith and Aguilar on Laredo ISD's missing Social Security numbers, Galbraith on environmental regulators bracing for budget cuts and Ramshaw on greater scrutiny of neonatal intensive care units: The best of our best content from March 21 to 25, 2011. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek-03-25-2011.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Latino Leaders Eye Redistricting Changes
Organizations from across the country have come together at the annual National Latino Congreso in Austin to strategize on legislation affecting the Latino community. And as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, all eyes are on redistricting this year. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Texplainer: What Is a "Point of Order"?
Calling a point of order is a parliamentary delay tactic, but it can be a deadly one. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/_KCA1372.jpg)
![Rep. Peter Gallego D-Alpine reviews the Texas House Practice book with Rep. Armando Walle D-Houston while discussing HB 14 regarding Voter ID on March 23rd, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
House, Senate Budget Battle Looming
This week, we saw signs Senate budget writers may be willing to spend more than their counterparts in the House. Meanwhile, a new analysis of the House budget's possible effects on Texas jobs raised eyebrows. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TheDifferenceScreencap_s.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
State Senate, Facing Tight Budget, Hunts Revenue
The Texas Senate isn’t allowed to raise money. It’s right there in the state’s Constitution, which says all revenue bills must originate in the House. But there it goes, looking for “non-tax revenues” to put enough meat on the skimpy proposed budget to get senators to vote for it. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Week in Texas Politics Recap: March 21 to March 25
No time to follow every twist and turn of the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly recaps of the action under the dome. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/Capsized4.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/22f435eed82b122e8c90bfbbfffbbe8e/BD%20INC%20Pratt%200773%202011)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9af90b409b0c866915c660f3d788618a/.dontusevoting)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d7ff44a10d39e7cc92c7ddc8f1ac998a/BD%20INC%20Dewhurst%2004%202011)