The latest Eddie Lucio Jr. news from The Texas Tribune.
Reports that put several Texas facilities for veterans on the worst lists for wait times will fuel a state Senate hearing this week, as lawmakers look for ways to reduce wait times and advocate for Texas veterans who need health care. Full Story
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The rightward tilt of the Texas Senate has one of its more hallowed traditions — the two-thirds rule — in danger of going the way of the dodo. Full Story
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Your evening reading: gun advocates find hope in Abbott's open-carry proposal; O'Rourke stock purchase might have broken new restrictions; IRS issues new guidelines to squeeze dark-money groups Full Story
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We have liveblogged each session of The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Health Care track, which featured panel discussions on the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, new developments coming out of Texas, and abortion and women's health. Full Story
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UPDATED: The University of Texas System's Board of Regents on Wednesday approved a nearly $50 million land deal for the new school's Brownsville campus. Full Story
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State Sen. Ken Paxton has filed a bill that would enact a business tax credit scholarship program touted by state Sen. Dan Patrick and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst at a December media conference. Full Story
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Calling it "absolutely" must-pass legislation, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said this afternoon he is working with senators to hammer out a bill to reform the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Full Story
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“The roosters are crowing and it’s time to go noodling,” said Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, today before the Senate passed a bill to crackdown on cockfighting rings. Full Story
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Legislation that would grant the state authority to erect southbound checkpoints near the Texas-Mexico border was successfully revived today after lawmakers attached it as an amendment to a bill concerning record sharing by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Full Story
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Legislation on football helmet safety is one step closer to crossing the goal line after passing the Senate today nearly unanimously. Helmets are “the first line of defense” for football players, said Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, the senate sponsor of HB 675. Full Story
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As a Christian and a lawmaker, biblical stories form something of a lens through which I try to find focus when making public policy decisions — particularly as anti-immigrant bills have gained a disturbing momentum in Austin over the last few weeks. Full Story
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The newest competitive sport coming to Texas just might be pork choppering. Full Story
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Sen. Jeff Wentworth is relentless with campus carry, and today, the San Antonio Republican got his way. Full Story
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Republican lawmakers have vowed to close the budget hole without a new tax. But that hasn’t stopped Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, from proposing a penny per ounce tax on soft drinks. Full Story
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On Monday, state Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, said he would rather raise taxes than make the cuts under consideration. Now, state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, has introduced legislation to increase the tax on soft drinks by a penny per ounce. Full Story
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Unlike the debate over voter ID, in which Senate Democrats stood united in their opposition, a combination of politics, religion and personal histories have made the sonogram bill more divisive in their caucus. Full Story
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After a decade in which Texas has seen a 400 percent increase in the number of children with autism, lawmakers are wrestling with how best to educate the afflicted — and how to pay for it. Full Story
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After Thursday's lively state hearing, where health advocates told lawmakers they were bracing for massive Medicare cuts, doctors got some rewarding news: Congress had voted to delay a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments six months. Full Story
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A previously rejected proposal that would give TEXAS Grants to college students based on academic merit, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis, saw the light again on Wednesday — but old tensions still linger about who should get a piece of the nearly $615 million financial aid pie first. Full Story
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Texas' participation in the federally funded summer food service program is dismally low compared to the national average — meaning only a small percentage of the state's 2.5 million low-income kids are getting free meals. Full Story
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