The latest Jane Nelson news from The Texas Tribune.
There's a lot of ways you can spend $4.6 billion in tax cuts, and the Senate Finance Committee learned Wednesday that a wide range of special interest groups think the current proposal could use some work. Full Story
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Senate leaders joined Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to announce a plan to allow lawmakers to cut property taxes and pay down the state's debt without busting the state’s politically charged spending cap. Full Story
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Senate budget writers in the middle of what they are describing as "Tax Relief Week" expressed remorse en masse at having created the business margins tax in 2006. Full Story
As a key Senate committee prepares to hear public testimony on tax cut proposals Wednesday, senators expressed strong interest in repealing the state's unpopular margins tax on businesses, which has raised $4.7 billion annually. Full Story
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As state officials rush to announce tax cuts, a former mayor now in the Senate is pleading for a little restraint and a return to pay-as-you-go government. Full Story
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The Tribune's Jay Root and Neena Satija filed a story over the weekend on the problem of deferred maintenance at state government buildings in multiple agencies. It makes for some grim reading. Full Story
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A reinvented Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas says its darkest hour has passed, but the agency faces new conservative lawmakers unconvinced more money should be devoted to the agency. Full Story
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Senate budget writers directed their displeasure at the Texas Racing Commission during a contentious hearing on Wednesday in which the head of the finance committee declared herself "livid." Full Story
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The last time lawmakers cut property taxes, it barely registered with most voters because appraisal increases and local tax hikes overwhelmed the savings. This year's cut will be smaller, but Republican leaders hope people will feel richer for it. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has announced a slate of bills he says will provide lasting tax relief to businesses and homeowners in Texas — to the tune of $4.6 billion. But there are signs he could face some opposition within his own party. Full Story
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This month's University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll explored registered voters' views on carrying handguns in public, finding a strong plurality of 45 percent supporting the current legal framework of licensed concealed carry. Full Story
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The Kroll report, which looked into the admissions process at UT-Austin and whether some well-connected people had too much influence on that process, surfaced on Thursday. Full Story
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After a few failed legislative attempts, Republican lawmakers are once again working to make drug testing mandatory for some Texans who receive state welfare benefits. Full Story
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The ability of Austin tech firm 21CT to secure a $20 million Medicaid fraud software contract through a no-bid program run by the state's Department of Information Resources drew intense scrutiny from Senate budget writers on Tuesday. Full Story
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Senate budget writers on Tuesday described the state's growing contracting scandal as "embarrassing" and "out of control" while the head of an agency at the center of the scandal defended its procurement policies. Full Story
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A judge's decision on Tuesday not to dismiss two indictments against Rick Perry has both legal and political implications. Full Story
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Nearly two weeks after the House's base budget was released, Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson presented the Senate's plan, which she said sets aside $3 billion for "meaningful" property tax relief for Texas homeowners. Full Story
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Guns were a big topic of conversation inside the Capitol and outside of it on Monday. Full Story
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Following a controversial no-bid deal at the Health and Human Services Commission, Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, filed a bill on Monday that seeks to strengthen oversight of state contracting. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus said the House's base budget plan, released Thursday, holds "spending in check while addressing some very important challenges related to our rapid growth." The Senate's base budget is expected to come out next week. Full Story
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