The Brief: March 13, 2015
Steelworkers and Shell Oil have struck a tentative agreement on a labor deal that would end a strike at 15 refineries and chemical plants, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday night. Full Story
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The Brief: Feb. 26, 2015
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 Brief: Feb. 5, 2015
House Speaker Joe Straus leaned toward the familiar in filling open spots at the top of the chamber's top-tier committees. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, in the Texas House of Representatives, Feb. 8, 2011.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Video: The Agenda for the 84th Legislative Session
Here's video of our 84th Legislature preview session on what's in store for big issues on the agenda. Panelists included state Reps. John Zerwas, Joe Pickett and Jimmie Don Aycock and state Sen. Kirk Watson. Full Story
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The Brief: Dec. 1, 2014
A story published over the weekend gave details on Gov. Rick Perry's prep work this week and month for a possible second run for the White House in 2016. Full Story
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![Governor Rick Perry gives a rousing exit speech on election night Nov. 4, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Liveblog: Transportation at The Texas Tribune Festival
We're liveblogging the sessions from the 2014 Texas Tribune Festival's Transportation track. The sessions include panels on road funding, high-speed rail, future transportation planning and the new urban mobility. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Emily Albracht -
Some Lawmakers Want Legislative Changes to Avoid Fertilizer Blasts
A committee of Texas lawmakers met Tuesday to discuss possible legislation aimed at preventing another disaster like last year’s explosion in West — with some still skeptical of imposing regulations on fertilizer storage facilities. Full Story
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The Brief: July 2, 2014
Lawmakers had a busy Tuesday, with the safe storage of ammonium nitrate and the alleged influence of criminal cartels in the current immigration crisis among the topics addressed. Full Story
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![L to R: Larry Phillips (R) Sherman and Joe Pickett (D) El Paso during the Transportation and the 83rd Legislature section of The Texas Tribune's symposium held on the SMU campus.]()
Credit: Mark Graham -
TribuneFest: Transportation and the 83rd Legislature
At the Trib's Oct. 17 symposium on transportation at Southern Methodist University, I sat down with four members of the House Transportation Committee: Chairman Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, and state Reps. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, and Joe Pickett, D-El Paso. Full Story
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Liveblog: Transportation at The Tribune Festival
We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Transportation track, which features panel discussions on planning, high-speed rail, road funding and rural transportation. Full Story
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House Panel Backs New Transportation Funding Plan
A House committee on Thursday held its first hearing in the third special session, and it voted out a transportation funding plan with minor changes from one that failed in the previous special session. Full Story
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The Brief: July 30, 2013
A major blow to a transportation plan has left the Legislature teetering on the edge of a third special session. Full Story
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![The Texas Senate on the opening day of the 83rd legislative session on Jan. 8, 2013.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Transportation Funding Bill Fails in House
A compromise transportation funding plan failed 84-40 in the House on Monday afternoon amid bipartisan opposition. Gov. Rick Perry quickly criticized those who voted against the measure but did not say if he would call a third special session. Full Story
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House Sends Transportation Funding Plan to Senate
The House voted 108-25 for a measure that would boost funding for the Texas Department of Transportation without raising taxes or fees, but lawmakers said they expect the Senate to make changes to the proposal. Full Story
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Senate Takes Step Toward Transportation Funding Solution
Senators on Tuesday tentatively approved a resolution that aims to solve the state's transportation funding woes by diverting future revenue from the Rainy Day Fund. Full Story
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Southbound Checkpoints Given New Life in Senate
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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![Three of 44 Department of Public Safety troopers graduating from cadet training pause for prayer on April 7, 2011]()
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Interactive: House Travel
Retiring state Rep. Joe Crabb, R-Atascocita, led all Texas House members in government-funded travel expenses in the last fiscal year, according to a Texas Tribune review of expense reports obtained from the state comptroller. Crabb spent $48,400, versus a per-member average of about $11,000. In all, 14 members spent more than $30,000. View a sortable table of travel totals by member. Full Story
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Been Down This Road Before
As the Texas Department of Transportation heads into a House Transportation Committee hearing today to review a highly critical 628-page audit, the value of the $2 million report is being called into question. Full Story
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Road Conditions
Sensible people in the Metroplex may have given up long ago on Southwest Parkway and State Highway 161, two huge projects first proposed back in the 1960s. Now they're toll roads — one incomplete, one not yet started — and the money to build them may finally be available. There is, of course, a catch. Full Story
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A Hard Road
Lawmakers are still perturbed at TxDOT, but the state's transportation agency is trying to do better. The first step, says one commissioner: Figure out how to meet the transportation needs of Texas citizens — which it's not doing. Full Story