Dan Patrick announces Senate committee assignments, making a few noticeable shifts
Two Democrats and 14 Republicans will chair the upper chamber's committees. Full Story
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![The Texas Senate during the 86th legislative session. Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Pay no attention to the pols behind the curtain
The lieutenant governor might look like he's playing in a race when he's not. And a Washington political organization that's not supposed to mess with Democrats might just be messing with a Democrat. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick meets privately with Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, on the dais during a break in Senate proceedings Jan. 21, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Kevin Eltife joined the UT System as an outspoken critic. Now he might reshape it.
As the search for a new chancellor gets underway, Kevin Eltife – a University of Texas regent and former state senator – is heading a task force that could broadly reshape what the UT System looks like. Full Story
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![Kevin Eltife in his office in 2013, when he was a state senator. Eltife now serves as a member of the University of Texas System Board of Regents.]()
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Author of effort to peel back Top 10 Percent Rule says his bill is dead
State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, says he doesn't have enough votes to repeal or peel back the Top 10 Percent Rule for college admissions. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, discussed higher education issues during a Texas Tribune event on April 4, 2017. Seliger is chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Senate committee advances proposal to gut the Top 10 Percent Rule
A proposal to substantially weaken the Top 10 Percent Rule took an important step forward Wednesday. Full Story
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![Students on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Despite concerns, Texas legislators push to regulate powdered alcohol
Concerns about powdered alcohol have led 34 states to ban or considering banning it. However, both the House and Senate are considering legislation that would regulate the product in Texas. Full Story
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Will Texas universities face perfect storm of cuts?
The top three sources of revenue for Texas public universities are all being targeted for reductions or freezes by federal or state government leaders. Full Story
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![University of Houston President Renu Khator (center) and Texas Tech University System Chancellor Robert Duncan were among those who testified during a May 10, 2016, House Higher Education Committee hearing.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Rural "school choice" letter campaign sparks confusion, accusations inside Texas Capitol
An advocacy group says thousands of letters sent to rural lawmakers suggests widespread support for legislation that would create education savings accounts. But lawmakers — and some constituents — say the letters are dubious. Full Story
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Texas senators weigh bills that would limit college tuition growth
The Senate Higher Education Committee on Wednesday considered several bills related to limiting tuition increases. Full Story
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![Senate Higher Education Committee chair Kel Seliger listens to a witness during a hearing April 26, 2016 on higher education tuition rates at the Texas Capitol.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune/Bob Daemmrich -
Senate panel takes step toward repealing college financial aid law
The Texas Senate Education Committee took an early step in the Senate's efforts to eliminate a rule that forces universities to set aside a portion of tuition revenue to fund scholarships for the needy. Full Story
![Senate Higher Education Committee chair Kel Seliger listens to a witness during a hearing April 26, 2016 on higher education tuition rates at the Texas Capitol.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune/Bob Daemmrich -
Senators slam UT System, say communication has been lacking
At a Texas Senate committee hearing Thursday, new UT System regent appointees got a friendly reception. But there was criticism of those running the system. Full Story
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Credit: John Jordan -
Dan Patrick makes only one change atop Senate committees
Only one committee received a new committee chair in the Texas Senate. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, will chair the Senate Administration Committee. Full Story
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Bills would continue graduation committees for students who failed STAAR
State Sen. Kel Seliger and state Rep. Dan Huberty have filed bills that would keep individual graduation committees, which allow students to graduate even if they fail required exams. The law creating these committees will expire in September. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, and state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston.]()
Credit: Seliger: Bob Daemmrich/Huberty: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
A Conversation About Higher Education Funding (Video)
Full video of our 5/26 conversation with state Sen Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, the chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, and state Senator Kirk Watson, D-Austin, a member of the committtee and its former vice chairman. Full Story
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Video: Higher Ed and the 84th Legislature
At our 11/16 symposium on higher education, Matthew Watkins talked to state Sens. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, and Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo; state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin; and Texas Higher Education Commissioner Raymund Paredes about how higher ed issues played in the 84th Legislature. Full Story
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Video: Seliger on UT's Plans for a Houston Campus
At our 11/16 symposium on higher education, state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, the chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, expressed skepticism about the University of Texas System's plans for a new campus in Houston. Full Story
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2015 Tribune Festival: Audio From the Higher Ed Track
The Higher Education track at the 2015 Texas Tribune Festival featured panel discussions with several university system chancellors and private college leaders. Also, there was a one-on-one conversation with Mike Perrin, the interim athletic director at the University of Texas at Austin. Full Story
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Hopes Fading for New Limits for Tuition Growth
With the death of all legislation specifically aiming to re-regulate tuition costs at Texas' public universities, proponents of the idea see few avenues for implementing the idea this year. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
The Brief: April 21, 2015
The House gave the OK on Monday to legislation overhauling the way public corruption cases are handled in the state, but not before criticism that the new mechanism creates "a new protected class" of elected officials. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Analysis: Winning and Losing Without Even Voting on the Bills
Voting against legislation isn't the only way to kill it. Some of the most powerful tools available to Texas legislators are found in the dry pages of their parliamentary rulebooks. Full Story
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![House Parliamentarian Chris Griesel shows the rule book to a group of House members including Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, during a point of order called on HB 11 March 18, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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