The latest 82nd Legislative Session news from The Texas Tribune.
A homeland security bill that was a major factor in whether the state’s sanctuary cities legislation — one of Gov. Rick Perry's emergency items — would be signed into law failed to get placed on a House calendar for this week. Full Story
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When it comes to congressional redistricting in Texas, inaction is louder than words. Full Story
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Voters still want lawmakers to cut the budget, but they still oppose the major cuts in education and health and human services that cutting the budget requires, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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The ideological partnership of the raucous Tea Party movement and fiscally conservative Texas Republicans has dominated the agenda of the state lawmaking session that is sputtering to an end. Full Story
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The media (and we do include ourselves, thanks) loves the sort of legislative or political story line that goes like a cliffhanger episode of a TV show. And the Lege always seems to provide at least one during the session. Will they finish in time? Will they fail and go into overtime? Full Story
Thousands of Texas students have been forced to put their college plans on hold as the Legislature, working on the state budget, determines what level of funding there will be for TEXAS Grants, the state's principal financial aid program for financially needy college students. Full Story
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Where did the time go? Texas legislators are a mere nine days away from the end of the session and still have to finish work on several bills to finish up their budget for the two-year period that starts September 1. Full Story
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Late Friday night, the Texas House tentatively approved a statewide ban on smoking in public places by a vote of 73-66. State Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Marshall, explains why he voted against the measure. Full Story
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Lawmakers may be getting to the congressional maps a little late, but state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, the chair of the Senate redistricting committee, says they're going to do everything they can until the very last minute to get as far as they can. Full Story
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After days of debate, the House finally passed a key fiscal matters bill — Senate Bill 1811 — that raises necessary funds to balance the proposed budget. Full Story
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Want a quick recap of some of the happenings this week in the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly video rundown of the action under the dome. Full Story
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Root and Galbraith on a Dallas billionaire's radioactive waste dump victory, Grissom on the passage of eyewitness ID reform, Hamilton on the old grudges bedeviling the debate over higher ed, Philpott on the status of congressional redistricting, Ramsey on Rick Perry's un-campaign for president, Ramshaw on why medical schools are the scorned children of the state's education budget, my session-wrap interview with three veteran Democrats, M. Smith on why Rob Eissler can't pass mandate relief for school districts and Stiles on who's giving what to which Texas candidates in 2011-12 congressional races: The best of our best content from May 16 to 20, 2011. Full Story
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A bill that would clarify and expand the jurisdiction of the Forensic Science Commission appeared to have fizzled in the Texas House. But tonight lawmakers revived the bill and voted it out of committee. Full Story
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With a deal in the works tonight on the state's two-year budget — the biggest priority of the legislative session — the House and Senate are debating a crucial school finance measure and another critical bill that raises the money to pay for it. Full Story
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Sanctuary cities legislation was revived today and will be sent to the Texas Senate for consideration. A Senate committee reversed course, approving the legislation. Full Story
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State Sen. Jeff Wentworth charged today that his San Antonio colleague, House speaker Joe Straus, used undue influence last night to strip an amendment allowing concealed handguns on college campuses out of a fiscal matter's bill. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, talked about the influence of so-called outside groups on the work of the Legislature. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, critiqued the leadership of GOP Speaker Joe Straus during the 82nd Legislative Session. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, and state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio — about how they and their Democratic colleagues fared this session. Full Story
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At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Sens. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, explained why controversial sanctuary cities legislation may not make it out of the Texas Senate. Full Story
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