Texplainer: How Does a Special Session Work?
Hey, Texplainer: How does a special session work? And how is it different from the regular session? Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
After Emotional Debate, House Passes Sanctuary Cities Legislation
After hours of contentious and often emotional debate, the Texas House passed HB 12, the controversial "sanctuary cities" legislation. The measure was passed on a 100 to 47 vote just after midnight. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Sanctuary Cities Bill Still Stuck in House
What will happen next in the debate over the contentious “sanctuary cities” bill is anyone’s guess. As the afternoon bleeds into night, Democrats in the Texas House are still huddling on the floor to discuss their next move. Full Story
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Amendments Piled Onto Education Finance Bill
Senators today amended an education finance reform bill to allow community college students to carry concealed handguns on campus, increase the cost of cigarettes and allow drastic changes to university administration. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Wentworth Gets a Win for Campus Carry
Sen. Jeff Wentworth is relentless with campus carry, and today, the San Antonio Republican got his way. Full Story
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Texplainer: Are There Deadlines for Considering Legislation?
Hey, Texplainer: What's all the talk about deadlines at the Legislature this week? Aren't there three weeks left in the session? Full Story
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Birdwell Tries, Fails to Hike Tuition for Undocumented
An effort by Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, to require undocumented Texas students to pay out-of-state tuition rates sparked emotional debate in the Senate today, and forced Birdwell to pull the measure down. Full Story
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Senate Adopts Voter ID Report
The state Senate today approved a conference committee report on the voter identification bill that includes changes that would allow citizens to use a new form of documentation to cast their ballots. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Fraudulent Fishermen Could Face Felony
Fraudulent fishermen better reel it in. The Senate passed a bill today to make cheating in a fishing tournament up to a third-degree felony, sending the measure on to the governor. Full Story
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Senate OKs Concealed Carry for Lawmakers
Texas lawmakers — current and former — may soon be able to pack heat at church, the hospital, a sporting event or even bars. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Is David Dewhurst Goofy — or Goofy Like a Fox?
It’s funny that you can win four statewide elections and still have people think you’re a goofball, in over your head. But maybe Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s fumbles leading to the Texas Senate’s budget vote give the lie to that. Maybe he’s goofy like a fox. Full Story
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House Meltdown Ends in GOP Show of Force
A day of parliamentary chaos in the House ended with the passage of Gov. Rick Perry’s newest emergency item: a tort reform bill. And a powerful message from Republicans to Democrats: mess with us at your own peril. Full Story
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Liveblog: Parliamentary Deadlock Grips the House Floor
With 37 members missing from House's first Saturday meeting— many of them Republicans — Democrats seized a chance to cause some procedural mischief when they realized only 14 of them would have to walk out to break a quorum. Full Story
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson on the latest attack on Planned Parenthood, Aguilar previews the sanctuary cities debate, Grissom on a death row inmate's unsuccessful appeal, Hamilton on the UT System's faculty "productivity" data dump, Philpott on the prospect of lawsuits over education cuts, Ramsey on puppies and other distractions, Ramshaw on a tobacco fight, my interview with the presidents of UT-Austin and Texas A&M, M. Smith on a former State Board of Ed member who may have violated state ethics law, Stiles interactively displays the effects of House redistricting and Tan on the Senate budget end game: The best of our best content from May 2 to 6, 2011. Full Story
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Attempt to Lift Class Size Ratio Stumbles Again
Lawmakers in the House took a second swing at state Rep. Rob Eissler's school mandate relief bill late Friday night. And once again, they whiffed. Full Story
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House Committee Advances Gambling, Without Casinos
Attention, gamblers. A Texas House committee surprised the casino lobby Friday night when it voted out legislation that would allow video lottery terminals — slot machines — at state racetracks and Indian reservations. The casinos were left behind. Full Story
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Update: Point of Order Derails Sanctuary Cities Bill — For Now
The controversial “sanctuary cities” bill hit a roadblock in the Texas House late Friday when a point of order derailed the legislation and knocked it off the calendar. Full Story
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Kathleen Sebelius: The TT Interview
In an exclusive on-camera interview with The Texas Tribune on Friday, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed the federal government's efforts to cooperate with a state like Texas, where GOP leaders have been hostile to the Affordable Care Act. Full Story
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Video: The Week in Texas Politics Recap, May 2 to May 6
No time to follow all the happenings of the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly recaps of the action under the dome. Full Story
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HB 12: The Liveblog
Debate is underway on HB 12, the so-called “sanctuary cities” bill, which would prohibit cities, counties and other governmental entities or special districts from adopting a policy that prevents law enforcement from asking persons lawfully detained or arrested if they are in the country legally. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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