The latest 82nd Legislative Session news from The Texas Tribune.
GOP lawmakers' battle against Planned Parenthood resumed today, as members of a Senate subcommittee passed out a bill that would renew the Texas Women's Health Program but prohibit the country's most prominent family planning organization from participating. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/PlannedParenthood.jpg)
Members of the Texas Railroad Commission would be allowed to meet behind closed doors to discuss the details of disputed cases under a bill tentatively approved by the Texas House on Monday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/RailRoadCommissioner_2.jpg)
Sen. Steve Ogden is still looking for 20 fellow senators willing to start the debate on the state budget and with less than a month left in the legislative session, the pressure is on. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9f5f26e136fbebb47a7d5c313e924d11/BD%20INC%20Ogden%2005%202011)
For a rare moment, Republicans in the lower chamber set aside their anti-Washington rhetoric and joined their Democratic colleagues to congratulate President Barack Obama for ordering the military action that led to the death of Osama bin Laden. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/20100809_ObamaTx_IMG_8685x.jpg)
At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the need for higher education reform, the impact of budget cuts, the predicament of middling graduation rates and more. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TxTrib-LoftinPowers-JV018_4.jpg)
At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the need for higher education reform, the impact of budget cuts, the predicament of middling graduation rates and more. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-LoftinPowers-JV018.jpg)
At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the need for higher education reform, the impact of budget cuts, the predicament of middling graduation rates and more. Full Story
At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the impact of higher ed budget cuts and the predicament of middling graduation rates. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TxTrib-LoftinPowers-JV018_3.jpg)
It might not matter, in the end, whether the Senate wants to use some of the Rainy Day Fund to balance the budget. The House isn’t likely to go along unless the proposition is delivered on a tea cart pushed by Gov. Rick Perry and third-party conservative groups who have been hounding lawmakers to hold the line. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e489b49386711717c1a213b564af0668/BD%20INC%20Ogden%2004%202011)
Local-food advocates and small-farm owners are lobbying lawmakers to pass legislation that would make it easier for them to sell directly to consumers. Erika Aguilar of KUT News reports on the various food bills circulating at the Legislature. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/20101203-DSC_6951.jpg)
Aguilar and Weber on a subdued debate over homeland security, Galbraith on rising concern about natural gas drilling, Grissom on a controversial psychologist, Hamilton on the aftermath of the Rick O'Donnell episode, Philpott on the comptroller's apology, Ramshaw with more on the statewide database of child abusers, E. Smith interviews Lance Armstrong, M. Smith on what House budget cuts would mean for school districts, M. Stiles on how redistricting would change things for each House member, Tan on the Senate's wobbly attempts to approve a budget and my interview with David Dewhurst: The best of our best content from April 25 to 29, 2011. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek_04_25_2011.jpg)
The Texas Senate, digging publicly for money while it battles quietly over a proposed budget, approved a "non-tax revenue" bill that would make $4.3 billion available for spending over the next two years. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/_KCA9014.jpg)
No time to follow every twist and turn of the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly recaps of the action under the dome. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/CapitolDome_1.jpg)
A bill authorizing a major rethink of teacher evaluation in Texas public schools has teachers organizations scuffling with Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro, R-Plano. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5d282e75fb141bd586220f059cef41f7/BD%20INC%20Shapiro%2001%202011)
With fewer than five weeks left in the regular session, none of Gov. Rick Perry's emergency items — voter ID, sanctuary cities, sonograms for women getting abortions, a federal balanced budget amendment, and eminent domain protection — have made it to his desk. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/PerryStateofState.jpg)
The Senate today passed a bill that would make it illegal to make "bath salts," a drug that can have effects similar to cocaine or amphetamines and can be bought legally online or in smoke shops. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/drug_with_ruler_money.jpg)
Lawmakers are hoping nonprofit organizations can do a better job of recruiting organ donors and saving lives. HB 2904 would transfer management of the state-run organ-donation registry from an agency to a new collaboration of nonprofits, a shift supporters say will reduce the number of Texans who die while waiting on the list. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/OrganDonor2.jpg)
You wouldn't know it by the miniscule amount of debate Thursday, but the Senate approved what some lawmakers called the most significant piece of homeland security legislation filed this session, a measure civil liberty groups worry is a major encroachment on civil rights. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/_KCA5938.jpg)
Texas youths who get crossways with the law could soon find themselves under the supervision of a new state juvenile justice agency whose main mission is to keep young offenders close to home and quickly headed in a more positive direction. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/20110428-Cap-Richmond007.JPG)
House Democrats are applauding the Senate's delay in taking up what they call a “woefully inadequate” appropriations bill. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e471b3cdfccee98988f4e59fb271bc94/BDINC%20Turner%20176%202011)