The latest 82nd Legislative Session news from The Texas Tribune.
The State Board of Education may try to modify the state's rigid new standardized exams — the STAAR tests — in a way that allays school districts’ concerns that they're losing local control over grading. Full Story
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The state's family planning reductions hit the Planned Parenthood Association of Hidalgo County especially hard. In September, the association shut down four of its eight health clinics and laid off half of its staff. Anti-abortion advocates argue the state should not "subsidize the abortion industry." The Trib's Thanh Tan and Justin Dehn report from Hidalgo County. Full Story
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The outspoken head of the state's fourth-largest school district— newly crowned as Superintendent of the Year — on school finance lawsuits, the impact of cuts to public education funding and the upcoming transition to end-of-course exams. Full Story
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A new law imposing citizenship restrictions on deputy and volunteer voter registrars has voting rights groups worried that fewer Texans — in particular, fewer minorities — will cast a ballot next year. Full Story
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A group of Tea Party activists pushing for stricter immigration laws Monday asked Gov. Rick Perry to leave the presidential campaign trail and call the Legislature back into session to tackle a ban on so-called sanctuary cities. Full Story
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Nationwide, about 60,000 concussions occur on high school fields every year. The Tribune visited Wimberley High School to find out how it is preparing for new state laws to prevent head injuries in student athletes. Full Story
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New rules intended to reduce the danger of concussions in high school football players are now in effect. But do they go far enough? Full Story
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The former Texas Tech football coach on his pending lawsuit against the university, how the state's doing at educating student athletes and what happens if the Big 12 falls apart. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry has said the Rainy Day Fund should be preserved as an insurance policy against natural disasters, but Texas can't actually dip into it until the next legislative session — in 2013. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry’s early opposition to the Obama administration’s education policies — whose bipartisan backers include former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — make him something of an ideological outlier among Republicans. Full Story
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Lawmakers are long gone from the statehouse, but their decisions have consequences that will be seen throughout the next two years. The Tribune's Thanh Tan spent the month of August explaining 31 ways Texans' lives are going to change. Full Story
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DAY 31 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: Nursing homes were spared the draconian cuts proposed by lawmakers at the beginning of the 2011 session. Still, despite growing caseloads and rising medical costs, they move forward with less state and federal support. Full Story
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U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks has ruled that the state can't yet enforce the abortion sonogram law slated to go into effect on Thursday. Full Story
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DAY 30 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: During a legislative session where hardly any services were spared the budget ax, funding for border security actually increased. Full Story
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DAY 29 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: The state has dramatically reduced support for nursing education, meaning Texas will continue to face a critical shortage of registered nurses. Full Story
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DAY 28 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: Under a new tort reform law, the Texas Supreme Court will make rules to expedite certain lawsuits and to allow judges to dismiss meritless ones early on. Full Story
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DAY 27 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: Lawmakers didn't cut spending for the Texas HIV Medication Program, but it remains nearly $20 million short. Full Story
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DAY 26 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: 23 of the state's 94 parks face reductions in staff or operations. Full Story
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DAY 25 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: The state is preparing to begin requiring online retailers to collect sales taxes from their customers over the strenuous objections of Amazon. Full Story
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DAY 24 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: The state is preparing to enforce more stringent voter ID requirements. Full Story
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