The latest 83rd Legislative Session news from The Texas Tribune.
At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and Larry Gonzales, R-Round Rock, talked to Julián Aguilar about the intersection of public education and demographic change. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and Larry Gonzales, R-Round Rock, talked to Julián Aguilar about a path to citizenship, a guest worker program and other controversial immigration reform proposals. Full Story
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State senators took turns publicly condemning Texas' student assessment system — the implementation of which one lawmaker called a "colossal failure" — at a Tuesday Education Committee meeting. Full Story
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Legislation creating a new state board to oversee charter school applications and removing limits on the number of state charter contracts was filed Monday by Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston. Full Story
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Freshman state Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, has been held up by some Republicans as a symbol of the party’s growing popularity with Hispanics. He says he is only motivated by the issues facing his constituents. Full Story
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A scholarship to help students trapped in failing public schools attend another of their choice is near the top of the legislative agenda for top Republican leaders. But Texas has a similar existing program, and it is dramatically underused. Full Story
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On Monday, a panel of senators questioned Barbara Cargill on her appointment to lead the State Board of Education. If she wins their approval, she will be the first SBOE leader to earn confirmation from the Legislature since 2005. Full Story
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In a state capital where moving from the Legislature to the lobby — and, sometimes, the other way — is unremarkable, it’s also common to find the relatives of lawmakers lobbying the state government. Full Story
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Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, and Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, both filed legislation on Thursday that would require personal financial statements submitted to the Texas Ethics Commission to be made available online. Full Story
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Full video of my 2/6 TribLive conversation with Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. Full Story
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Last week, House Speaker Joe Straus appointed a committee to examine the state's Code of Criminal Procedure. Committee members and relevant interest groups were caught by surprise, but they say the code is long overdue for revisions. Full Story
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Rick Perry heads into another legislative session, and possibly a 2014 re-election campaign, without many of the trusted aides who helped turn him into a Texas powerhouse. Do they know something we don't know? Full Story
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Lawmakers are diving into the state budget, figuring out which parts of the governor's State of the State speech they liked and didn't like, and watching out of the corners of their eyes at the latest in the 2014 race for governor. Full Story
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At Wednesday's TribLive conversation, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, held open the possibility of a compromise with the federal government on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Full Story
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At Wednesday's TribLive conversation, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, talked about the likelihood of withdrawals from the Rainy Day Fund and whether the state can meet its obligations under the spending cap. Full Story
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At Wednesday's TribLive conversation, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, reacted to this week's ruling on the school finance lawsuit and talked about what happens now. Full Story
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Newly appointed House Public Education Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock filed legislation Wednesday that would restructure the state's high school graduation and student testing requirements. Full Story
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The culture of gift-giving is alive and well in the Texas Capitol, and lobbyists are the chief benefactors. Full Story
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The legislative founders of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas laid out the first draft of a bill to reform the embattled agency on Tuesday before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Full Story
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The new chairman and vice chairman of the Texas Ethics Commission board on the state’s disclosure rules, their efforts to prioritize certain types of ethics complaints and the reforms they anticipate in the 83rd legislative session. Full Story
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