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The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.

  • Accentuate the Negative

    By Ross Ramsey

    Do attack ads work? In the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll, we tested the effectiveness of two "comparative" commercials run in the governor's race to see if they were persuasive to voters. Apparently so. Full Story 

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  • Day Care Danger

    By Emily Ramshaw

    The Texas Workforce Commission spent nearly $50 million during the last two years on day care centers and in-home childcare providers with troubled track records — including sexual and physical abuse, kidnapping, and leaving infants to suffocate and die in their cribs. A Texas Tribune review found that at least 135 subsidized facilities had their licenses revoked or denied by the Department of Family and Protective Services in 2008 and 2009 and had their funding immediately suspended. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Primary Color: SBOE District 5

    By Abby Rapoport

    Forget about Don McLeroy vs. Thomas Ratliff. The most interesting fight for a State Board of Education seat may be in San Antonio, where well-funded lawyer-lobbyist Tim Tuggey is challenging incumbent Ken Mercer — and the big question being asked is, 'How conservative is conservative enough?' Full Story 

    Ken Mercer (left), Tim Tuggy (right)

  • 2010: New Poll, Same Story

    By Ross Ramsey

    Rick Perry has 49 percent; Kay Bailey Hutchison has 27 percent and Debra Medina has 19 percent, according to a new survey done for the Texas Credit Union League. On the Democratic side, Bill White got 51 percent to Farouk Shami's 19 percent. Full Story 

    Republican gubernatorial debate coverage
    Credit: Bob Daemmerich

  • The Last Time Around

    By Julián Aguilar

    How will lawmakers deal with a budget shortfall of at least $11 billion — and maybe several billion more — in the next legislative session? In all likelihood, by doing what they did in 2003, when things were almost this bad. Full Story 

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  • Primary Color: HD-66

    By Reeve Hamilton

    The race to replace state Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano, has it all: the high price of ambition, reruns of a 2006 campaign ad, a bikini-clad beauty and a fight over conservative bonafides. Full Story 

    Political signs by the road in House District 66.

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    The death penalty and DNA testing in a 16-year-old triple murder in the Texas Panhandle. The second debate between the three Republican candidates for governor. Charter schools are having a hard time hanging on to the employees that matter the most: Teachers. The possibilities and perils of a switch to electronic medical records. A rundown of top races. Who's giving to candidates, and how much? Social networks and politicians. Ballots: The slow reveal. And a new and highly requested feature makes its debut. The best of our best from January 23 to 29, 2010. Full Story 

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  • Primary Bloggers

    By Reeve Hamilton

    On Jan. 23, bloggers learned the tools of the trade at the Perry 2010 Blogger Summit featuring Andrew Breitbart, Gov. Rick Perry, and others. Full Story 

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    Credit: Reeve Hamilton

  • Spoiler Alert

    By Abby Rapoport

    What's it like to be a person who wages a no-win campaign but, by taking votes away, dooms the chances of one or more of the other candidates in the race? Mark White knows. Kinky Friedman knows. Debra Medina could soon find out. Full Story 

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    Credit: Bob Daemmerich