The latest state agencies news from The Texas Tribune.
Hey, Texplainer: Courts of inquiry have been used to exonerate wrongfully convicted Texans and to look at earlier cases. When does a judge call for a court of inquiry, and what else can judges review in these proceedings? Full Story
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The federal government has rejected Texas' request to delay implementation of a health reform rule that could force some insurers to give premium refunds to customers. Full Story
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Despite opposition from state Rep. Larry Taylor, who co-chairs the Windstorm Insurance Legislative Oversight Board, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association's board decided today to hire a third party to assess its financial structure. Full Story
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In rural Val Verde County, defendants who are too poor to afford their own lawyers have waited years for resolution of their cases. As a new legal battle between their lawyers and the county begins, their day in court remains elusive. Full Story
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The revelation last year that the Texas state hospital system employed three doctors with a documented history of inappropriate behavior has lawmakers again investigating alleged abuse within the system. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports. Full Story
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Root on the end of Rick Perry's presidential campaign, Murphy on what happens to his campaign cash, Ramsey on his next act, Ramshaw, Aaronson, Murphy, Chang and Seger interactively chart the rise and fall of his run, Aguilar talks Juárez violence with a documentary filmmaker, Galbraith on the tug-of-war over surface water, Grissom and Murphy on three decades of capital punishment in Texas, Hamilton and Aaronson on our workforce needs in 2018 and Tan on the state's much-reduced list of women's health clinics: The best of our best content from January 16-20, 2012. Full Story
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Amid calls for greater emphasis on vocational training that meets the needs of Texas employers, the state's higher education czar says universities should also remain focused on providing a “solid academic foundation." Full Story
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Texas’ unemployment rate — 7.8 percent — is the lowest it’s been since July 2009, when the recession was just heating up, according to employment statistics released by the Texas Workforce Commission today. Full Story
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Ross, Reeve, Brandi and Thanh look ahead to the South Carolina primary, look back on the history of the death penalty in Texas, and discuss the current state of women's health clinics in the state. Full Story
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Four of the state's top officeholders each raised more than $1 million during the second half of 2011. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who is running for the U.S. Senate, raised $1.5 million for his federal campaign account during the fourth quarter alone. Full Story
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The Texas Department of State Health Services has released a much-reduced list of organizations that will receive state dollars to provide birth control, STD testing and cervical and breast cancer screenings for the state's poorest women. Full Story
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Dallas-area lawmakers came before the board of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs on Tuesday, warning members against granting tax credits to low-income housing developers who haven’t met all of the state’s requirements. Full Story
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Thirty-five years ago today, the state of Utah restarted the death penalty in the United States when Gary Gilmore was executed. Texas followed suit in 1982 and since then has executed 477 men and women, more than any other state. Full Story
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Starting Feb. 1, drillers will have to report many of the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing. But a less-publicized part of the regulation is what some water experts are most interested in: the mandatory disclosure of the amount of water needed to “frack” each well. Full Story
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This year, for the first time, students' scores on standardized tests will count 15 percent toward their final grades. It sounds straightforward, but how some districts are applying the so-called 15 percent rule threatens to spark the next political battle over a test that has seen plenty of them. Full Story
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At a committee hearing Tuesday about the impact of drought on power generation, state senators voiced concerns that a lack of adequate water could harm Texas' long-term growth. Full Story
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State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado’s hand-written resignation letter comes as the agency starts an unprecedented review of arson cases following the Texas Forensic Science Commission’s examination of the Cameron Todd Willingham case. Full Story
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Texans will close out 2011 with more questions than answers, from the outcomes of redistricting and Gov. Rick Perry's presidential bid to the effects of lawmakers' multibillion-dollar budget cuts. Here’s hoping 2012 brings some resolution. Full Story
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In the spirit of TribWeek and TribMonth, we present TribYear. Ten of our best stories of 2011. Full Story
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As it has since the Trib's launch in 2009, data continued to reign supreme on the site in 2011. Today, we take a look at the 10 most-visited data apps since Jan. 1. Full Story
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