The latest state agencies news from The Texas Tribune.
Advocates for a review of previous arson cases fear it may be inadequate if it is led by the state fire marshal, who continues to stand by the Cameron Todd Willingham investigation — even though it relied on methods now considered scientifically unsound. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Fire.jpg)
This week on the TribCast, Ross, Reeve, Brandi and Jay talk about the recent GOP debates, the death penalty and the return of the HPV vaccine controversy. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribcast_2.jpg)
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles today voted against recommending clemency for Duane Edward Buck, rejecting the pleas of his lawyers, a victim he shot and a prosecutor who was on the team that sentenced him to death. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Duane_Buck.png)
As Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, Gov. Rick Perry has a reputation of displaying strength in emergencies, but his recent behavior in responding to the Central Texas wildfires has struck some dissonant chords. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6f1e44eb05be347a51b30ca0cb080a7f/BD%20INC%20Bastrop%20Fires%20Perry%202011)
A lawyer who worked on the Harris County District Attorney's prosecution team that sent Duane Edward Buck to death row is calling on state officials to halt the execution schedueld for Thursday and allow for a new sentencing trial in the case. Full Story
President Obama sent a $447 billion jobs bill to Congress today — his latest attempt to revive the struggling economy. How will Texas be affected? Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/JOBS.jpg)
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/74f91e48ba695c1eec6fae13b33a5bf3/BD%20INC%20Fireman%20Fire%202011)
The Texas Forensic Science Commission said it would not issue a finding of misconduct against the state fire marshal in the Cameron Todd Willingham arson case. But the commission agreed to implement a review of other arson cases. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/CameronToddWillingham_Forensic.jpg)
Members of the Texas Forensic Science Commission today agreed that they will use an attorney general’s opinion that severely limits the panel’s jurisdiction as a guideline for future investigations — whether they like it or not. Full Story
The former chairman of the Forensic Science Commission on why he believes the governor replaced him and why he argues it is critical for the Texas justice system that the commission finish its investigation into the Willingham arson case. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/SamBassett_1.jpg)
The former chairman of the Forensic Science Commission on why he believes the governor replaced him, whether he thinks political motivations were behind it, and why it is critical that the commission finish the Willingham arson investigation. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/SamBassett_2.jpg)
Over the past year, Texas has battled wildfires that cover an area larger than the state of Connecticut. It's straining the budgets of both state and local firefighting units, and as the prospect of a multiyear drought looms, wildfire season is in no way over. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/94550027105775dd53c3cbe4c4559a99/BD%20INC%20Bastrop%20Fires%20146%202011)
The Innocence Project is urging the Texas Forensic Science Commission to forge ahead with its investigation of arson cases despite a recent ruling from the state’s top lawyer that seemed to limit the panel’s authority. Full Story
Phyllis Taylor survived the 1995 shooting spree that ended with two others dead and Duane Buck on death row. Buck is scheduled to be executed on Sept. 15. Today, Taylor asked state officials to halt his execution. Full Story
As wildfires continue to sweep across the state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized seven more grants to help Texas manage the flames. Although the figures for the grants given to Texas after June are not yet available, the Tribune has a look at the $3.8 billion FEMA has given Texas to mitigate disasters. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3a558d8d3a17304f92ce8e3413d63ad3/BD%20INC%20Wagon%20Fire%202011)
Christi Craddick, daughter of former House speaker and current state Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, on why she wants to run for the Texas Railroad Commission, whether her dad's politics will get in the way, and why the oil and gas industry needs her as a regulator. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Craddick-1.jpg)
Even as the Obama administration delighted conservatives last week by pulling back on a broad regulation to combat ozone pollution, the controversial "cross-state" rule that would also reduce smog-forming pollutants in Texas remains on track. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/smokestacks002.jpg)
Aaronson on the stats behind the Texas Miracle, Aguilar on an area of the budget that didn't get cut during the session, Dehn and Tan wrap-up our 31 Days, 31 Ways project, Galbraith talks to Todd Staples about the drought, Grissom on controversial executions during Rick Perry's tenure (plus a visualization by Murphy and Seger), Hamilton on the Rodney Dangerfield of Texas universities, Philpott on the search for clues in past Perry debates, Ramshaw on Perry's opposition to abortion rights and Root on Perry's assurances to conservatives that his past won't embarrass them: The best of our best content from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, 2011. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek_0830_2011.jpg)
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/31WaysDays.jpg)
This morning @TribData released a visualization of all executions in the state of Texas since Gov. Rick Perry took office in late 2000. Here's how we made it happen. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/PerryExecutionApp.jpg)