The Playlist: Them Changes
This week was marked by a big turnover in state government, so we’re launching our playlist of the news with "Changes," played here by the Band of Gypsys. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by John Jordan -
A Look Back at the 83rd: How Some Issues Played Out in the 2013 Session
With the 84th Legislature underway, we've renewed our State of Mind video series, a look at various issues that communities across the state are talking about. First up, a look at some issues from the last session. Full Story
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HHSC Exec Given Taxpayer-Funded MBA Resigns
Already placed on leave, the deputy chief of staff to Health and Human Services Commission chief Kyle Janek resigned Friday, and has started paying back half the $97,050 tuition paid by the state. Full Story
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![Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek whispers to an aide at a hearing of the Sunset Advisory Commission on Jan. 14, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Roundup: Lege Convenes, Perry Signs Off and a Gun Debate
In the Roundup: The 84th Legislature's long-awaited kickoff, gun rights advocates make weapons at the capitol and Gov. Rick Perry bids lawmakers farewell after more than a decade in office. Full Story
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Analysis: Perry Says Goodbye — and Hello
Rick Perry will only be the governor of Texas for a few more days, but as he considers another run for president, his last speech to the Legislature was as much about the next 18 months as about the last 14 years. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry on the House dais in his final speech to the Texas Legislature as governor on Jan. 15. The state's longest-serving governor went on launch a second presidential bid but exited the race in September.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Straus: $202 Billion Budget Plan Reflects Fiscal Discipline
House Speaker Joe Straus said the House's base budget plan, released Thursday, holds "spending in check while addressing some very important challenges related to our rapid growth." The Senate's base budget is expected to come out next week. Full Story
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![House Speaker Joe Straus is shown on Sept. 20, 2014, during an interview at The Texas Tribune Festival.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Sources: Abbott Will Wait to Decide on Janek's Future
Amid calls for Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek to resign over a contracting scandal, sources close to Gov.-elect Greg Abbott say Abbott won't decide on Janek's future until after the completion of state investigations. Full Story
![Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek whispers to an aide at a hearing of the Sunset Advisory Commission on Jan. 14, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Perry's Farewell Speech: Read Between the Lines
Gov. Rick Perry delivered a farewell speech to a joint session of the Texas Legislature on Thursday. Our reporters read between the lines for you — using the online annotation tool Genius. Full Story
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![Gov. Perry gives his farewell speech during a joint session of the Texas Legislature on January 15th, 2015]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
In Last Hurrah, Perry Encourages Compromise
In what some saw as a tune-up for his next presidential bid, Gov. Rick Perry bade farewell to lawmakers with a rhetorical highlights reel of his record-setting tenure. Full Story
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![Gov. Perry gives his farewell speech during a joint session of the Texas Legislature on January 15th, 2015]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Video: Perry Bids Lawmakers Farewell
Watch full video of Gov. Rick Perry's speech Thursday to a joint session of the 84th Legislature at the state Capitol. After 30 years of public service, including 14 as governor, Perry officially leaves office on Tuesday. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Musk: Texas a "Leading Candidate" to Host Hyperloop Test Track
Entrepreneur Elon Musk said Thursday that Texas is in the driver's seat for a test track for a transportation system known as the Hyperloop. He also said that a SpaceX facility wouldn't have been built in Texas without economic incentives. Full Story
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![Elon Musk, the CEO and of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, spoke at the Texas Transportation Forum in Austin on Jan. 15, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Party Mix: Shifting Dominance in the Texas Legislature
When the Texas Legislature met in 1971, only two senators and 10 representatives were Republicans. Now it's 20-11 in the Senate and (after the elections are settled, with our assumption about party shifts) 98-52 in the House. Here's how it looked in between the 62nd and 84th regular sessions. Full Story
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Greg Abbott Gives Back 21CT Campaign Donation
Gov.-elect Greg Abbott's office has confirmed that he returned a $10,000 campaign contribution from the CEO of the beleaguered company at the center of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission contracting woes. Full Story
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![Greg Abbott is shown visiting the Senate chamber on Jan. 13, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Dream Act Supporters Rally Against Efforts to Repeal Law
During a rally at the Texas Capitol on Wednesday, supporters of the Texas Dream Act said they were ready to challenge any efforts this legislative session to repeal the 2001 law. Full Story
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Video: New House Members on Immigration
At our 1/14 conversation, new state Reps. Celia Israel, D-Austin, Linda Koop, R-Dallas, and Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, talked about border security, in-state tuition and other immigration-related topics. Full Story
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Video: New House Members on the Health Care
At our 1/14 conversation, new state Reps. Celia Israel, D-Austin, Linda Koop, R-Dallas, and Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, talked about what the Lege is likely to do on health care. Full Story
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Commissioner Gets Cupcake Policy Wrong, Combs Says
When Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller granted amnesty to cupcakes on Monday, he pointed out that state rules that once banned such treats from classrooms were repealed last summer. But cupcakes have been allowed for a decade. Full Story
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![Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller gives away cupcakes at a press conference on Jan. 12, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Video: New House Members on the Budget
At our 1/14 conversation, new state Reps. Celia Israel, D-Austin, Linda Koop, R-Dallas, and Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, talked about the comptroller's revenue estimate and how they'll approach the task of passing a budget. Full Story
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Video: A Conversation With Three New House Members
Full video of my 1/14 conversation with three new members of the Texas House: Celia Israel, D-Austin; Linda Koop, R-Dallas; and Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving. Full Story
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Straus Aims to Expand Authority for House Investigations
When members debate the proposed rules for the House on Thursday, they'll discuss a plan from House Speaker Joe Straus to expand one committee's jurisdiction in investigating state agencies and practices. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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