The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
The number of Texas lawmakers absent from the Capitol because of personal business isn't always an issue. But as this week has shown, the absentee list could pose a problem for leaders trying to muster votes for a major transportation funding plan. Full Story
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Pleas from lawmakers failed to ward off an immediate third special session on transportation. Full Story
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Despite broad bipartisan support, lawmakers have been unsuccessful this year in their efforts to pass a bill issuing tuition revenue bonds to fund campus construction. Another special session may provide them with an opportunity to try again. Full Story
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Your evening reading: Perry calls third special session; debate over Capitol confiscations continues; Abbott calls White House's voting rights push a scheme to turn Texas blue. Full Story
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UPDATED: Just over an hour after lawmakers ended their second 30-day special session of the year, Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday called lawmakers back for a third one, with transportation funding the only issue on the agenda. Full Story
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Debate continues over whether visitors to the Capitol on July 12 attempted to sneak in containers of human feces. The Department of Public Safety is seeking to withhold information about the alleged incident. Full Story
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A major blow to a transportation plan has left the Legislature teetering on the edge of a third special session. Full Story
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Your evening reading: Transportation bill fails in House; Cruz says Republicans "scared" of defunding Affordable Care Act; Martinez Fischer attends White House meeting on voting rights. Full Story
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Twenty women at the Harris County Jail are working to ensure that they won't fall back into prostitution when they finish their sentences. A specialized program is helping them gain the tools to do just that. Full Story
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A deal struck over the weekend may have saved the Legislature from yet another special session. Full Story
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Through a program at the Harris County Jail, 20 women are working to avoid returning to a life of prostitution. The program is led by a woman who knows only too well the struggles they face. Full Story
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The co-chairs of the select committee considering the impeachment of UT System Regent Wallace Hall have formally asked that all relevant documents be preserved and all potential witnesses be free from "adverse employee action." Full Story
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In place of this week's Newsreel, we've got the story of the week — and of the political year so far: the debate and filibuster and verbal melee that marked the last day of the first special session. Full Story
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Your evening reading: Legislature closer to transportation funding deal; Republicans fire more criticism at Obama administration over voting rights move; federal court sides against Texas in EPA case Full Story
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Throughout his 24 years in the Texas House, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, has taken a pragmatic approach to politics, maintaining close ties with Republican leaders if it means a seat at the negotiating table. Full Story
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Stalled negotiations over a transportation deal have pushed the Legislature to the brink of yet another special session. Full Story
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State Sen. Wendy Davis' filibuster against abortion legislation gave Democrats across the country a rare red-state rallying point, and some of them responded by opening their checkbooks. Full Story
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Since state Sen. Wendy Davis' June 25 filibuster, organizations on both sides of the abortion debate say they have seen a surge in donations as well as increased engagement on social media. Full Story
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Greg Abbott has everything he needs to run for governor: organization, loads of cash and opponents who don't yet have traction. So what will make him explain his positions on the full range of issues facing the state? Full Story
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A new study has found that Texas businesses pay 61.5 of the total tax revenue collected by the state — 20 percent more than the national average. Full Story
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