Creighton, Toth Bound for Senate Runoff
UPDATED: With all of the precincts counted, Brandon Creighton and Steve Toth finished first and second and appear headed for a runoff in the contest to succeed Tommy Williams in the Texas Senate. Full Story
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![State Rep. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, insurance company president Gordy Bunch, former state Sen. Michael Galloway and state Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, were the four initial candidates in a May 10 special election for Senate District 4. Creighton and Toth are heading to a runoff Tuesday.]()
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Texas Strip Clubs Lose Appeal on Pole Tax
A $5-per-patron fee is not an unconstitutional occupation tax and must be paid by Texas strip clubs that serve alcohol, an appeals court ruled Friday. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Thomas Hawk -
TribLive: Branch on Straus
At our May 8 TribLive conversation, state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, a Republican candidate for Texas attorney general in 2014, praised the work of the Texas House under Speaker Joe Straus but stopped short of saying he'd back him in another leadership race. Full Story
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TribLive: Branch on Transparency
At our May 8 TribLive conversation, state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, a Republican candidate for Texas attorney general in 2014, responded to questions about his commitment to transparency and explained where he stands on "dark money." Full Story
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Video: Dewhurst, Patrick Engage in Fiery Debate
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state Sen. Dan Patrick lodged their most personal attacks yet in a political roundtable on WFAA-TV in Dallas. Patrick is trying to unseat Dewhurst in the May 27 Republican runoff. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and State Sen. Dan Patrick squared off in a debate for the upcoming runoff election for Lieutenant Governor.]()
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DPS Introduces New Mounted Patrol Unit for Capitol
The Texas Department of Public Safety is not horsing around with its new mounted patrol unit for the state Capitol complex. Formally introduced Tuesday morning, it includes three donated horses and four trained state troopers. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Public Safety officer Michael Knight and his horse Ranger stand by as the Texas DPS announces the launch of a new Mounted Horse Patrol Unit, which will be assigned to the Capitol Complex. May 6, 2014.]()
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Tax Collection Moves Forward Despite BLM Dispute
While the federal Bureau of Land Management spends the next several years figuring out whether it owns some 90,000 acres of land along a 116-mile stretch of the Red River, landowners will continue paying taxes, at least for now. Full Story
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![Paul McGuire, with the federal Bureau of Land Management, speaks with landowners in Clay County on April 28, 2014.]()
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Comptroller to Strip Clubs: Time to Pay Up
A controversial strip club fee that lawmakers approved in 2007 is still winding its way through the courts, but Comptroller Susan Combs is pressing the clubs to pay six years' worth of “pole taxes.” Full Story
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Branch Led Effort to Defeat Disclosure Rule
During Dan Branch's first year in the House, he was a driving force behind an effort to prevent the disclosure of conflicts of interest that can arise when lawmakers work for firms that lobby the state Legislature. Full Story
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Analysis: In the Lege, Race and Party Line Up
In the Texas Legislature, it is often possible to tell legislators' political affiliations by their race and ethnicity. It's a result of voting patterns, voting rights laws and the way political maps are drawn. Full Story
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Video: Landowners Voice Concerns on BLM Issue
As a federal agency decides what to do with the 90,000 acres it says it controls along a 116-mile stretch of the Red River, Texans who have been managing land in the area say they feel paralyzed. Full Story
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State Officials, Lawmakers Take Aim at BLM Dispute
After a presentation in Clay County on Red River land that's the subject of a dispute with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Texas officials and lawmakers on Monday sought to reassure Texans who have managed some of the land for decades. Full Story
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![State lawmakers, including Reps. Debbie Riddle, David Simpson and Stephanie Klick listen to a local landowner explain how he lost his land in Clay County to the Bureau of Land Management.]()
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Analysis: Breaking Up is Hard With Appointee
Texas lawmakers are deciding whether to impeach a University of Texas regent — something they've never done before. Are they opening a Pandora's Box? Full Story
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Lawmaker Wants AG Opinion on Governor's Legal Bill
A state lawmaker wants to know if it’s legal to have taxpayers foot the bill for the $450-an-hour attorney hired to defend Gov. Rick Perry in a grand jury investigation. Full Story
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After Years of Reform, Lawsuit Rattles an Agency Still Facing Challenges
Like most child welfare agencies nationwide, Texas Child Protective Services has had its share of problems. Officials say reforms have made clear improvements, but the agency still faces problems. Full Story
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Analysis: A History Lesson on Stifling the Senate's Minority Party
Republican state Sen. Dan Patrick has said that if elected lieutenant governor, he might not name any senators from the other party to lead committees. It would be a bold move, but not unprecedented. Full Story
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![Former Democratic Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock and Republican state Sen. Dan Patrick.]()
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El Paso Lacking English-Speaking Foster Homes
On the heels of an expansion of Fort Bliss, El Paso is seeing an increase in the number of children who can't be placed in foster homes because there aren't enough English-speaking homes available. Full Story
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Sex Offender Agency's Presiding Board Member Quits
Amid heated controversy over the placement of dangerous sex offenders, the presiding member of a board that oversees an agency that manages civilly committed violent sex offenders resigned on Tuesday. Full Story
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Sources: Perry Offered to Restore Vetoed Funding if DA Resigned
Sources say that after Gov. Rick Perry vetoed funding for the agency that prosecutes public corruption cases, his emissaries worked to swap Travis County DA Rosemary Lehmberg's resignation for restoration of the money. Full Story
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Lawmakers to Examine Rehab of Mentally Ill, Addicted Inmates
Lawmakers on Tuesday will examine ways to reduce recidivism among prisoners with mental illness and substance addiction. Full Story
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Credit: Sean Hobson
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