The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
The Texas House under Speaker Joe Straus was more conservative in 2011 than in 2009, but not as conservative as in 2003. For opposite reasons, that was good and bad news for lawmakers from both parties. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/MarkJones-sized.jpg)
State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, a former prosecutor and judge, has filed a bill that would allow prosecutors to include accusations by other victims in child sexual assault cases. Defense attorneys worry it would lead to wrongful convictions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7d50b09bd320d6a5a7cc37f65a950cea/TT%20EVENT%20Legislative%20Session%20Preview%2002%202012)
The future of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas is far from certain, as the quasi-governmental agency and its fast-shrinking cast of advisers face accusations of impropriety and criminal and civil investigations. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/06/09/CPRIT-NewLogo-Clean_dWqSXgV.jpg)
Limiting the terms of lawmakers and other officeholders was a sexy idea 20 years ago, when Republicans were trying to unseat Democrats. Now it's back. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/CapitolSandtimer.jpg)
Does Texas need a constitutional cap on spending growth to protect it from the whims of future lawmakers or save it from the current ones? Supporters of the proposal are at odds. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TexasSpendingChart.jpg)
An aggressive effort is afoot to reframe the Texas Commission on the Arts as an engine for economic development and to give Texas’ designated cultural districts access to existing state incentive funds. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/121112SanAngeloCultDist6.jpg)
This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: State Rep. David Simpson is officially running for House speaker, but some former opponents of current Speaker Joe Straus are now sticking with the incumbent. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/ART_121312.jpg)
Reports show that much of the $1.2 million of private money raised to help the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas in fiscal year 2011 instead benefited the consultants who oversaw distribution of the funds. Full Story
Full video of my 12/13 TribLive conversation with Barry Smitherman, the chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/Smitherman-B_1.jpg)
In the race for speaker of the Texas House, everybody has the votes they need. Or they're well on their way. Or at least that's what they're telling the rest of us. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/30e6541936cc8f17c6e894d925ba0f25/BD%20INC%20Straus%20Simpson%202012)
Republican leaders like to say government should just get out of the way and let the private sector do work its unfettered magic. But during the session, they may have a hard time squaring their stated philosophy with their support for tax giveaways to private industry. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/PerryHoldsTEF_1.jpg)
House Speaker Joe Straus has the votes to win reelection, according to his loyalists. But he's got a declared opponent and another in the wings, and they've got a month to work with. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7614e6e08e96d78750578e555d174903/BD%20INC%20Simpson%20PR%20187%20CMS%202011)
At this morning's TribLive conversation, Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman talked about the economic impact of the state's various shale plays, as well as concerns about the negative effects on roads, water and air quality. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/Smitherman-B-2.jpg)
At this morning's TribLive conversation, Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman explained his opposition to Sunset Advisory Commission recommendations intended to address perceived conflicts of interest. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/Smitherman-B.jpg)
State Rep. Richard Peña Raymond has filed a bill to abolish the Court of Criminal Appeals and bring all of its related cases under the Texas Supreme Court. He's triggering a debate that goes all the way back to Reconstruction. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TexasSupremeCourt.jpg)
Despite organized efforts to unseat him, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said Wednesday he is confident his colleagues will re-elect him to the post so he can focus the 2013 legislative session on “serious issues” for a fast-growing state. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/85e76e8a1b77c506f9f0a5c57292c7fc/BD%20INC%20Straus%20766%202012)
The Texas Department of Public Safety announced Wednesday that it has now found suspects in 10,000 open crime investigations using a federal DNA database. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/DNA-Testing.jpg)
On Nov. 8, the Tribune and the University of Texas at Austin's Texas Politics Project asked four veteran members of the Capitol press corps to forecast the coming controversies in the 83rd session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/session3.jpg)
As the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas is set to face investigations into a grant that bypassed a mandated review, the executive director of the state agency has resigned his post. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/CPRIT-Foundation-Logo_Final_1.jpg){kind=logo}
For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in politics and government, we asked about the power of the three leaders in the Capitol, and a ranking of who's strongest and weakest among the statewide elected officials in Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo-Hahn-sponsorship.jpg){kind=logo}