The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
The four Republican Railroad Commission candidates sound remarkably similar on the big-ticket topics. But that doesn't mean they will vote the same way on everything once they get into office. Full Story
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Use our interactive map to chart the locations of health care providers participating in Texas' Women's Health Program. Flip through various map styles to compare women's health statistics statewide, or get a video tutorial here. Full Story
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From the evolution of state and federally subsidized contraception to the battle over Planned Parenthood to the cost of unplanned pregnancies, this six-part series is the most comprehensive look yet at the politics of reproductive health in Texas. Full Story
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As Gov. Rick Perry and his wife prepare to move back into the restored Governor's Mansion, we take a look back at some of the highlights of the building's history. Full Story
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Four years after an arsonist nearly burned down the Governor’s Mansion, Gov. Rick Perry and his wife, Anita, stood a few feet from its iconic front porch and announced Wednesday that a painstaking restoration of the 156-year-old structure is complete. Full Story
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The Department of Family and Protective Services is moving forward on redesigning its foster care system, which will outsource services to private contractors. At a hearing Monday, some raised concerns about accountability. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry looks like he will be in office as long as voters will have him. He talks like he wants voters to keep him where he is. Many think he's just bluffing, but that's not how he has operated in the past. Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the Texas General Land Office and the Texas Department of Agriculture, alleging that the agencies are liable for pay discrimination against three women. Full Story
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Use this interactive to explore the geographic distribution of committee members in the Texas Senate, by committee, to see who's got what clout, geographically speaking, on what subject. Full Story
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The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association was the main topic of discussion at a Senate committee hearing Tuesday as lawmakers raised concerns about proposed rate increases. Full Story
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For this week's nonscientific survey of government and political insiders, we asked about a dozen open House races on the July 31 ballot and found the insiders mostly in agreement, wrong or right. Full Story
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Texas was home to two of the last three horse slaughterhouses in the U.S. On Tuesday, state senators will hear testimony on the economic impact of the closure of Texas’ slaughterhouses. Full Story
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Michael Morton’s 2011 exoneration brought to a crescendo calls for change in the way that prosecutors are regulated in Texas. Morton, prosecutors and criminal justice reform advocates talk about why prosecutorial errors happen and how they can be prevented. Full Story
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Texas House Speaker Joe Straus called on lawmakers Monday to start figuring out how to stop diverting billions of dollars in dedicated taxes and fees that are being used to balance state budgets. Full Story
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In Texas, where the curriculum-setting State Board of Education has engaged in high-profile skirmishes over science education, there will be no rush to implement new nationally developed common standards. Full Story
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While advocates worry particularly about heat conditions in a prison unit with recent water shortages, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering arguments in a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice alleging that the sweltering living quarters constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Full Story
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At least 86 Texans' convictions were overturned between 1989 and 2011, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. The Texas Tribune analyzed court rulings, media reports and pardon statements to determine the cases in which courts ruled that prosecutorial error contributed to a wrongful conviction. Use our interactive to learn more about each case. Full Story
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Use this interactive to explore the geographic distribution of committee members in the Texas House, by committee, to see who's got what clout on what subject. Choose a committee and the map highlights the district of each member and, in a different color, the home districts of the chairs, vice chairs and co-chairs. Full Story
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An eighth-of-a-cent sales tax increase is being proposed in San Antonio to fund full-day pre-kindergarten for primarily low-income children in the city. Full Story
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Corporations and unions can play in politics, but complete disclosures are not required. A corporate political campaign in Texas two years ago was unusual, featuring an unknown corporation that was open about what it was doing. Full Story
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