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The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.

  • 2010: Al Edwards Calls for Recount

    By Elise Hu

    Who will represent Houston's HD-146 in the Texas House next session is still in question. State Rep. Al Edwards, D-Houston, filed for a recount after perennial foe and former state Rep. Borris Miles beat him by just eleven votes. Full Story 

    Al Edwards

  • Let the Counting Begin

    By Matt Stiles

    Census Bureau questionnaires arrive at 8.4 million Texas homes this week. "Fill that sucker out," the bureau's regional director says, "so we don't have to come and knock on your door." Full Story 

    A U.S. Census Bureau worker confirms addresses with a hand-held device.
    Credit: U.S. Census Bureau

  • The SBOE vs. Itself

    By Abby Rapoport

    When no one was paying attention to the State Board of Education, the theory goes, the reelection of incumbents was virtually assured, just as it is in any down-ballot races. Now that its controversial doings are the stuff of national headlines, change is in the air. Or is it? Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • Driven to Repeal

    By Brandi Grissom

    The Driver Responsibility Act, which levies hefty surcharges on minor offenders, has cost 1.2 million Texans their licenses, and most of the fees that were supposed to be collected have not materialized. At the direction of state lawmakers, the DPS is trying to get people to pay up and square things with the law. But critics want the program ended altogether. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    Thevenot on the non-stop wonder that is the State Board of Education and its latest efforts to set curriculum standards, E. Smith's post-election sit-down interview with Bill White at TribLive made some news and got the November pugilism started, Ramshaw on whether it makes sense for the state to call patients and remind them to take their pills, and on the state's botched attempt to save baby blood samples for medical research, Hamilton's interview with Steve Murdock on the state's demographic destiny, M. Smith on whooping cranes, fresh water, and an effort to use the endangered species act to protect them both, Grissom on potties, pickups, and other equipment purchased with federal homeland security money and Stiles' latest data and map on where that money went, Aguilar on the "voluntary fasting" protesting conditions and treatment at an immigrant detention facility, Kreighbaum on football, the new sport at UTSA, and Philpott on Rick Perry and Bill White retooling their appeals for the general election. The best of our best from March 8 to 12, 2010. Full Story 

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  • TribBlog: Skinner Asks Perry for Reprieve

    By Brandi Grissom

    Lawyers for death row inmate Hank Skinner sent Gov. Rick Perry a letter yesterday asking him for a 30-day reprieve from Skinner's scheduled March 24 execution. The lawyers also asked Perry to order DNA testing on evidence that Skinner says could prove his innocence. Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant MIller

  • "We're Outnumbered"

    By Brian Thevenot

    At Thursday's State Board of Education meeting, as conservatives had their way with social studies standards, voting to limit the discussion of race and gender issues and to challenge the notion of separation of church and state, Democratic members were left to sulk and seethe — and walk out. Full Story 

    Barbara Cargill
    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • The SBOE Gets Medieval

    By Brian Thevenot

    When State Board of Education members ventured into world history curriculum at Wednesday's meeting, they carried their modern-day political agendas with them. Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • TribBlog: History Hearings Off to Hot Start

    By Brian Thevenot

    Public testimony on the state's social studies curriculum has started here State Board of Education meeting. It's easy to tell from the banks of cameras and scribes, college students with bright yellow "Save Our History" t-shirts on and people from civil rights and conservative groups itching to testify. Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • Bamboozled by the Establishment

    By Tom Pauken

    The big-government crowd in Washington and elsewhere are bankrupting our country. And Republicans are just as culpable as Democrats in treating our taxpayer dollars as “other people’s money” to be spent as they and the special interests decide. Full Story 

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  • Census and Sensibility

    By Reeve Hamilton

    "You want a good count both because you want to have your representation and because you want to get the resources your community needs," says demographer Steve Murdock. Full Story 

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    Credit: Reeve Hamilton

  • The Revision Thing

    By Brian Thevenot and Niran Babalola

    Two months after their controversial meetings about proposed changes to the social studies curriculum, State Board of Education members meet today to resume their deliberations. To help you follow along as the SBOE's ideological blocs scrap over a flood of amendments, we've produced this annotated version of the high school history standards. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • TribBlog: Leaders OK Capitol Security Upgrades

    By Brandi Grissom

    The big three state leaders approved seven new security measures for the Capitol, and none of them are X-ray machines or metal detectors that the director of the top Texas police agency said are critical to keep the pink dome safe from armed intruders. Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • DNA Destruction

    By Emily Ramshaw

    In the weeks before state health officials incinerated more than 5 million baby blood samples that they stored without consent, privacy advocates, parents and legislators reached a last-ditch accord to save them but couldn’t convince the Department of State Health Services to sign on. A Texas Tribune investigation found that the agency had turned hundreds of such samples over to a federal Armed Forces lab to build a DNA database — and hadn’t been upfront about it with lawmakers or the public. Full Story 

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