A round of Capitol musical chairs will play out on Tuesday when voters decide who will fill three seats in the Texas House and one in the Senate.
Ryan McCrimmon
Ryan McCrimmon was a reporting intern for The Texas Tribune in 2015. A graduate of Northwestern University, Ryan previously covered national politics and foreign affairs for the Medill News Service in Washington, D.C. He has also worked as an anchor and producer for the Northwestern News Network and a local news reporter for the C-ville Weekly in his hometown, Charlottesville, Virginia. Ryan studies journalism and Middle East studies at Northwestern.
Posted in
Politics
Inauguration Donors Include Democrats and Gamblers
The committee that organized the January inauguration for Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released a list of contributors Friday that includes Democratic politicians, NFL stars and former Gov. Rick Perry’s lawyer.
Posted in
Economy
Wal-Mart Sues Texas for Right to Sell Liquor
Wal-Mart is allowed to sell beer and wine at 546 Texas stores, but state law keeps it from selling hard liquor. On Thursday, the company filed a federal lawsuit challenging that rule in the interest of a “fair and level playing field.”
Posted in
Health care
After Texas Ebola Cases, Bill Seeks to Fix Outbreak Response
Months after three people in Texas were diagnosed with Ebola, several key state lawmakers on Wednesday proposed ways to prepare the state for the next disease-related emergency.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Senate Bill Would Expand DNA Testing for Criminal Cases
Michael Morton, who spent nearly 25 years in prison for murdering his wife before DNA evidence exonerated him, said he wouldn’t have had access under current testing requirements to the evidence that set him free. A new bill by state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, would expand access to DNA testing in criminal cases.
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Criminal Justice
Abbott, Patrick Offer Different Forecasts for Open Carry
A week after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said there weren’t enough votes in the Texas Senate to pass legislation allowing the open carrying of handguns, Gov. Greg Abbott said on the radio that he thinks such legislation will pass.
Posted inState Government
McRaven: Keep In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students
In an interview Thursday, University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven said that providing in-state tuition for undocumented students is the “morally right thing to do.”
Posted in
Higher Education
Aggies, Longhorns on the Same Team for Higher Ed
Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin were rivals on the football field, but the state’s two biggest schools come together every two years in the political arena for Orange and Maroon Legislative Day.
Posted in
Demographics
Abbott: “Civil Discourse” Needed on Religious Freedom
A day after state Rep. Molly White, R-Belton, came under fire for instructing staff to ask Muslim visitors to her office to pledge their allegiance to the U.S., Gov. Greg Abbott called for civil discussions “so that everyone has the opportunity to weigh in on their beliefs.”
Posted in
Public Education
State Will Close Three More Charter Schools
Three Texas charter schools will be shut down for failing to comply with the state education code or provisions in their charters, state officials said Thursday. Among their missteps? Failing to file with the IRS and not opening on time.