UPDATED: Key negotiators in the House and Senate finalized a deal on Saturday to boost funding for transportation, according to a lawmaker involved in the talks. Now backers of the plan will have to rally enough lawmakers to vote for it.
83rd Legislative Session
Posted in
Politics
Abortion and the Economic Argument Behind the Political One
The state’s abortion and health care policies intersect in the budget — even though that might not always be part of the debate — and the budget is where the impact of decisions on abortion and Medicaid will be revealed.
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Public Education
Dewhurst, Patrick Continue Push to End CSCOPE
An extended drama over a controversial curriculum tool used by Texas public schools took a new turn Wednesday as Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst entered the fray with a letter to the State Board of Education and Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick pushed to add the issue to the special session agenda.
Posted in
State Government
House Sends Transportation Funding Plan to Senate
The House voted 108-25 for a measure that would boost funding for the Texas Department of Transportation without raising taxes or fees, but lawmakers said they expect the Senate to make changes to the proposal.
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Public Education
CSCOPE Changes Focus of Confusion at SBOE Meeting
UPDATED: The State Board of Education will take up the issue of whether school districts can continue to use lessons from a controversial state curriculum system at its September meeting. And the Texas Attorney General’s office, along with Education Chairman Dan Patrick, has requested an official state audit of the program.
Posted in
State Government
The Policy and the Politics of the Abortion Debate
The Texas Capitol has been full of protesters and demonstrators off and on for the last month as lawmakers considered abortion legislation. And activists on both sides fight have put some R-rated signs in the hands of children.
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Public Education
Districts Begin Preparing for New Guidelines on High School Diplomas
As educators welcome the coming changes in state testing requirements, some school districts are looking ahead at another part of recently passed education reform. The state is expanding the courses that will count toward a high school diploma.
Posted in
Higher Education
TRBs Ready to Move Forward, if Perry Allows It
Legislators appear ready and willing to approve billions in tuition revenue bonds — or “TRBs” — for campus construction projects, but only if Gov. Rick Perry will let them.
Posted in
State Government
Video: Looking Back at a Busy Week in Texas
On Friday night, the Trib’s Alana Rocha and other veteran Capitol reporters discussed the crazy news week that was, including a monumental Supreme Court decision and the tumultuous end of the special session.
Posted in
Health care
How Activists Yelled an Abortion Bill to Death
When efforts by state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, and other Senate Democrats to run out the clock on an abortion bill fell short, protesters made enough noise to grind the Senate chamber to a halt.