For the 11th event in our TribLive series, I interviewed the Dallas County district attorney about why and how he’s worked to exonerate the wrongfully imprisoned and whether he’s dragging his feet on a controversial corruption case involving county constables.
Austin
Posted inState Government
2010: Hold Your Green Horses [Updated]
The Texas Democratic Party won Thursday’s battle against the Green Party — but the war isn’t over yet.
Posted in
State Government
The Ex Files
How many former state officeholders are registered to lobby in Austin? The answer: 65, or a little less than 5 percent of the 1,475 lobbyists on the rolls at the Texas Ethics Commission, according to a Texas Tribune analysis.
Posted in
Economy
TribBlog: Holding Out for a TxDOT Hero
Lawmakers have said it before, and today they said it again: Sweeping top-down change is needed within the Texas Department of Transportation.
Posted in
State Government
Speaker’s Race, Anyone?
Nobody’s openly campaigning right now, but there’s talk of who might succeed Joe Straus if he stumbles before January. Attribute the speculation to inertia: The House’s top job was in play for at least four years before Straus won it 17 months ago, and members and the lobby and the press and other gawkers have been trained to study every new complaint, slight, reward and compliment for signs of a coup. While he appears to be on solid ground going into his second session behind the podium, don’t erase the possibility of a contest. It’s an uncertain environment: It’s an election year, Straus is green and the Capitol is full of people who are constantly looking for a better deal than the one they’ve got.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Show Me Proof, Dunnam Tells Perry
State Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, wants proof that Gov. Rick Perry’s $9,000-per-month rental property was recommended by state legislators and DPS officials.
Posted in
Energy
TribBlog: Let’s Hear It for Building Codes
Texas will adopt stricter energy efficiency requirements for new buildings, the State Energy Conservation Office announced today. They will go into effect in 2011 and 2012.
Posted in
State Government
The Pollution Wars
Since last week’s announcement that the EPA is getting tough on Texas, the state and the feds have been going at it. But does alll the hubbub mean that the air we breathe is dangerous?
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Perry Takes a Knee [Updated]
Gov. Rick Perry’s having knee surgery on Friday. In an e-mail sent out this afternoon, Dana Parish, deputy finance director for Texans for Rick Perry, notified supporters that a campaign event had been rescheduled because of the impending surgery.