Lawmakers Hunt for Cash to Fix Roads Hit by Drilling
An assortment of state lawmakers, county officials and energy industry leaders are working this session to fix the growing number of roads torn up as a result of increased drilling activity.“Roads that...
View ArticleLawmakers Protest Security Policy At Governor's Mansion
Outraged members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus left a reception at the Governor’s Mansion this week after facing what they described as heavy-handed and offensive security procedures. One of...
View ArticleDPS Changes Security Policy at Governor's Mansion
Federal and state elected officials are now exempted from the background checks required of visitors to the Governor’s Mansion, the Department of Public Safety said Tuesday.Several members of the Texas...
View ArticleTexas Lawmaker Files Bill to Regulate Self-Driving Cars
Two weeks after Google showcased its self-driving car to local officials in Austin, a Texas lawmaker has filed a bill attempting to regulate the use of the futuristic technology.State Rep. Giovanni...
View ArticleSenate Finance Approves $195.5 Billion Budget
The 15 members of the Senate Finance Committee unanimously voted on Wednesday for a $195.5 billion two-year budget that undoes some of the cuts from the 2011 legislative session. The budget, which now...
View ArticleIn Bipartisan Truce, House Members Pulling Amendments
While the Texas House began working through 267 amendments on the proposed budget Thursday morning, Democratic and Republican House members confirmed that potentially divisive amendments related to...
View ArticleHouse Switches on Texas Lottery Commission
Updated, 4:35 p.m.: In a 91-53 vote Tuesday afternoon, the Texas House passed House Bill 2197, continuing the the Texas Lottery Commission. An earlier vote Tuesday had failed to continue the...
View ArticleBill Offering More Breaks From Franchise Tax Hits House
The Texas House will take up what is likely to be its most sweeping attempt at tax reform this year on Tuesday, though for some critics, it doesn’t go far enough.Lawmakers have been waiting for weeks...
View ArticlePitts Working to Impeach Controversial UT System Regent
Update (June 21, 3:26 p.m.): State Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, said Friday afternoon that his effort to unseat University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall is still very much alive in the last days of the...
View ArticleAustin-San Antonio Rail Project May Get Federal Funds
Officials in Austin and San Antonio are in talks with the U.S. Department of Transportation about receiving federal funding to facilitate connecting the two cities via high-speed rail, according to...
View ArticleIn Austin, Toll Lanes May Give Bus Service a Boost
In 2015, an 11-mile stretch of Austin’s MoPac Boulevard will expand to eight lanes from six. The two new lanes will be tolled, giving drivers the chance to pay a premium to avoid the road’s frequent...
View ArticleHighways Are Talking Point as Candidates Take to Road
In a speech last month kicking off her campaign to be Texas' first Democratic lieutenant governor in 15 years, state Sen.Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio offered examples of what she considere
View ArticleStockman Enters Legal Grey Area with Bitcoin Donations
U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, a Friendswood Republican with a history of flouting campaign finance laws, entered a new legal gray area this week when he announced his campaign can now accept donations in...
View ArticleOfficials Discussing Texas-Mexico High-Speed Rail Line
A high-speed rail line connecting San Antonio and Monterrey, Mexico, could be less than a decade away from welcoming its first passengers, according to federal and Texas officials who met with Mexican...
View ArticleAnti-Corruption Unit Chief: No Davis Docs Passed to FBI
The agency charged with prosecuting state public corruption cases wrapped up an investigation into state Sen. Wendy Davis last year without finding any issues worth pursuing, its director said, and did...
View ArticleStraus Says He's Ready for 'Serious' Session
AUSTIN – Despite organized efforts to unseat him, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said Wednesday he is confident his colleagues will re-elect him to the post so he can focus the 2013 legislative session...
View ArticleCombs: Lawmakers Will Have $101.4 Billion for Budget
The Texas Legislature will have $101.4 billion to haggle over in crafting its next two-year budget, along with an extra $11.8 billion in the Rainy Day Fund, Comptroller Susan Combs announced Monday...
View ArticleThe Pollsters Are Coming! What That Means for Texas Voters in November
In the Texas Tribune today, Aman Batheja reports on a significant change that has researchers and politicos drooling: Exit polls are returning to Texas.Batheja writes:This year, with a high-profile...
View ArticleThe Bullet Train That Could Change Everything
For years, the Japanese company behind the world’s first and busiest high-speed rail system has been itching to enter the U.S. high-speed rail market, hoping to sell one of the world’s ripest passenger...
View ArticlePoll: Texans Don't See Public Transit as a Congestion Cure
From The Texas Tribune:Only six out of every 100 Texans rely on public transportation as their primary means of transportation, and less than half of Texans believe it reduces congestion, according to...
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