Texas Tribune TribCast

On this week's TribCast, Emily talks with Ross, Aman and Jim about negotiations on a massive legislative deal, Gov. Greg Abbott's first veto and former Gov. Rick Perry's forthcoming presidential announcement.

In this episode of Budgetline, Aman and Ross explore riders — descriptive items in the state budget meant to direct agencies how to spend state money. Often, they're a place where budget writers sneak policy and legislative instructions into state law.

On this week's TribCast, Emily talks with Evan, Ross and Jim about the ongoing drama over hidden cameras in the Lege, negotiations on a tax cut deal, and the ag commissioner's effort to return deep fryers and soda machines to public schools.

On this week's TribCast, Emily talks with Evan, Ross and Patrick about a group secretly recording lawmakers in the Capitol, the flap over Gov. Greg Abbott's response to a U.S. military exercise and this profile of state Rep. Jonathan Stickland.

In this episode of Budgetline, an occasional TribCast series on the Texas budget, Aman and Ross explore the place at the end of the budget where unfunded items go. While it's charitably referred to as "the wish list," budget watchers say it more often serves as "the cemetery," or "where dreams go to die."

In this week's episode of The Ticket, a co-production of the Tribune and KUT, Jay and Ben break down the presidential campaign announcement speech of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and talk with Mathew Dowd, who directed George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

On this week's TribCast, Emily chats with Ross, Aman and Alexa about a resurgence of anti-abortion legislation, the House-Senate fight over tax cuts and the voter ID courtroom battle.

In this episode of Budgetline, an occasional TribCast series on the Texas budget, Aman and Ross sit down with Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, who voted against her first state budget in 1993 as a freshman senator and is now in charge of writing that most essential piece of legislation.

Welcome to the first-ever episode of The Ticket, a co-production of the Tribune and KUT, focused on the 2016 presidential election. This week, the Trib's Jay Root and KUT's Ben Philpott talk with former Texas GOP Chairman Steve Munisteri, who's now working for Rand Paul, and dissect Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential announcement speech at Liberty University.

On this week's TribCast, Emily talks with Evan, Ross and Jay about pre-K reform drama, the House's resident dissenter, inter-chamber squabbles and Gov. Greg Abbott's role in all of it.

In this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Morgan about the gun battle that wasn't, the budget negotiations to come, a "non-voucher" school choice pitch and the reasons why Hillary Clinton needs Texas.

In this week's TribCast Emily talks with Evan, Julian and Alexa about the fight over in-state tuition for kids of undocumented immigrants, the San Antonio mayoral race and bills aimed at transgender Texans' use of public bathrooms.

In this episode of Budgetline, an occasional TribCast series on the Texas Budget, Aman and Ross explore the state's fuzzy limits on how fast the state budget can grow, what counts and what doesn't, and how the politics work.

On this week's TribCast, Emily talks with Evan, Ross and Matthew about the abstinence fight in the House's overnight budget debate, a grand jury's opinions on UT Regent Wallace Hall and whether the state's health commissioner will keep his job. | Texas Tribune Be sure to follow the Tribune on Twitter.

On this week's TribCast, Emily talks with Evan, Jay and Aman about Ted Cruz's presidential announcement, the differences between the House and Senate budget and the Trib's major collaboration with the Houston Chronicle, "Blood Lessons."

In this week's TribCast, Emily talks with Evan, Ross and Jay about the presidential ambitions of Jeb Bush and Rand Paul, the gun bills moving in the Legislature and the fiscal needs of former lawmakers now at the helm of state agencies.

In the inaugural episode of Budgetline, Ross and Aman start where state officials started — with the revenue estimate that predicts how much money they'll have to spend. It sounds like a simple idea, but it's a complicated stew of economics, politics and risky forecasting.

On this week's TribCast, Emily talks with Ross, Neena and Patrick about Rep. Jonathan Stickland's "Former Fetus" sign, Gov. Rick Perry's presidential ambitions and the Trib's Undrinkable water quality project.

On this week's TribCast, Emily talks with Evan, Ross and Jay about crumbling infrastructure at state agencies, the candidates to be the next UT-Austin president, and — what else — state Rep. David Simpson's stance on legalizing weed.

On this week's TribCast — the first sans Reeve! — Emily talks with Ross, Julian and Jim about the UT/TT Poll, the border security battle in the Legislature and tax cut proposals facing state lawmakers.

On Reeve's final TribCast, he talks with Evan, Emily and Ross about the most recent election results, Gov. Greg Abbott's first State of the State address, and a report on how political influence on admissions at the University of Texas at Austin.

Reeve, Terri, Emily and Evan dive into the ongoing scandals at the state's Health and Human Services Commission, including the purchase of $2,800 executive chairs and roughly 300 high-dollar badges. And they also discuss the politics of vaccines.

Reeve, Ross, Neena and Emily discuss the backlash over comments made by a state representative on Texas Muslim Capitol Day, lawmakers' response to a controversial blog post, and the future of the state's economic incentive programs.

Reeve, Emily, Evan and Terri discuss a recent ruling allowing the case against former Gov. Rick Perry to proceed, the reactions to open carry advocates at the Texas Capitol, and Gov. Greg Abbott's appointees to university system boards.

Reeve, Ross, Emily and John recount the inauguration day festivities, look ahead to the first days of the state's new leadership and discuss the investigations that were canceled because of a veto by outgoing Gov. Rick Perry, who is embarking on a new adventure.