Politics

The Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee is holding a public hearing this afternoon on a bill that would allow guns on college campuses.

The Texas House approved HB 972 two weeks ago. 

Update: The Texas House gave final passage to the bill on May 14, 2013, officially sending it to the desk of Gov. Rick Perry for his signature.

Original version:
The Texas House has voted to pass bills that would grant more rights to people when they’re suspected and even convicted of crimes. The votes took place on the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Brady vs. Maryland ruling, which established a suspect’s right to access evidence against him or her. 

Michael Morton spent about 25 years behind bars, wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. 

Two weeks to go in the Texas Legislative session folks. And there’s even less time than that for lawmakers to pass bills before constitutional deadlines make it nearly impossible to get things done.

A seemingly uncontroversial bill to help Texas colleges pay for veterans’ tuition got House members worked up today over who needs more dollars -- need-based students or military heroes?

House Bill 690 by State Rep. Tryon Lewis, R-Odessa, would allow the Higher Education Coordinating Board to divvy up state money, set aside to fund the Hazlewood legacy program. It pays for the tuition benefit of certain veterans and their dependents.

President Barack Obama spent about six hours in Austin yesterday touring around the city on the first stop of what the White House is calling a “Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour.”

After landing mid-day in Austin, the President headed to Manor New Technology high school. The school is what’s called a STEM academy – focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.