Past Contributions

• House OKs R&D Tax Credit

  By Audrey White May 1, 2013

  A $250 million franchise and sales tax exemption for business research and development won tentative approval from the House on Wednesday. A similar exemption expired in 2006. Full Story 

• House Votes to Reduce Reliance on Budget Diversions

  By Aman Batheja and Audrey White May 1, 2013

  House members on Wednesday passed two bills that take aim at the practice of budget diversions, in which fees collected for specific purposes are used in another manner. The measures now go to the Senate. Full Story 

• Galveston Still Healing 5 Years After Hurricane Ike

  By Audrey White April 26, 2013

  Hurricane Ike rammed into the Texas coast in 2008, causing more than $50 billion in damage. Nowhere was the impact more evident than Galveston. The city still faces challenges related to Ike, but many leaders are optimistic about rebuilding efforts. Full Story 

• Senate Approves Bill Targeting Child Hunger

  By Becca Aaronson and Audrey White April 23, 2013

  UPDATED: The one in four Texas children who are food insecure could be assured a free meal every school day — breakfast — if a bill approved by the Senate on Tuesday continues to advance. Full Story 

• Galveston Public Housing Plan Moves Forward

  By Audrey White April 17, 2013

  After months of back-and-forth with the General Land Office over the rebuilding of public housing units demolished after Hurricane Ike, the Galveston City Council voted Wednesday to adhere to terms set by the land office. Full Story 

• Report: Texas Lags Behind Other States in Education, Health Care

  By Audrey White April 15, 2013

  Texas remains behind most other states on issues related to educational achievement, public health and the environment, according to the latest version of the "Texas on the Brink" study, released Monday. Full Story 

• Senators Talk, Without Voting, About Casinos in Texas

  By Audrey White April 10, 2013

  The effort to open casinos in Texas got a hearing from a Texas Senate committee Wednesday, but opposition remains strong and charitable groups that benefit from other games of chance have some concerns, too. Full Story 

• Carona Sets the Stage for Hearing on Gambling Measure

  By Audrey White April 8, 2013

  "You never really know when a major issue like this will find a break or an opportunity to be passed," state Sen. John Carona said Monday of proposed legislation that could lead to the legalization of casino gambling in Texas. Full Story 

• Data App: Ethics Explorer

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project, and Audrey White and Cody Permenter, The Texas Tribune April 3, 2013

  With the addition of more than a dozen statewide elected officials to our Lawmaker Explorer — including Attorney General Greg Abbott and Comptroller Susan Combs and the state's railroad commissioners and Supreme Court justices — we're renaming it the Ethics Explorer. Full Story 

• Bill Would Limit Non-Transferable Sports, Concert Tickets

  By Audrey White April 2, 2013

  A bill up for debate in a House committee on Tuesday would prohibit ticket brokers and live event venues from restricting how fans re-sell their tickets. Venues and sports teams say the measure protects scalpers, not consumers. Full Story