After gaining 22 seats in the Texas House of Representatives, Republicans could cut up to $25 million from state social services, a panel of political journalists agreed on Thursday.
Two University of Texas at El Paso students were shot and killed in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, as they were traveling through the violence-wracked city, where U.S. officials estimate that 2,300 people were killed last year.
A federal program, recently implemented in all Texas counties, that scans local jails for undocumented immigrants with criminal records has spurred controversy because it might lead to racial profiling and underreporting of crime.
Texas Republicans — including Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus — ran and won on a platform that promised a balanced state budget without new taxes.