John Reynolds is the newsletters editor for the Tribune. Prior to that, he was a reporter for Quorum Report, a non-partisan online political newsletter focusing on the ins and outs under the Dome, for more than seven years – covering the waterfront from health and human services and redistricting to pensions and elections. A native of Atlanta, Ga., he started his journalistic career one day after the attacks of Sept. 11 in Lubbock, Texas, where he rotated through a slew of beats at The Avalanche-Journal. He received his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and studied at the University of Georgia's graduate school in journalism. When not at work, he actively attempts to convince himself he is adept at tennis with varying levels of success. And he has adopted the Austin custom of appreciating smoked meats and listening to music in grassy/muddy fields.
We've got the top 50 bank balances among officeholders and PACs, a look at oil prices and flagging tax revenue and a warning about new spending cap formulas — all that and more in the latest issue of our subscriber-only newsletter for political insiders ($).
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The Obama administration is poised to become more actively involved in the debate over hydraulic fracturing by issuing new federal regulations on the practice today.
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Just how hard are plummeting oil prices hitting the Texas treasury? Data from the state comptroller gives us an idea.
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Also, a senator says the state no longer needs its renewable portfolio standard, and a final count on bills filed.
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: Education advocates rally at the Capitol, the Senate approves high school graduation panels and an interview with Linda McSpadden McNeil of the Center for Education at Rice University.
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Lawmakers late Wednesday afternoon signaled that they will tap the brakes on plans to consolidate the state's health and human services agencies.
A bill allowing the carrying of handguns on college and university campuses wasn't heard on the Senate floor on Tuesday because of a paperwork error. But it is expected to be heard today and will likely pass.
Full StoryIn this week's edition of the Trib+Health newsletter: How healthy lifestyles lead to a healthier brain, a big milestone in Liberia's fight on Ebola and an interview with Belinda Reininger of the University of Texas School of Public Health Brownsville Regional Campus.
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Oil prices are falling again with worries growing anew that the price per barrel might dip below $40.
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Legislative activity begins to ramp up in the two chambers this week with speculation rampant that the Senate might take up as early as today legislation that would allow permitted gun owners to carry handguns openly.
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Bill filing deadline is here, the "Former Fetus" kerfuffle is a further signal of the GOP internal rift and Rick Perry gets Right on Crime — all that and more in the latest issue of our subscriber-only newsletter for political insiders ($).
Full StorySteelworkers and Shell Oil have struck a tentative agreement on a labor deal that would end a strike at 15 refineries and chemical plants, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday night.
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The Legislature hits a big milestone as the focus of session begins to migrate to the two chambers.
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The "Former Fetus" flap highlights the divide between House leadership and the Tea Party wing.
Full StoryOne lawmaker's protest against Planned Parenthood supporters at the Capitol on Wednesday had turned into something else later in the day: a threat that the gloves were about to come off in his fight against the House leadership.
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