As evidenced Thursday during a U.S. House committee hearing, Texas officials and lawmakers are continuing to fight against tougher federal ground-level ozone standards implemented recently by the Environmental Protection Agency. Their main tactic? Trying to poke holes in the scientific consensus behind the regulation.

In Texas' latest salvo against Obamacare, Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit over a fee states must help cover to pay for the sweeping federal health reform law. Texas joins Louisiana and Kansas in suing the Obama administration over the Health Insurance Providers Fee, which Paxton says cost Texas $86 million in 2013 and about $120 million per year since.

Days after Texas health officials announced they want to kick Planned Parenthood out of the state Medicaid program, state investigators on Thursday visited Planned Parenthood facilities in San Antonio, Houston and Dallas requesting information related to Medicaid billing.

A coalition of immigrants’ rights and civil liberties groups have filed suit claiming Texas hastily created a new type of state license that might allow two controversial detention centers for illegal immigrants to remain open.

The ousted author of a study that describes a controversial San Antonio water supply project as “high risk” squared off with the head of the city’s water utility Wednesday.

Former President George W. Bush's criticism of Ted Cruz this week revived one of the central tensions of the Texas Republican senator's run for president: his years working for — and enthusiastically supporting — the Bushes.

The office of Attorney General Ken Paxton says he is recusing himself from some of his professional responsibilities as he fights an indictment on securities fraud charges. Calling it a common procedure, a Paxton spokeswoman said Wednesday the office is working to remove him from "active participation in matters in which a conflict may exist." Those areas specifically relate to the State Securities Board and the Texas Ethics Commission, according to the spokeswoman, Cynthia Meyer.

Texans are griping less about their electricity providers, but a sharp spike in complaints against one small company may affect oilman Ray Hunt's $18 billion bid to take over the state’s largest electric transmission company.

University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall has renewed an old request for information about the workloads of faculty, prompting all-too-familiar exchanges about whether his requests are too burdensome.

The political anarchy among U.S. House Republicans could be coming to an end, as U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced Tuesday that he would run for speaker of the House if all warring GOP factions agree to back him. As the week came to a close and various factions among House Republicans close ranks behind him (including the Texas GOP congressional delegation), Ryan officially announced his candidacy for speaker.

The complex and protracted path Scott Panetti's death row case has traveled illustrates how few safeguards Texas has to protect mentally ill killers from being executed.

Successful universities rely heavily on their alumni — for donations, for networking, for mentoring. But what if you don't have many graduates to hit up? That's a question Texas A&M University-Central Texas isn't waiting to answer. The college, chartered in 2009, is working to build an alumni base from scratch, using graduates of now-defunct schools that came before it.

After a tumble, Texas has taken a major leap forward in an annual state-by-state ranking of energy efficiency policies — those aimed at slashing utility bills and carbon emissions by curbing energy use.

Texas is on track to see fewer death sentences handed down in 2015 than in any other year since the state’s death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Speculation about U.S. housing secretary Julián Castro's Democratic vice presidential prospects is reaching a boil with his endorsement last week of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Despite the growing frenzy, Democrats acknowledge that it's remarkably early to be talking about Clinton’s choices for vice president. But the early timing has done little to curb months-long rumors that 41-year-old Castro has the inside track for running mate.

Tailoring their presidential pitches to suburban Dallas evangelicals, a half-dozen Republican presidential hopefuls Sunday afternoon stressed their affinity for the Lone Star State, though it’s unlikely all of them will still be running by the time the Texas primary rolls around in March.

Disclosure: Planned Parenthood was a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune in 2011. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.

Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Missy Medary of Corpus Christi presiding judge of the Fifth Administrative Judicial Region for a four-year term.

Abbott has named Bobby Jenkins of Austin chairman of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Jenkins, who is president of ABC Home and Commercial Services, has served as vice chairman since September 2013.

Abbott has appointed Ramon Manning of Houston and reappointed Rodney Moore of Lufkin to the Texas Public Finance Authority for terms to expire on Feb. 1, 2021.

Abbott named J.B. Smith of Lufkin to the Texas Crime Stoppers Council for a term set to expire on Sept. 1, 2017.

René De Coss of Rancho Viejo was named by Abbott to be judge of the 445th Judicial District Court in Cameron County for a term set to expire at the 2016 general election.

Spotted: Former Republican Party of Texas Chairwoman Tina Benkiser is one of 57 new additions to Ted Cruz's leadership team in Tennessee where she currently sits on that state's GOP State Executive Committee. She helmed the GOP in Texas from 2003-09.

David Porter, the chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, has been named a co-chair of Ted Cruz's presidential campaign in Texas. Porter is the first announced co-chair of Cruz's campaign in Texas and he is expected to be joined by more co-chairs as the race goes on.

Two Republican candidates for the open HD-64 seat have officially launched their campaigns. On Sunday, Read King hosted a campaign kickoff party in Denton and criminal defense attorney Rick Hagen held a similar event earlier this month.

The Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee announced Thursday that state Rep. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, has been elected to serve as co-chair of the committee. State Reps. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, Donna Howard, D-Austin, and Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, are all co-chairs.

State Rep. Scott Sanford, R-McKinney, announced Tuesday he is running for re-election to the HD-70 seat in the Texas House he has held for one session.

Cody Davis is bowing out of the HD-130 race and throwing his support behind Houston anesthesiologist Tom Oliverson. Davis’ exit leaves Kay Smith, a conservative businesswoman and vice president of the board of trustees for the Harris County Department of Education, as Oliverson’s only announced opponent.

Corresponding with this week's start of early voting, Bill King announced Tuesday the support of state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Houston city council member Oliver Pennington for his run for Houston mayor.

Dallas County Commissioner Mike Cantrell and former commissioners Maurine Dickey and Jim Jackson have endorsed former state Rep. Bennett Ratliff in his bid for the HD-115 seat in the Texas House. Ratliff is running against state Rep. Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, who defeated Ratliff in last year’s party primary.

The East Texas Police Chiefs Association, the regional affiliate of the Texas Police Chiefs Association that covers Senate District 1, is endorsing Mineola Republican Bryan Hughes for the office.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility announced Friday their endorsement of Houston anesthesiologist Tom Oliverson, a candidate for the open House District 130 seat being vacated by state Rep. Allen Fletcher, R-Cypress.

The Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC has endorsed freshman state Rep. DeWayne Burns in his bid for re-election to the Texas House representing HD-58 in Johnson County.

Michele Samuelson is endorsing Dawn Buckingham in the GOP primary for the open Senate District 24 seat. Samuelson is a board member of the Texas Federation of Republican Women and also currently serves as secretary for the Travis County Republican Party.

Jeff Judson, who is challenging Speaker Joe Straus in the Bexar County-based HD-121, announced on Thursday endorsements from Michael J. Bigley, who currently serves as president of the Republican Club of Bexar County, and Paula Moore, who is immediate past president of the San Antonio Republican Women Club.

State Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, are the recipients of legislative leadership awards from the nonpartisan advocacy group AARP Texas.

Disclosure: AARP is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune. Bobby Jenkins is a major donor to the Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.