Tribune Investigations Focused On TABC Spending, Draconian Rent-To-Own Contracts And The Opioid Crisis

This week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.

By Alexandra HartDecember 29, 2017 12:50 pm,

Time for the year that was in Texas politics with Emily Ramshaw, editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune. More specifically, we’re taking a look at the Trib’s top investigative stories of 2017.

 

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, or TABC, had its share of scandals this year – not for the first time. Senior management took booze-fueled junkets at taxpayer expense, even seeking extra pay for the time away from the office.

A Tribune investigation found that a lobbyist-inspired law allowed the criminal prosecution of Texans who defaulted on rent-to-own furniture agreements. Many renters didn’t even know they were at risk of prosecution.

Gov. Greg Abbott sought $10 million in economic development money for drug company McKesson, while the state was responding to the opioid crisis – partly by scrutinizing the actions of McKesson and other drugmakers.

Listen to the full interview in the audio player above.