WEEKLY REPORT

December 30, 2011

Funding lawsuit gathers steam

In the Battle of the Maps, Republicans Win Either Way

For some candidates, the 2012 elections will be decided in court.

(View complete article here.)

Texas’ voter ID law may not be implemented in time for 2012

Seven months ago, Gov. Rick Perry stood at a lectern in the Texas Capitol flanked by dozens of fellow Republican state lawmakers to celebrate a new state law.

(View complete article here.)

Legislature prepares for next session

Few state legislators command as much attention as Steve Ogden, the outgoing chairman of the Texas Senate Finance Committee.When the Bryan Republican suggested at a recent business forum that Texas voters should weigh in on some critical issues the lawmakers will face in the next session, his audience paid close attention.

(View complete article here.)

Texas State Board of Education races promise fireworks

Just because no redistricting brouhaha is calling attention to 2012 races for the State Board of Education doesn’t mean voters shouldn’t pay attention.

(View complete article here.)

‘Abstinence-plus’ emerging in more Texas schools

A shift is occurring in Texas as more school districts move from abstinence-only programs to a comprehensive approach that teaches about condoms and other contraceptives, according to an advocacy group’s study of state data.

(View complete article here.)

Texas’ 2012 job forecast: A lot like 2011

Mary Mentesana sees the stats: Texas continues to generate jobs, far more than any other state.

(View complete article here.)

Opinion: Salud America working to combat obesity among Latino children

Obesity causes more than 15 percent of this country’s preventable deaths more than alcohol, toxins, care accidents, gun-related deaths, drug abuse and STDs combined and it causes a huge financial strain on the health care system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity affects approximately 34 percent of adults and 17 percent of children in the United States. The agency recently estimated the costs of obesity at almost $150 billion per year, attributable to the impact of obesity on other chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Dangers of fracking still becoming clear

The word “fracking” may sound funny, but it describes a drilling practice that has created a serious boom in natural gas production in Texas and elsewhere, and with the boom has come serious worries about fracking’s effects on the environment.

(View complete article here.)

Feds bust alleged scam to sell stem cells to the dying

Steven Watters sat in a cushy leather arm chair in the Houston living room of a fellow ALS sufferer and asked the man across from him hawking stem cell therapy if there was a cure for his disease.

Texas ‘pill mills’ skirt law by playing name game

Pain management clinics targeted for prescribing drugs illegally are finding a simple way to skirt a new law that requires them to register their businesses: They’re just not calling themselves pain management clinics.

(View complete article here.)

Five political stories to watch in 2012

The year in Texas politics played out pretty much the way we expected. A wave of Republicans who pledged to slash government spending won seats in the Legislature in November 2010, then arrived at the Capitol in early 2011 and slashed government spending.

(View complete article here.)

As San Antonio Grows, So Does Its Confidence

In 2008, after 15 years as the Alamo City’s largest corporate resident, AT&T announced it was moving its headquarters to Dallas — and taking 700 executives along with it. In the past, that San Antonio’s first Fortune 500 company had outgrown its home might have seemed an insurmountable blow for this city with a pre-existing inferiority complex. But these days, it is not easy to shake the city’s confidence.

(View complete article here.)

Signs point to healthier Central Texas housing market in 2012, experts say

The new year should usher in a healthier Central Texas housing market, experts say, thanks to job and population growth, high apartment occupancies and an anticipated uptick in consumer confidence.

 (View complete article here.)

Primary Opponents Hunt for Signs of Double Dipping

In politics, one man’s mistake is another’s opportunity. Now that state Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, has been sentenced for “double dipping” — billing both his campaign and the state Legislature for the same expenses — opposition researchers in this primary season are scrambling for other examples.

(View complete article here.)

Jim does political party training for the .International Republican Institute, a non-governmental organization focused on democracy building and funded in part by the Agency for International Development.  While IRI has offices in Egypt, under the Mubarak regime the government would not allow democracy building groups to conduct political party training in the country.  Jim conducted training for two groups of Egyptians from various political parties, but we had to conduct the training in Amman, Jordan.

While Egypt is the second largest recipient of US foreign aid, only behind Israel, in this latest AP article, it appears the new government’s attitude hasn’t changed much towards these types of organizations.  Read the AP article below:

Egyptian Forces Raid Offices Of Rights Groups
by The Associated Press
The Associated Press – December 29, 2011

Egyptian soldiers and police stormed pro-democracy offices on Thursday, targeting groups critical of the military rulers while reinforcing activists’ charges that the military’s harsh tactics are no different from those of the deposed regime of Hosni Mubarak.

Among the offices ransacked by police were well known U.S.-based organizations like the International Republican Institute, which is observing Egypt’s ongoing parliamentary election process. IRI issued a statement denouncing the raid, as did reformers and rights groups.

The U.S. State Department called the raids “inconsistent” with longstanding U.S-Egypt cooperation. It demanded the Egyptian government “immediately end the harassment of NGO staff, return all property and resolve this issue.”

Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. ambassador to Egypt and the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East have spoken to Egyptian officials about the situation and “made very clear that this issue needs immediate attention.”

The raids on 10 nongovernmental organizations were part of an investigation into foreign funding of rights groups, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said. Egypt charges that foreign plots are behind the ongoing protests.

The crackdown was sure to inflame almost constant protests in downtown Cairo, demanding that the ruling military that took over after Mubarak in February hand over power to a civilian authority after more than 60 years in power.

A leading Egyptian reformist Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel peace laureate, denounced the raids.

“Human rights organizations are the guardians of nascent freedom. Efforts to suffocate them will be a major setback and will surely backfire,” ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account.

Also likely to inflame protests, an Egyptian court on Thursday acquitted five policemen of charges of killing five protesters and wounding six others during the 18-day uprising that toppled Mubarak’s regime Feb. 11. More than 800 protesters were killed in the demonstrations that began Jan. 25.

The court said three of the defendants were not at the site of the killings while the two others fired against protesters in self defense.

Protesters have demanded that security forces who killed demonstrators be brought to justice along with those who gave orders to open fire. Mubarak himself is on trial on charges he was involved in the killing of protesters in the uprising. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

During the uprising and since Mubarak’s ouster, Egyptian authorities have complained about unspecified foreign attempts to destabilize the country. Egypt, like other Arab states, has a long history of blaming internal problems on foreign saboteurs.

The raids on the NGOs were the first since Mubarak’s ouster, though Egyptian officials have been levying accusations for months that rights groups are serving a foreign agenda.

Egyptian law requires organizations receiving foreign funding to get a permit from the Ministry of International Cooperation. The ministry is led by Fayza Aboul-Naga, who was appointed by Mubarak. Offenders can be sentenced to prison terms.

The security official said “influencing public opinion in non-peaceful ways” is among the possible charges that could be brought against the 10 organizations being investigated.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

Egypt’s military has for more than 30 years received about $1.3 billion in annual U.S. security assistance.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victgoria Nuland said the U.S. is “deeply concerned” about the raids. “This action is inconsistent with the bilateral cooperation we have had over many years,” she said, adding that the U.S. government is in touch with Egyptian officials.

This month, Justice Minister Adel Abdel-Hamid accused around 300 non-governmental organizations of receiving unauthorized foreign funding and using the money for protests.

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, told The Associated Press that the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces is trying to attack groups that have criticized the military’s human rights records.

“I believe SCAF is trying to find some scapegoat [for their human rights record],” she said. “Targeting civil society was a technique used by Mubarak, so it really is reminiscent of the worst tactics of the Mubarak era.”

The raids and the acquittal of the police were certain to usher in a new low in relations between the ruling generals who took over from Mubarak and rights groups and activists who engineered the uprising that ousted him.

In August, Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Assar, a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, gave a speech in Washington, where he criticized the United States for funding pro-democracy groups without submitting to Egyptian government supervision. He said it violated Egyptian laws and called it “a matter of sovereignty.”

Three U.S.-based organizations IRI, the National Democratic Institute and Freedom House, were among those searched Thursday.

In Washington, the IRI issued a statement noting, “it is ironic that even during the Mubarak era, IRI was not subjected to such aggressive action.” The group said it does not provide funding to political parties or groups in Egypt.

An official with the Egyptian Attorney General’s office said at least one of the U.S.-based organizations being searched was operating without proper permits. He did not say which one.

The head of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, Gamal Eid, said an employee trapped inside one of the local NGO’s called him to say security forces were removing laptop computers and documents.

Eid told the AP the troops and police banned anyone from entering or speaking with employees at the offices as they interrogated them.

Also, security forces raided the apartment of Ahmed Ali al-Salkawy, 29, a member of a group that played a key role in the anti-Mubarak uprising. A security official said police found documents deemed hostile to the nation.

“This is the old regime still in place and military rulers defending that regime,” Ahmed Maher, founder of one of the reform movements, told the AP. “Many generals have vested interests in the old regime.” [Copyright 2011 The Associated Press]

WEEKLY REPORT

December 23, 2011

BLOG: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison decries nine “accounting tricks” that hide government spending

Tea partyers not keen about GOP presidential field, fear loss of passion in next election

Just a year ago, tea party activists came roaring out of the congressional elections eager to shape the looming race for the White House.

Speed limits going up on area highways

Signs with an unfamiliar message “speed limit 75″ have been showing up on major Central Texas roads this fall, the result of a change in state law earlier in the year. And limits on Interstate 35 through Austin, now 55 mph to 70 mph, likewise will be inching up 5 to 10 mph in many sections during the next week or so.

(View complete article here.)

Two Central Texas health care giants teaming up in new federal program for Medicare patients

Two of the largest health care providers in Central Texas are teaming up as part of a new federal program aimed at keeping Medicare patients healthier and less likely to be hospitalized.

(View complete article here.)

Texas may have lost 10% of its trees

The current Texas drought has killed as many as 500 million trees 10 percent of the state’s forest cover and the end is not in sight, according to the Texas Forest Service. Some of the hardest-hit areas are in Central Texas.

(View complete article here.)

Texas faces critical shortage of primary-care providers

If you have a primary-care provider, you are one of the lucky ones. If you are looking for one, good luck. They are becoming harder to find because Texas has a severe shortage of primary-care providers, and the problem will only get worse unless the state does something to remedy the situation.

(View complete article here.)

Texas’ Move to Managed Care Comes With Strings Attached

The federal government has granted Texas permission to move almost all of its Medicaid patients into managed care in an effort to save money. But as Carrie Feibel of KUHF News reports, hospitals will now have to do more to show how they spend — and prove they deserve — state money.

(View complete article here.)

Navigating the Texas School Finance Lawsuits

One consequence of the $5.4 billion cut to Texas public schools is already known: By the end of the year, there will likely be four school finance lawsuits filed against the state.

Heavy turnover likely at State Board of Education

Even before the first vote is cast, it’s clear that the State Board of Education will look much different in 2013 than it does today.

(View complete article here.)

BLOG: Straus mulled bringing consultant Johnson into key role, while quest for Lege’s budge staff boss narrows to 2

Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has considered tapping his political consultant Gordon R. Johnson to be his next chief of staff or play some other leading role in his office, though no final decision’s been made, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

Eagle Ford Drilling Rush May Boost Texas Tax Revenue 15-Fold

While the Eagle Ford shale boom in Texas isn’t the first that Daryl Fowler has seen, the DeWitt County judge is working to ensure that his community will be left with new roads and housing when the oil and gas are gone.

 
(View complete article here.)

Texas is tops in population growth

Texas has once again topped the national growth chart, adding 529,000 people since the 2010 Census, though its rate of growth has slowed slightly.

 
(View complete article here.)

New rules needed for large private water companies

A growing number of Texans, especially suburban and rural Texans, get their water and sewer service not from municipal utilities but from large, investor-owned multistate corporations. In recent years, these private water companies, attracted by profits to be made in drought-prone Texas and by a friendly regulatory environment, have bought up scores of the smaller, locally owned water companies that historically have served customers outside cities.

(View complete article here.)

Texas Tree Ring Study Warns of Long Droughts

A new study of tree rings adds to evidence that Texas has experienced at least one 10-year drought every 100 years, as well as several “mega-droughts” lasting 15 to 30 years over the centuries.

(View complete article here.)

Fewest layoffs since ’08 as economy shows signs of improvement

The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to its lowest level since April 2008, the government said. The report suggested that layoffs are slowing further and that employers may be ready to hire more aggressively in the new year.

(View complete article here.)

63 school districts file 4^th suit against Texas

A coalition of school districts that educate more than 1.5 million Texas children filed a fourth lawsuit against the state Thursday over school funding, alleging that the current system doesn’t provide schools enough money and distributes it unfairly.

(View complete article here.)

Largest school finance lawsuit in Texas takes shape

Texas’ largest school districts — including Austin, Houston and Dallas — joined the fight Thursday when they and 60 other districts, including Round Rock, filed a lawsuit that claims the method for funding Texas public schools is unconstitutional. It is the fourth such legal challenge filed against the state in recent months.

(View complete article here.)

Texas Electric Grid Faces Uncertainty in 2012

The state’s electric grid operators are coming off of a tumultuous year, one they are not eager to repeat. In February, a deep freeze knocked numerous power plants out of commission as equipment broke, causing rolling blackouts across the state. Then, the hottest summer on record spurred repeated conservation warnings, as grid managers worked — successfully — to avoid more blackouts.

 
(View complete article here.)

Interactive: Mental Health Workforces Shortage More Critical in Minority Communities

Texas is already short on mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed counselors, nurses and social workers. But another issue compounds the problem: a disparity in diagnosing and treating the state’s rapidly growing minority communities.

 
(View complete article here.)

From the Texas Tribune:  One consequence of the $5.4 billion cut to Texas public schools is already known: By the end of the year, there will likely be four school finance lawsuits filed against the state.

School districts are joining up left and right to sue, and when the cases head to trial — expected in the fall of 2012 — most Texas students will be represented in the courtroom.  The Texas Tribune provides a guide to the keeping the lawsuits and issues straight:

http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/how-navigate-texas-school-finance-lawsuits/

WEEKLY REPORT

December 16, 2011

Measuring the Impact of Historic Texas Education Cuts

School Finance Expert Leaving Texas Legislature

After 20 years, Scott Hochberg is bailing out of the Texas Legislature. He says it’s time. He’ll be 59 when he leaves office a little over a year from now. He won’t have to campaign in a newly drawn legislative district, and he’ll get back his nights and weekends.

Challengers nip at Dewhurst’s heels in Senate race

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst enters the U.S. Senate campaign with considerable cash and name recognition, but a couple of Republican challengers are nipping at his heels, certain they can pull off an upset.

 (View complete article here.)

$1.6 billion surplus projected for Texas

After a long run of tough times brought on by a sour economy, Texas lawmakers got some good news Monday as the state’s chief fiscal officer projected a $1.6 billion surplus that could provide a much-needed financial cushion for the next session of the Legislature.

 (View complete article here.)

Payday loan: The gift that keeps taking

Neon signs advertising easy-to-get payday and auto title loans take on a special glitter during the holidays, when need and desperation for a small amount of cash are at an all-time high. But a predatory lender masquerading as a cash-bearing “Santa” is only an advertising gimmick.

 
(View complete article here.)

Report: Texas 38^th, up from last, in homeless kids

After Angelic Davis was laid off from her job as a collections agent last year and could no longer afford a small Dallas apartment, her 3-year-old daughter Kourtney often became confused about what it meant to be homeless.

 
(View complete article here.)

NTSB recommends full ban of cell phones while driving

A federal safety board called Tuesday for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving.

 (View complete article here.)

Texas redistricting case: Five things you need to know

For the second time in five years, Texas’s new congressional map is headed for a date with the Supreme Court.  And the results could be very significant, both in Texas, in the 2012 election, and for the future of the congressional redistricting process.

More Time, But No Maps or Election Dates for Candidates

The Texas primary elections are still set — precariously  — for March 6, but a panel of three federal judges extended the filing deadlines for candidates to Monday. And after a day in court, most of the confusion and the big questions persist, like whether some elections could be delayed. 

 (View complete article here.)

Holder calls for review of states’ voter ID laws

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, in a speech in Austin on Tuesday night, criticized the redistricting maps drawn by the Texas Legislature as discriminatory against Hispanics and called for a more aggressive federal review of voter identification laws in Texas and other states.

Medicaid money for Texas to jump

The federal government Monday granted Texas a waiver that could mean billions more in Medicaid dollars to hospitals over the next few years, in return for having them work together to provide better care for the poor.

 (View complete article here.)

Administration Ties Medicaid Managed Care Expansion To Performance

The managed care industry’s growing role in Medicaid got a boost Monday when the Obama administration approved Texas’ plan to shift one million additional recipients into private health plans by 2013.

 (View complete article here.)

Census shows 1 in 2 people are poor or low-income

Squeezed by rising living costs, a record number of Americans – nearly 1 in 2 – have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings that classify them as low income.

 (View complete article here.)

Texas among leaders in legislators-turned-lobbyists

In a presidential campaign ad launched today, Gov. Rick Perry criticizes what is often referred to as the “revolving door” in politics, or the practice of members of Congress becoming lobbyists.

 (View complete article here.)

 Legislature continues its pattern of crisis management over public schools

It’s unfortunate that Texas public school districts must sue the state to ensure that the Legislature carries out its constitutional duty of efficiently financing public schools. But that is the situation.

 (View complete article here.)

State Oks 50-year water plan

Texas approved a somberly worded plan Thursday that lays out where the state should spend $53 billion to cope with its water needs over the next half-century and that warns that future droughts may mean not enough supply to keep up with growing demand.

 (View complete article here.)

 TEXANS LEFT $3.5B IN FOOD STAMP BENEFITS ON THE TABLE, NEW STUDY SAYS

Analysis by Texas Food Bank Network points to need to improve participation in the entitlement program

 A new study out from the Texas Food Bank Network suggests that Texas left about $3.5 billion in unused food stamp benefits on the table in 2010.

Policy analyst JC Dwyer tallied the numbers based on two sets of U.S. Census data and then measured existing claims against full eligible population counts. While the data may not provide a good county-to-county comparison, it does provide a fairly solid picture of enrollment gaps, said Dwyer.

 “This is not something to shoot a rocket to the moon – it’s an estimate – but it’s probably pretty good for saying what’s happening statewide,” Dwyer said. “County-by-county there is some volatility there with overlap, so there is a margin of error.”

 The Texas Food Bank Network completed a similar study last year, but the methodology was different, so Dwyer can’t conclusively say what’s up or down.

 Dwyer drew his conclusions based on 130 percent of the poverty level. Using that metric, about 59 percent of all those eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, actually apply for benefits. The ripple effect across the economy, once that money is turned over, is about $6.3 billion, according to guidelines set out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

 Non-participation, of course, impacts the state’s food banks. According to a survey gathered by the individual food banks, only 31 percent of the food bank’s clients are enrolled to receive food stamps. Currently, the major food banks in the state are using funding from the Health and Human Services Commission to ramp up enrollment, both within existing clientele and out in the community.

 The Capital Area Food Bank, for instance, has four people on staff whose main job is simply to find and assist people filling out the SNAP application. They walk housing developments, go to recreation centers and attend tax preparation services, said John Spencer, communications manager for the food bank.

 Food bank personnel can walk the potential applicant through the enrollment process, but the person has to deliver the application to an HHSC office. A pilot program in San Antonio right now is allowing food bank personnel to enter applicants into the state data system.

 The Capital Area Food Bank serves 48,000 people a week, of which 20,000 are children. Distribution is up by 50 percent over 2007, and while donations have increased, they still fail to keep pace with a growing clientele.

 Dwyer said people don’t apply for food stamp benefits for a number of reasons. Some think it’s limited to the unemployed, although 40 percent of those receiving food stamps are in working households. They also think food stamps are a set pot of money that should be disbursed only to the poorest in the community.

 “SNAP is an entitlement for whomever qualifies,” Dwyer said. “You’re not taking the benefits away from someone else when you receive benefits. Congress simply puts more money into the pot. That’s one of those misconceptions that we try to correct in our outreach efforts.”

The state’s efforts around SNAP have improved consistently over the last couple of years, which Dwyer attributes to efforts of HHSC Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs. Specific efforts have included maximizing personnel, adding to overtime pay and changes in management, Dwyer said.

Here is the county-by-county spreadsheet from the Texas Food Bank Network.

AP Interview: Texas Comptroller says Rainy Day Fund likely needed to balance budget

By CHRIS TOMLINSON

The Associated Press

Published: 14 December 2011 08:26 AM

AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers will almost certainly have to tap the Rainy Day Fund to balance the budget in 2013, but by how much depends largely on the global economy and policy decisions made in Washington, state Comptroller Susan Combs told The Associated Press.

Many lawmakers have said they did not budget enough money to cover the state’s obligations for the 2012-2013 budget cycle, but the keeper of the state’s books said in an interview Tuesday that lawmakers will need to pass what is called a supplemental bill to make ends meet at the end of the biennium.

A day earlier she forecast that Texas will earn $1.6 billion more revenue than expected during over the next two years, due to the recovering national economy. But that won’t be enough to cover the cost of Medicaid, which lawmakers deliberately underfunded by an estimated $4.8 billion.

“That is the fungus that will eat the planet … that is a national problem,” Combs said of the health insurance program for the poor and disabled.

The Republican said she supported a new law that will allow Texas to enter into interstate agreements that proponents say will reduce Medicaid costs, but that won’t save enough.

“Sales tax revenue is up 9.4 percent year-over-year, and oil and gas is up more than 70 percent, but that’s still not enough to get us out of the Medicaid hole, and that has to have a national discussion,” Combs said.

Combs said there will still be a shortfall when lawmakers meet again in 2013 and they will likely have to tap the $7.3 billion in the Rainy Day Fund.

“I think that’s probably where they will need to get some money,” she said, based on her agency’s economic projections based on current conditions. “I don’t think the Legislature will have a problem with that. The question always is, how big?”

That will depend largely on oil and gas revenue.

“We are significantly better off now than we were in (2011),” Combs said of the last budget biennium, when lawmakers spent $3.8 billion from the Rainy Day Fund to make up a shortfall.

State agencies shouldn’t see any unexpected budgets before the end of 2013, but that depends on the global economy. She said that while Texas ranks as the nation’s top exporting state, the state’s continued progress is dependent partly on how China, India and Europe respond to current economic woes.

About 35 percent of Texas exports go to Mexico and 10 percent of those exports go to Europe, which makes Texas better insulated from European problems, but the state remains subject to global economic woes.

Combs said the lagging sector in the Texas economy is single-family home construction. Texas does not have a problem with a high foreclosure rate, but banks have reacted to global financial problems by making it more difficult for average Texans to get home loans. The result is more construction of multi-family structures, which do not employ as many workers.

She said the future depends on foreign nations, including Greece, Italy and Portugal, working out their debt problems.

At home, she said lawmakers should continue to look at government spending.

“The state needs to look at all of the long-term, ongoing obligations, and by that I really mean debt, pensions and regulatory headwinds,” she said.

Combs declined to discuss her plans for higher office. She is widely believed to be interested in replacing Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who is the front-runner for a U.S. Senate seat.

She first served in the Texas House and later as agriculture commissioner before becoming comptroller. She has made fighting obesity and promoting good health a priority in all of those positions. In 2011, her office completed a study of the health care costs and economic losses caused by obesity.

“My concern is that we must have a fit workforce that must be going strong,” she said. “If we don’t do anything about how our kids are and the workforce, we will see about $30 billion (in annual health care costs to private employers) by 2025 if we don’t change what we’re doing.”

Combs said her office has started keeping a detailed accounting of the economic impact of federal regulations to protect endangered species and prevent air and water pollution. The goal is to know where and how to intervene to stop needless regulations that could cost Texas jobs and to be ready with a safety net for those companies affected.

Combs also ordered a statewide survey of schools that indexes efficiency by looking at funds spent versus standardized test scores. Researchers then visited the best schools to identify what she calls “smart practices.”

The best schools “are trying to compress their costs and direct dollars to the classroom, which is where I think everybody will agree, we want the dollars in the classroom,” she said.

Back home after a great 8 days in Israel with a group of Texas legislators and volunteers with our client the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.  Interestingly, while many in the United States see hope in the Arab Spring, many in Israel see a potential for great instability in the region which could mean a heightened threat to Israel.  Both Syria and Egypt have been quiet neighbors with Israel for some time now.  The relative calm could vanish if Syria becomes more unstable or if the new government in Egypt becomes a radically religious one.

WEEKLY REPORT

December 9, 2011

A testament to single gender education

Moving from elementary school to middle school, or from middle school to high school, was simple once. A counselor, principal, or teacher informed the student which school she would attend when summer ended. And the parents got their children to the right school on a specified day at the end of August.

(View complete article here.)

Tarrant juvenile justice officials wary about new combined state agency

When juveniles get in trouble in Tarrant County, they don’t typically end up behind bars.

(View complete article here.)

BLOG: Texas Medial Association: Pay docs enough to ‘take care of Grandma.’

The Texas Medical Association has posted a video explaining its position on a large, looming cut to Medicare reimbursements for doctors in terms that, well, a 10-year-old could understand.

 (View complete article here.)

Prison cuts prove fleeting

Last summer, when tough-on-crime Texas closed its first prison ever, legislative leaders were jubilant over downsizing one of the nation’s largest corrections systems by more than 1,000 beds. It was a first big step, they said, toward saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in coming years.

OPINION: Be aware of fake fiscal responsibility group lobbyist and his phony Legislative ratings

In past and present cultures, the Latin phrase, “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” is uttered whenever those who claim to be watchers over the common good end up abusing their role as the watchers. 

(View complete article here.)

TLR endorses Elizabeth Ames Jones for Texas Senate seat

In a move to oust long-time incumbent Jeff Wentworth R- San Antonio, Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) has formally endorsed Elizabeth Ames Jones for the District 25 Texas Senate Seat.

‘Two juvenile justice directors in line for new agency job get month off with pay

Officials say that’s what happened last week when the Texas Youth Commission was combined with the state Juvenile Probation Commission into a new agency called the Texas Department of Juvenile Justice.

 
(View complete article here.)

Austin poised to ban smoking in parks

The Austin City Council today is expected to ban cigarette smoking in city parks which means that getting caught lighting up at softball fields, swimming pools, nature trails and campgrounds could result in a fine up to $2,000.

 
(View complete article here.)

EDITORIAL: Voter ID law battle wastes energy while pros, cons are questionable

While Voter ID advocates rail against voter fraud and Voter ID foes warn of certain voter disenfranchisement, the rest of us are left to endure the faux crisis visited upon the sanctity of the ballot and the ballot box.

 
(View complete article here.)

 New Youth Agency Taking Shape as Two Close

The Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission are officially gone, and in their place, a new agency is taking shape — lawmakers and advocates hope — to more efficiently and effectively deal with young offenders. 
(View complete article here.)

Employers to pay less in jobless tax

Texas employers got an early holiday present Wednesday: a drop in the unemployment insurance tax for next year.

BLOG: Texas sales tax take eclipsed $2 billion last month

The amazing rebound in Texas oil and gas drilling, plus decent growth in consumer activity, pushed state sales tax receipts last month to $2.07 billion, up 12.2 percent compared to November 2010, Comptroller Susan Combs announced Wednesday.

 (View complete article here.)

Hardly downtime for Texas lawmakers between sessions

The Texas Capitol looks and feels much different than it did just eight months ago, but just what are the state’s lawmakers up to now that the Legislative session is over?

 
(View complete article here.)

Texas seeks to delay federal rule setting medical-spending minimums for insurers

Texas wants to delay a federal rule that requires health insurers to devote at least 80 percent of their premium revenue to medical care, or pay back the difference to consumers.

 
(View complete article here.)

WEEKLY REPORT

December 2, 2011

 BLOG: First Reading: The 2012 Texas election cycle begins today

Filing begins today for the 2012 elections in Texas, which means candidates up and down the ballot will be heading to their local party headquarters to formally launch campaigns that have been months, years or even lifetimes in the making.

BLOG: Patterson asks for AG probe of state comptroller’s racetrack subsidy

In a potential preview of the lieutenant governor’s race in 2014, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson on Wednesday asked the Attorney General’s Office to investigate a decision by state Comptroller Susan Combs earlier this year to pledge $25 million a year over 10 years for a proposed Formula One racetrack near Austin . Patterson, who has already indicated his desire to run for lieutenant governor, said that Combs – another possible candidate for the post – exceeded her legal authority in promising a “$250 million taxpayer gift” to bring Formula One racing to Texas. Both officials are Republicans.

Texas School Finance Fix Eludes Perry as Students Do Without Art

Students at elementary schools in Amarillo, Texas, don’t get drawing lessons as a five-year-old finance plan from Republicans led by Governor Rick Perry hasn’t delivered funding needed to avoid cuts and improve education.

(View complete article here.)

Harris County inmates get job training

Nicholas Bumpers hoisted the chunk of polished steel, pointing out a row of smooth, nearly faultless welds he used to join what was once two pieces of metal.

Texas Supreme Court rules business tax does not violate constitution

The Texas Supreme Court ruled today that the state’s main business tax does not violate the state constitution, resolving a closely watched case that had potentially huge implications for the state budget.

(View complete article here.)

Candidates began filing for the March 6 primary elections Monday, while the state’s attorney general asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block legislative and congressional maps drawn by a San Antonio court — even if it means delaying some primaries to May 22.

 (View complete article here.)

Online shoppers spent record amounts on the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, making it the biggest online shopping day in US history.

 (View complete article here.)

Bush Promotes Cancer Texas in Africa as Texas Cuts Them

As former President George W. Bush prepares for his first post-White House journey to Africa to promote efforts to combat cervical and breast cancer among women there, his home state is struggling to provide the same services to low-income women.

(View complete article here.)

Houston-area children’s health insurance is increasingly being provided by government safety-net programs as employers cut jobs and benefits, according to a new study.

 (View complete article here.)

Redistricting chief suggests Texas Senate should grow from 31 to perhaps 37 members

From state Sen. Kel Seliger, a member of the smaller-government Republican Party and an architect of the Legislature’s redistricting maps that were nixed by federal judges last week, comes this: Consider expanding the Texas Senate from 31 to 37 members.

(View complete article here.)

COMMENTARY: Do lawmakers need a raise

Best I can tell, we have only two choices: Full-time lawmakers with full-time salaries or part-time lawmakers with part-time salaries (and real jobs and/or trust funds).

(View complete article here.)

Texas ranks among the bottom 15 states in financial literacy and financial behavior, according to recent surveys.

 (View complete article here.)

Millions of middle-class families in Texas and New Mexico stand to benefit from extending the federal payroll tax cuts that are set to expire Dec. 31, White House officials said Wednesday.

 (View complete article here.)

Well, well, Tea-Party supporters. Looks like you don’t actually like the Tea Party anymore.

 (View complete article here.)

Dewhurst Releases Interim Charges for Senate Committees

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst released a list today of border security-related issues he wants Senate committees to consider during the interim.

 (View complete article here.)

APA worked with a coalition of organizations and foundations to address ticketing and other school to prison pipeline issues.  Many in the legislature have recognized that placing students in the juvenile justice system is much more expensive and less effective than dealing with students in a school disciplinary setting.  Yesterday, NPR ran a story about about Texas’ efforts on this front.

http://www.npr.org/2011/11/30/142893192/in-texas-keeping-kids-in-school-and-out-of-court