WEEKLY REPORT

May 4, 2012

BP to begin restoration in Gulf, but Texas holding out

About $60 million worth of coastal restoration projects to be paid for by British petroleum giant BP PLC are about to begin in every Gulf Coast state except Texas.

 (View complete article here.)

With $12 million in bank, Abbott waits for higher-office dominoes to fall

Like other top Republican politicians in Texas, Attorney General Greg Abbott is closely watching whether there might be openings soon for Lieutenant Governor or Governor.

 (View complete article here.)

Education Commissioner Scott to resign

Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott will resign in July after five years on the front lines of the state’s public education battles, the agency announced Tuesday.

(View complete article here.)

Editorial: Next education chief should aim high

Planned Parenthood funding in limbo again, thanks to latest court ruling

In an abrupt shift in fortunes for Planned Parenthood, a late-night order from a federal appeals court judge allowed Texas to drop the organization from the Women’s Health Program on Tuesday.

Help foster care kids stay in school, achieve more

Many of our foster youths change schools so often that community and family relationships are lost, school records disappear, and course credits don’t transfer.

 (View complete article here.)

Arlington to consider banning smoking at workplaces

A City Council committee will soon explore whether Arlington should join a growing list of Texas cities — including Dallas, Houston and San Antonio — that ban all smoking at workplaces.

(View complete article here.)

At UT, disgraced lobbyist Abramoff lectures on ethics

When an ethical case study concerns one of the most notorious lobbyists in U.S history, one might expect to hear about Jack Abramoff, not from him.

Texas Association of Business throws support behind group of charter school supporters in school finance litigation

The Texas Association of Business has joined the ongoing school finance litigation and thrown its political heft behind a group of charter school supporters involved in the case.

Hang up the phone and drive safely

The statistics on distracted driving are ominous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009 — the last year for which such statistics are available — 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction, accounting for 16 percent of fatal crashes reported that year.

Summer will be hotter, drier than normal, forecast says

Though hotter-than-normal temperatures are forecast for most of Texas this summer, including Dallas-Fort Worth, the region probably won’t face the drought conditions confronting West Texas, the Panhandle and the Rio Grande Valley.

(View complete article here.)

Judge halts state rule requiring parents to go with kids to Medicaid appointments

State health officials must stop, at least temporarily, requiring that a parent or guardian accompany children on Medicaid appointments, a Travis County judge ruled Thursday. Health officials responded that the order could endanger children and hamper fraud-prevention efforts.

Editorial: Texas gets tough, and smart, on crime

You may not expect Texas to be scoring points for progressive reform on criminal justice issues, but when the national board of directors for the American Civil Liberties Union met in Houston last month, the organization’s executive director, Anthony Romero, came with words of praise.

Conservatives urge state to abolish property taxes

Conservative groups urged Texas lawmakers Thursday to do away with property taxes — a major source of funding for school districts and cities — and make up the loss through the sales tax and other means.

(View complete article here.)

Reports of Violence Spur Call for Change at Youth Jails

Five years after instituting a sweeping overhaul in the wake of sexual and physical abuse scandals at Texas youth lockups, a senior lawmaker is again calling the situation at the facilities a crisis that jeopardizes the safety of youths.

(View complete article here.)

Editorial: Juvenile justice reform pays off

Several years ago, Texas’ youth corrections system was in a state of disrepair, holding thousands of kids and entangled in a massive sex abuse scandal. Since then, Texas has implemented sweeping reform, shifting the burden of handling juvenile nonviolent offenders from the state to counties.

Studies show the number of young licensed drivers is on the decline

Late-night bike rides have become the norm for Anthony Phung, a University of Texas at Dallas freshman who is among a growing number of young people choosing not to get a driver’s license.

(View complete article here.)

Texas PTA has entered into a partnership with Belo-owned TV stations around the state to run 30 second TV ads SBOE 30 to educate voters about the candidates for the State Board of Education (SBOE). Voters can go to Belo websites to get information about the candidates and in most cities to see interviews the stations have conducted with the candidates for the SBOE or to the Texas PTA website, www.txpta.org.

Just as with legislative and congressional districts, SBOE districts must by redrawn after every decennial census and this election cycle, starting with the primary on May 29, is likely to see changes in the membership on the SBOE.

WEEKLY REPORT

April 27, 2012

Let’s raise loan limits at credit unions

The No 1 issue for small businesses is having access to capital. It’s the difference between success and failure, job growth and unemployment and a successful start-up or a going-out-of-business sign.

 (View complete article here.)

Back restrictions on payday lenders

Businesses that deal in small dollar amount, high-interest loans that have been successful in beating back attempts to regulate them in the Texas Legislature will be squaring off with the Austin City Council today.

Money is available to restore public school funding

Recently, public school students began taking the new, more rigorous STAAR exam. In light of the new exam, a pop quiz seems appropriate: How much did the leadership of this state cut from the public education budget during the 82nd Legislative Session? A) No money was cut; B) Schools actually received a funding increase; or C) $5.4 billion.

(View complete article here.)

1 in 2 new graduates are jobless or underemployed

The college class of 2012 is in for a rude welcome to the world of work. A weak labor market already has left half of young college graduates either jobless or underemployed in positions that don’t fully use their skills and knowledge.

(View complete article here.)

Report: Texas Medical Residency Slots Not Keeping Up

Responding to calls to meet the state’s physician shortage, Texas medical schools have increased their enrollment by roughly 30 percent in the last decade. But the slots available for students to complete their medical residencies in Texas are not keeping pace, according to a new report from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

HBO Obesity Series Showing Texas Schools Debuts

The four-part series, The Weight of the Nation, is part of a public health campaign aimed at reducing obesity. Part three of the series, “Children in Crisis,” was shown Monday at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin.

(View complete article here.)

Conflicts mar decision on stem cells

The Texas Medical Board, like other official state boards and commissions, is a political entity. Its 12 physician members and seven public members are all appointed by the governor.

Editorial: When new math goes old school in Texas

The State Board of Education, which oversees curriculum in Texas public schools, is talking about taking elementary school math back to the basics — as in requiring students to use paper and pencil to figure out math problems instead of plugging numbers into a calculator then hitting =.

 (View complete article here.)

Clock Ticking on $2B Sales Tax Refund for Oil Companies

The Travis County District Court ruling held that machinery used to extract oil and gas is exempt from Texas sales tax. The Texas Comptroller’s office, defendant in the suit, estimated that approximately $2 billion in potential refund claims could be affected by the decision.

U.S. gasoline prices now cheaper than a year ago

After dropping for most of the month, gasoline is now cheaper in much of the U.S. than it was a year ago. That hasn’t happened in more than two years, and it could be part of a larger decline in gasoline prices that could lift consumer confidence ahead of the summer driving season.

(View complete article here.)

OPINION: Why are oil prices falling?

Last week I paid 10-cents-a-gallon less for gasoline than I did the week before, at the same service station. While $3.79 seemed a bargain, it did cause me to wonder.

(View complete article here.)

Judge reconsiders multibillion-dollar question: Should sales tax be paid on oil equipment?

State District Judge John Dietz said Thursday that he is reconsidering his decision two weeks ago to exempt oil and gas extraction equipment from the state sales tax.

Justice Department moves to postpone state’s voter ID case

A motion by the federal government in the fight over Texas’s voter identification statute could jeopardize chances that the law would be in place for November’s elections.

Political activists disagree on conservatism

Voters hear candidates claim they are the true conservative in a race, while they paint their competitors with the dreaded “moderate” label. Political action committees and activists create elaborate score cards to quantify a candidate’s conservatism.

(View complete article here.)

Editorial: We recommend Crownover in state House 64 GOP race

Republican voters in Texas House District 64 have a choice between a seasoned, reasonable incumbent and an enthusiastic newcomer. Our recommendation goes to Rep. Myra Crownover, 64, who is completing her sixth term representing Denton County. She has spent that time learning the ropes in Austin, building key relationships at home and advancing to a position of influence.

(View complete article here.)

OPINION: Hart: Texas leaders with balanced approach need to step up

 Last Friday, I wrote a column questioning why no Texas business leaders are challenging Gov. Rick Perry‘s recent “no new taxes” compact – even though it means the state will delay badly needed investment in infrastructure like roads and water, or in educating a sufficient health care workforce.

Understand uncertainties to ready for water future

Tribune Fest: The Impact of the Eagle Ford Shale

 As part of our day-long symposium on energy and the environment at the University of Houston on April 13, UH Law Center Assistant Professor Tracy Hester led a discussion of the economic and environmental impact of the Eagle Ford Shale.

Lawmakers say reforms may not be working at state’s youth lockups

As the former superintendent of the Giddings State School claimed in a lawsuit that he was fired in March for reporting violations of state law and growing safety issues at the troubled lockup, a legislative inquiry was expanded Wednesday to focus on whether 5-year-old reforms to the troubled system are still working.

ATF: Two-Thirds of Guns Recovered in Mexico From U.S.

About two-thirds of the weapons recovered by Mexican authorities since 2007 and submitted to U.S. law enforcement for tracing had origins in the United States, according to data released today by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jay Arnold will be speaking this week in San Diego at the 2012 State Alliance Summit of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Jay will speak at a breakout session addressing creative strategies for legislative stewardship. The session will share how Alliances around the country have creatively implemented stewardship programs and activities with their legislators to build strong momentum to assure broad based support.

Arnold Public Affairs represents the Texas Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs and during the interim we work with the Executive Director and Board of the Alliance to increase awareness among legislators and their staffs about the work the Boys and Girls Clubs do. We assist in scheduling tours of facilities, recognizing legislative champions, visiting with members in their districts and a number of other activities that help create lasting relationships with lawmakers.

WEEKLY REPORT

April 20, 2012

Increase in poor children alarming

One in four children in our community lives in poverty, according to the latest research from the Center for Public Policy Priorities. Instead of improving, the numbers have grown by 8 percentage points over the last decade.

 (View complete article here.)

OPINION: Vote ID law is a waste of money

In 1960, the Nixon presidential campaign charged that Fannin County, Texas, allowed more people to vote in that year’s election than had paid poll taxes, the unconstitutional $1 to $2 ballot box admission fee once mandated by the state. Indeed, 6,138 ballots were cast in Fannin County when only 4,895 people had paid the poll tax.

(View complete article here.)

Look deeper on immigration reform

“When you talk about bilingual education, when you talk about the DREAM Act, when you talk about immigration reform — the moment you talk about one of these labels, you conjure up a parade of horribles in your own mind,” said former Texas Supreme Court Justice Raul Gonzalez, the first Hispanic elected to statewide office in Texas.

(View complete article here.)

Perry wants anti-tax pledge from lawmakers

Gov. Rick Perryis expected to call on lawmakers and legislative candidates to sign onto an anti-tax pledge Monday, despite the prospects of another challenging state budget.

 (View complete article here.)

Editorial: Texas children need health insurance

In 2008, more than 405,000 babies were born in Texas, and in the past decade, the number of Texas children grew by almost a million, to about 6.86 million. We know that it’s in our best interests to give these children the resources and the structure to become productive, healthy adults. But that’s no easy task, especially given the financial straits of the past few years and the massive budget cuts that ensued. In last year’s state legislative session, we lost $5.3 billion from education funding for 2012 and 2013, and $2.03 billion from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

(View complete article here.)

Perry promotes plan to control state budget, spending

Texas might be bringing in more tax dollars than expected, but Gov. Rick Perry said Monday the last thing the state should do is spend that money.

Straus urges end of gridlock, defends state

Texas House Speaker Joe Straus admonished federal lawmakers Tuesday to tone down the partisan rhetoric in the nation’s capital before being forced to defend Republican decisions women’s healthcare.

(View complete article here.)

Fort Worth discusses hiring only nonsmokers

If you want to be hired by the city of Fort Worth, being a nonsmoker may soon be required. In what could be an unprecedented move for a city, officials are studying the idea of telling smokers they need not apply.

Planned Parenthood Branches Vote to Merge

The boards of three regional Planned Parenthood branches — North Texas, Central Texas and the Capital Region — have voted to merge, forming a $29 million-per-year mega-organization with 26 clinics up and down the Interstate 35 corridor.

(View complete article here.)

SBOE members prefer big districts to bigger board

The oft-divided State Board of Education on Tuesday appeared united against a possible legislative effort to expand the board beyond its current 15 seats.

Rising tuitions threaten Texans

More than a decade after Texas set ambitious goals for higher education, a new study warns that its policies create gaps that could block the path to college for thousands of students and imperil the state’s economic future.

Lawmakers livid over reports of coercion, extortion at Giddings youth lockup

Two legislative architects of Texas’ sweeping reforms in juvenile justice after a sex-abuse scandal five years are fuming over a new report that questions security and safety at the Giddings State School.

In Texas, Property Rights on Collision Course With Oil Industry
In the final installment of a series on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, Mose Buchele of StateImpact Texas, in partnership with State Impact Oklahoma, reports on what happens when laws favoring landowners come into conflict with pipeline companies granted the power to seize land.

Texas Unemployment Rate Drops, Economy Adds Jobs

Texans have received more good news on the state’s economy: 10,900 jobs were added in March, and the unemployment rate dropped to 7 percent from 8 percent at the same time last year, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

Bastrop State Park Reopens After Fire

Less than a year after a wildfire burned 96 percent of Bastrop State Park’s 6,613 acres, the Central Texas park is showing signs of rebirth. Camping areas and hiking trails have recently reopened and grass and trees are growing from the once-charred soil.

(View complete article here.)

WEEKLY REPORT

April 13, 2012

Texas oil and gas boom may help ease state budget crunch

The combined forces of high oil prices and improved drilling technology have produced a gush of unexpected tax dollars from oil and gas wells across Texas.

(View complete article here.)

A million Texas children remain without insurance

More than a million Texas children remain without health insurance, and those kids are not getting the care they need.

(View complete article here.)

OPINION: Years of tuition shell games clobber students, families

President Renu Khator and the UH Board of Regents found a way to hold down costs and avoid a tuition increase next year.

 (View complete article here.)

OPINION: Let’s help Texas children succeed

It’s time to help Texas schoolchildren aspire to succeed. It’s time for more Texans to graduate and to do so career- and college-ready.

 (View complete article here.)

Texas accused of ignoring FDA on stem cell rules

Texas’ proposed adult stem cell regulations, up for approval this week, are under fire for circumventing the Food and Drug Administrationand making the experimental therapy commercially available before it’s been proven safe and effective.

Super PAC adds more Texas lawmakers to target list

A Houston-based Super PAC targeting congressional incumbents from both major political parties is drawing a bead on Texas lawmakers.

ALEC: What It Does and Why Three Major Corporations Cut Ties

Last week, Coca-Cola, Kraft and accounting-software giant Intuit announced they were ending their membership in a conservative nonprofit group called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Has advocacy group been lobbying, campaigning on the sly?

Deepening the fracture between traditional Republicans and a loud but increasingly bitter fringe, the Midland-backed Empower Texans advocacy group and leader Michael Quinn Sullivan were accused of lobbying and campaigning but not reporting it.

(View complete article here.)

(View complete article here.)

Border lawmaker says area is no war zone

A state senator took issue Thursday with characterizing the entire U.S.-Mexico border as a war zone, bristling at a top agricultural official’s assertions that America’s food supply could be threatened because farmers are being run off their land by drug smugglers.

(View complete article here.)

Court’s sales tax decision could hit state budget

A pending decision from state District Judge John Dietz could open the door for oil and gas companies to avoid paying sales tax on extraction equipment. And that could open a big hole in the Texas budget.

Editorial: Texas Ethics Commission needs sharper teeth

The Texas Sunset Commission recently released its report on the Texas Ethics Commission, and it says what we already knew: Instead of going after the big fish, the TEC spends too much time catching minnows . The commission’s report provides some good guidance for reforming the TEC, but if Texas wants a strong ethics commission, it will need one with teeth.

David Alameel kicks off campaign today in West Dallas

Dentist turned politician David Alameel on Thursday will formally begin his quest for the newly-created District 33 seat in Congress.

(View complete article here.)

Texas Dental Board is Accused of Ineptitude

Texas toddlers being held in restraints as dentists at corporate-run clinics performed unnecessary root canals were among the dental horror stories told Wednesday at a House Public Health Committee hearing at the state Capitol.

Watchdog group, others doubt effectiveness of dental board

Patients, dentists and lawyers told a Texas legislative committee Wednesday that the state agency that regulates dentists does a weak job of protecting the public from bad care.

UT goes tobacco-free to preserve research funding

Spurred by a desire to preserve its access to millions of state dollars in cancer research funding, the University of Texas said Wednesday that it has gone tobacco-free on all of its properties.

(View complete article here.)

WEEKLY REPORT

April 6, 2012

Education backlash can fuel turnover in the Legislature

More than a dozen Republicans and Democrats who have sat on school boards are running for the Texas House this year, and a backlash over spending cuts and standardized testing might help them get there.

(View complete article here.)

Electing educators

More than a dozen Republicans and Democrats who have sat on school boards are running for the Texas House this year, and a backlash over spending cuts and standardized testing might help them get there.

(View complete article here.)

Texas Economy Gains Jobs, Even in Government

The Texas economy continued its upward climb in February, gaining 27,900 jobs while the unemployment rate dropped slightly, from 7.3 percent to 7.1 percent.

 (View complete article here.)

Public, private Texas hospitals spar over Medicaid

Texas’ public hospitals are asking the state to make some taxpayer money now spent on Medicaid care instead pay for the uninsured, a group that soon may be mostly illegal immigrants.

 (View complete article here.)

Work programs for Texas inmates go high-tech

With stacks of broken computers towering toward the ceiling and intense white-clad technicians frowning over workbenches filled with the machines’ electronic guts, this could be any high-tech repair shop in America. Or so you may think until rolls of concertina wire bristling from the walls remind you of where you are.

Texas’ ‘Castle Doctrine’ up for debate in wake of Trayvon Martin shooting

The shooting death of unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin is drawing attention to Texas’ self-defense and deadly force laws and prompting a state lawmaker to call for changes.

Advocacy group linked to stem cell industry asks medical board for less-strict rule

An Austin-based group funded mainly by a company that develops stem cell therapies is petitioning the Texas Medical Board for a less-strict rule on adult stem cells an issue the board has struggled with for more than a year.

Texas House likely to become less Republican, more inexperienced

Last month at the Austin headquarters of the Republican Party of Texas, a nervous-looking state Rep. J.M. Lozano of Kingsville stood with his young family beside some the state’s most prominent Republican figures. Lozano announced he was joining their team, becoming a Republican. At that very point, the reigning party in Texas reached its high-water mark in the Texas House with 102 members in the 150-person chamber.

(View complete article here.)

Texas Could Use Feds’ Grants to Free Up Women’s Health Money

In a fiscal switcheroo, Texas could free up state dollars to fund the embattled Women’s Health Program by seeking federal block grants for other programs, the state’s health commissioner wrote in a letter to House Democrats on Tuesday.

(View complete article here.)

Campus Carry Debate Likely to Return Next Session

Not long after seven individuals were fatally shot Monday on the campus of Oikos University, a small college in Oakland, Calif., discussions about college gun bans ramped up across the country. In Texas political circles, the debate is both déjà vu and a likely preview of what’s to come.

Suburbs rule in Texas health rankings

If you live in Fort Bend County, feel free to be a bit smug. You, or at least your neighbors, are a little healthier than the rest of us. Most Houston-area counties fared well in a county-by-county health ranking released Tuesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

State comptroller says health care bill will reduce education spending

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs spoke Wednesday about her concern that the rise in Medicaid spending due to the federal health care mandate will result in reduced spending for state programs such as public education.

(View complete article here.)

OPINION: Registration is first step to have say in primaries

While the ongoing redistricting litigation has understandably created some confusion among voters and candidates, let me take this opportunity to provide clarity to the process and reassure citizens that the State of Texas is fully prepared to assist in the administration of the party primaries. I want to ensure that all eligible Texans can vote, and make their mark on Texas.

(View complete article here.)

Some school districts consider tapping their reserves to make ends meet

For many Central Texas school districts coming off a year of deep cuts in state funding, the fiscal outlook is a little brighter today than it was this time a year ago.

Modernize taxes, invest in best resource: Texans

Week before last, Texans were offered two visions of the future. On March 20, a group calling itself Texans for a Conservative Budget Coalition called for even deeper spending reductions in education and most everything else than those in 2011. Their vision is for less investment in our communities and children.

To keep growing, Texas needs to change systems

While much of the rest of the nation is mired in a jobless recovery, the Lone Star State’s labor market is booming, recently marking a return to pre-recession employment levels and creating more jobs than any other state.

(View complete article here.)

1 in 4 kids now living in poverty

One in four children in Bexar County lives in poverty, an 8 percent increase since 2000, according to a new study assessing the health and well-being of family and youth in Texas.

(View complete article here.)

Ferocious tornado storms rake Dallas-Fort Worth

Wave after wave of storms battered North Texas on Tuesday afternoon, smashing homes and apartment complexes, toppling trees, tossing vehicles and forcing thousands of students to seek shelter inside their schools.

(View complete article here.)

Republicans file ethics complaint against Texas conservative group

Two prominent Republican legislators filed state ethics complaints Tuesday against one of the most influential conservative activist groups in Texas, accusing it and its president of violating lobbying laws.

BLOG: Sullivan says force of habit, not law, spurred his lobbyist registration

After two top Republican lawmakers in the Texas House filed a pair of ethics complaints this week against conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan, a nagging question persisted about Sullivan’s on-again, off-again filing as a legislative lobbyist:  Why did he file in 2007, 2008 and 2009, but not in the following two years?

WEEKLY REPORT

March 30, 2012

Education cuts protested at Capitol rally

Sherry Dana’s reason for joining a rally protesting cuts in public education spending was summed up by a quote from the Italian poet Dante on a cloth bag slung over her shoulder:

“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”

 (View complete article here.)

Judge, litigants getting set for complex school finance trial

The Travis County courtroom of state District Judge John Dietz will once again provide the stage for Texas’ looming school finance battle.

(View complete article here.)

Cut the Texas budget or spend what’s needed?

It’s budget week in Austin. That would be state budget, of course, but not the one the Legislature struggled to produce less than a year ago.

 (View complete article here.)

BLOG: Longtime legislative budget aide Ursula Parks gets nod as budget staff chief

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, have named Ursula Parks acting director of the Legislative Budget Board and asked her for an immediate review of the agency’s efficiency and the budget process’ transparency.

 (View complete article here.)

Lobbyists, Guns and Money

Florida’s now-infamous Stand Your Ground law, which lets you shoot someone you consider threatening without facing arrest, let alone prosecution, sounds crazy — and it is. And it’s tempting to dismiss this law as the work of ignorant yahoos. But similar laws have been pushed across the nation, not by ignorant yahoos but by big corporations.

Video: Health Reform Could Add to Stress on Doctors

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court is holding hearings regarding a lawsuit brought against the federal government by Texas and 25 other states that questions the constitutionality of several key aspects of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Texas Tribune and KTRK-TV in Houston have partnered to cover these proceedings by showing you how the law has already affected some residents and by curating content that explains what’s at stake for nearly 6 million Texans who remain uninsured.

A very uncertain situation

OPINION: Help will go on without federal assistance

As head of the state’s lead health agency, I believe it’s important to cut through the scare tactics and misinformation campaigns about the Women’s Health Program.

(View complete article here.)

Court’s health ruling could shake fall elections

The Supreme Court’s ruling on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul is likely to shake the presidential election race in early summer. But the winners in the court will not necessarily be the winners in the political arena.

Democratic legislators say more than half of Texas births funded by Medicaid

In an op-ed column questioning the exclusion of Planned Parenthood clinics from a women’s contraception program, Austin members of the Texas House say the result would be more government-funded births.

 (View complete article here.)

BLOG: Straus’ opponent wins national tea party endorsement

Former Texas Congressman Dick Armey, who is chairman of the tea party group FreedomWorks, will endorse Matt Beebe on Tuesday. Beebe is facing an uphill battle in challenging Straus, who has represented the Bexar County district since 2005 and has a considerable fundraising advantage.

(View complete article here.)

Judge rules tea party group a PAC, not a nonprofit

A Travis County district court judge ruled this week that a Houston-based tea party group is not a nonprofit corporation as it claims, but an unregistered political action committee that illegally aided the Republican Party through its poll-watching efforts during the 2010 elections.

WEEKLY REPORT

March 23, 2012

Conservative groups’ mantra for next year’s session: Cut, cut, cut

Conservative groups that have set much of the agenda for the Republican-dominated Legislature say the state should aggressively pursue more spending cuts, and not ease reductions approved last year.

Conservative Budget Coalition Targets 2013 Session

Looking to get an early start on shaping budget discussions for the 2013 legislative session, the Texans for a Conservative Budget Coalition recommended Tuesday that lawmakers plan to reduce welfare spending, increase local control for public school districts, and consolidate or eliminate general revenue spending for several state agencies.

 (View complete article here.)

Drought cost Texas close to $8 billion in agricultural losses in 2011, study finds

The driest year in Texas history caused a record $7.62 billion in agriculture losses, billions more than previously estimated, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service said Wednesday.

 (View complete article here.)

Education backlash could fuel turnover in the Legislature

More than a dozen Republicans and Democrats who have sat on school boards are running for the Texas House this year, and a backlash over spending cuts and standardized testing might help them get there.

 (View complete article here.)

Who Will Lead the Texas Senate Education Committee?

In September, when Sen. Florence Shapiro announced she wouldn’t seek re-election, it created what one longtime education consultant called a “major disturbance in the force.”

Perry is asked to compromise on Women’s Health Program

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison on Thursday added to the pressure on Gov. Rick Perry to save a federally funded health program for low-income women, but state officials and local providers already are turning their focus to how to pick up the slack.

State Sen. Jose Rodriguez: Poor policy and bad medicine hurts US

Komen foundation continues to see fallout from Planned Parenthood controversy

Fallout from the Planned Parenthood controversy continues at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, with several executives at headquarters and affiliates departing, questions arising about fundraising ability, and structural changes underway to give affiliates more influence, officials said Wednesday.

OPINON: Voter ID law fails to address real fraud problem

Many years ago I was honored by the Snake Pit, a group of old-line politicos whose leaders included the late West Side printer and political philosopher Ruben Munguia, a prominent figure even before he became Henry Cisneros‘ uncle.

(View complete article here.)

Take the time to vote in primary elections

While the ongoing redistricting litigation has created some confusion among voters and candidates, let me take this opportunity to provide clarity to the process and reassure citizens that the State of Texas is fully prepared to assist in the administration of the party primaries. I want to ensure all eligible Texans can vote.

 (View complete article here.)

Straus could be next target of national tea party group

A national tea party group that has targeted Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for defeat could soon set its sights on another Republican leader of the Texas Legislature: House Speaker Joe Straus.

Hegar Exploring 2014 Run for Comptroller

State Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, says he is exploring a run for comptroller in 2014, working on the assumption that Comptroller Susan Combs will be moving on.

(View complete article here.)

BLOG: Texas scores low in ethics accountability

Texas earned the low grade of D-plus for integrity and ethics accountability in state government, tying with six other states for 27th place, according to a study released this morning by a group of public watchdog agencies.

(View complete article here.)

Man accused of firebombing state senator’s office called unstable

A homeless man who police say ignited Molotov cocktails at the door to the offices of state Sen. Wendy Davis exhibited unstable behavior and spoke of aliens after the attack, according to police documents.

 (View complete article here.)

WEEKLY REPORT

March 16, 2012

Emergency rooms becoming the new dentist’s office

Hospital emergency rooms across the panhandle are seeing a growing number of one type of patient they really can’t help, dental patients.

(View complete article here.)

2012 job outlook is rosier than in 2011

Companies are generating waves of jobs, and unemployment is down.

The same thing happened last year around this time. Then everything faded to black starting with the earthquake in Japan, which struck a year ago Sunday.

 (View complete article here.)

Experts predict a low turnout, topsy-turvy Texas primary

Campaigns are scrambling to energize a Texas primary that’s been delayed so long, and now falling as kids are finishing the school year, that there’s widespread fear voters will have lost the mood.

(View complete article here.)

No Funds Left Behind

Last spring, as the Texas Legislature debated massive cuts to public schools—one of many desperate measures to close a $27 billion biennial budget deficit—10,000 protesters massed in Austin for a “Save Our Schools” rally. In the end, the damage to the state’s already-underfunded schools added up to $5.4 billion, forcing districts to lay off tens of thousands of teachers and staffers. In the city of Austin, public schools with rapidly growing enrollment found themselves facing a 5.5 percent cut in the 2011–2012 school year and 8.5 percent the next year. The quandary was far from extraordinary—37 states spent less on education in 2011 compared to 2010. Neither was one of the Austin schools’ solutions: seeking grant money from the world’s largest philanthropic organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

(View complete article here.)

Texas’ voter ID law heads to federal court

A federal court in Washington will now decide whether Texas can enforce its new voter ID law after the Justice Department on Monday rejected the restrictive voting measure, saying state leaders failed to prove that it would not discriminate against minority voters.

Texas challenging federal government oversight of election laws in voter ID case

Texas upped the stakes Wednesday in the fight over its law requiring photo identification to vote, asking a court to overturn a long-standing civil rights law requiring federal approval for any change in election rules.

Retired teachers face health plan changes

Retired school employees in Texas could face major changes to their health care because the state fund that pays for their insurance is projected to run out of money in 2015.

Texas should consider education standards waiver

Education Secretary Arne Duncan was in Austin last week, and while here, he encouraged Texas to apply for a waiver from meeting certain performance standards demanded by the No Child Left Behind law.

Confusion reigns in Texas election calendar

The primaries are delayed more than two months because of political wrangling and scheduled to be the second major election day in May, calling voters back to the polls just over two weeks city and school district elections.

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Justice Department rejects Texas’ voter ID law, but court fight goes on

Citing concerns about discrimination, the U.S. Department of Justice declined to give its blessing Monday to the voter identification law passed last year by the Texas Legislature.

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Health law faces its biggest test

It’s assumed that the four liberal justices will uphold the law, because they typically favor strong federal regulation, and Justice Clarence Thomas will strike it. So the task for the law’s opponents will be to seal the deal with the other four conservatives while the Obama administration tries to pick off one or two of them.

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Texas Elected Officials Who Didn’t File for Re-election

Thirty members — that’s about 20 percent — of the Texas House have said they won’t seek re-election. That includes seven Democrats and 23 Republicans. Looked at another way, it includes 17 members who are leaving to run for other offices including district attorney, state Senate, Congress and the Railroad Commission. Thirteen of the members are leaving with no announced plans for public office.

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What’s Next for Texas’ Women’s Health Program?

A state rule that forces Planned Parenthood out of Texas’ Women’s Health Program takes effect today, and in response, the Obama administration is preparing to halt federal funding for the program. But the change won’t be immediate: Texas health officials say it will take a few weeks to transition to a fully state-run program from one that had been 90-percent funded by the federal government.

Second in command at TCEQ is lone applicant for top job

A former environmental adviser to Gov. Rick Perry is the lone applicant to run the state’s environmental agency after spending about 2½ years as the agency’s second in command.

Survey: Youth in State Lockup Concerned Over Violence

Editorial: Enterprise Fund gets a winner with Apple

Gov. Rick Perry’s Texas Enterprise Fund scored a major coup last week when Apple Inc. announced plans to expand its operations in Austin.