The latest Garnet Coleman news from The Texas Tribune.
More than a quarter-century has passed since a landmark suit against Texas A&M University established the right of gay student groups to form on college campuses. Yet all these years later, half of the university systems in the state — the Texas A&M University System, the Texas State University System and the Texas Tech University System — do not include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/CollegeOrientation.jpg)
State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, says it would be "irresponsible" not to act in the wake of the suicide of 13-year old Asher Brown, a student who committed suicide after being bullied for his size, religion and perceived sexuality. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Empty-Desk.jpg)
Tension between Texas and the federal government has been a major focus of Rick Perry's re-election campaign. But on Monday, two top Democratic leaders in the Texas House ganged up on Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott and, by proxy, the governor over the recent federal education funds fight. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TT-Audio.png)
Gov. Rick Perry's campaign has accused Democrat Bill White of making racially charged comments at an event in Dallas. The White camp says it was Scripture-based language on leadership. So, was it racial or religious? Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/030310-PerryWhite001.jpg)
Five of the nine members of the state's Commission on Jail Standards, which oversees the 245 county lockups, are elected officials from or employees of the counties whose facilities they regulate. Advocates say that's a conflict of interest, and they're calling for a change in the commission's makeup. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/County-Prison.jpg)
At today's hearing of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, Sheriff Adrian Garcia will be grilled about efforts to control overcrowding at Harris County's four jail facilities, which have seen a dramatic population spike. At the urging of Houston lawmakers, Garcia will be pressed to explain why he wants to keep housing more inmates than the facilities can accommodate, and why some recommendations by the county's own consultant for ways to reduce its jail population have gone unheeded. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Overcrowded-Prisons.png)
Coming soon to a large pink state capitol building in this very state: A day-long seminar on slot machines and casinos and all that, especially as it pertains to the state budget. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/gambling-cards-dice.jpg)
The Speaker doesn't have anyone studying gambling in advance of the next legislative session, and a leading Democrat says legislators ought to get together on their own to consider the issue. Full Story
Amid reports that a merger deal might soon be struck between Houston-based Continental Airlines and United Airlines, with the latter as the surviving company headquartered in Chicago, state Rep. Garnet Coleman discusses Houston's long-standing relationship with Continental. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/garnetcoleman.jpg)
Behind the fiery health care rhetoric is a measure expected to dramatically expand Texas’ Medicaid program, adding up to 1 million adults to the state’s insurance roll — but at a steep cost. Texas will have to come up with hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue to foot its share of the bill. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/chart-healthreform001.png)
House lawmakers passed the Senate version of long-awaited health care reform on Sunday night. And Texas leaders were quick to fire off on it. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/012610_medicalreform.jpg)
Later today — exactly one year to the day since President Obama signed the federal stimulus bill — the Austin Water Utility will break ground on a $32 million wastewater treatment project paid for with stimulus dollars. Matt Largey of KUT News reports on other ways in which the stimulus has impacted the Texas economy. Full Story
Immunization advocates want to expand our vaccination database, but the well-educated, middle-class parents who oppose them are organized and driven — and could force lawmakers to take sides in the tussle between personal freedom and public health. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/020810-thismighthurt-pt2.jpg)
Advocates for vaccination records say a complete registry of shots would help the state navigate major health crises. Opponents say it would jeopardize patient privacy. Lawmakers like the potential cost savings, but they still aren’t sure where they stand. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/020810-thismighthurt.jpg)
Is this the end of the line, Carl? Full Story
Three Democratic legislators who came out early for Fort Worth's Tom Schieffer in the race for governor say they'll go with Houston Mayor Bill White, who entered the race as Schieffer exited. Full Story
State Reps. Garnet Coleman of Houston, Jim Dunnam of Waco, Jessica Farrar of Houston and Pete Gallego of Alpine got out early in support of Tom Schieffer, who dropped out of the Democratic primary for governor today. Their statement: Full Story
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said she wanted to keep fighting the “government takeover of healthcare” — and now she’ll get her chance. Full Story
KBH resigns herself to staying in the Senate, Grissom investigates the broken border, Ramshaw outs IT contractors who make gigabucks from state agencies, Hu gives Hutchison and Perry the Stump Interrupted treatment, the new head of the Foresenic Science Commission faces his critics, Stiles posts a searchable database of fines levied by the state ethics commission, and Hamilton discovers the consequences of party switching (none): The best of the best from November 9 to 13, 2009. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/21f7f6c413d6719b35aa84f5dbff802e/DO%20NOT%20USE%20TribWeek%2002%202009)
If the "states' rights" leadership in Texas refuses to do anything for our state, then it's up to Congress to enact reform that will benefit all Americans, especially Texans. Full Story