Joining her home state Republican colleague, John Cornyn, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will oppose Elena Kagan’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
July 2010
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Stiles’ and Torres’ three-parter on the changing Texas political map, Ramsey on questions about Brian Birdwell’s voting history and residency, Aguilar on the Obama administration’s immigration crackdown, Reed on hospitals that won’t induce early labor, Stiles on what Troy Fraser left off his financial disclosure form, the latest installment of Hu’s Face-Off video debate series, Grissom on the problem-plagued Driver Responsibility Program, Galbraith on the controversy over fracking and M. Smith’s interview with former Texas Supreme Court Justice Harriet O’Neill: The best of our best from July 26 to 30, 2010.
TribBlog: Last-Minute Border Plea
Border groups are urging Congress to rethink options for securing the border just days before National Guard troops arrive in the area.
2010: White: Perry Cut Corners to Help Friend
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White is calling for an independent audit of Texas Enterprise Fund grants after documents showed the governor’s office offered $2.5 million in state subsidies to Sino Swearingen, a company founded by Doug Jaffe. Jaffe is one of two partners involved in a controversial land deal that netted Perry a $500,000 profit.
White: Land Deals Influenced Grant
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White accuses Gov. Rick Perry of giving special consideration to a grant request from a company whose founder was involved with a controversial land deal. The deal netted the governor a $500,000 profit. The governor’s spokeswoman says the transaction was “thoroughly vetted.”
TribBlog: Texas Schools Fixed!
In new public school ratings released this afternoon, three-fourths of the state’s public schools — graded under a controversial formula called the Texas Projection Measure — now rank “exemplary” or “recognized,” the highest two of four categories of performance. Less than two percent of schools are ranked “unacceptable.”
TribBlog: Smart Meters Really Are Smart
The rollout of smart meters in Texas has sparked complaints, but a new report has found that they’re accurate in 99.96 percent of cases.
TribBlog: Keller Appeals
Judge Sharon Keller says that in sanctioning her, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct “acted in a lawless, unconstitutional manner.”
TribBlog: Minding the Gaps
With two-thirds now over, it’s time to check in on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s 10-years old, 15-year initiative to close the gaps between Texas and other states in student achievement in higher education.



