The Texas Public Safety Commission on Thursday approved changes to the Driver Responsibility Program that would include an amnesty program for drivers with outstanding surcharges, reduced fines for poor drivers and new incentives to encourage more people to pay up.
July 2010
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribBlog: A “Public Warning” For Keller [Updated]
Sharon Keller got a “public warning” from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for refusing to keep her office open past 5 pm on the day a Texas death row inmate was scheduled to die.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: July 16, 2010
For fans of horse-race style politics, yesterday was a good day.
Posted in
Health care
Baby Bump
At a hearing today, the Department of Family and Protective Services will consider stricter caregiver-to-child ratios for child care centers — but improved care for Texas toddlers could also mean less income for child care providers and higher tuition for families.
Posted in
Demographics
Blood Lines: Peace in Poverty
For years, the sister cities of Presidio and Ojinaga watched jealously as other border cities prospered. Now when they look east to the Rio Grande Valley and west to El Paso and Juárez, they see fear and bloodshed, and the envy fades to thankfulness. The poverty and isolation that have held them back keep the violence at bay. But for how long?
Posted in
State Government
“This Report Backs Us Up”
State auditors found muddled chains of command, missing files and a massive backlog of cases when they dug into the enforcement process at the Division of Workers’ Compensation, according to a report released Thursday. The findings support the claims of former employees who exited the division this year amid complaints of stalled action on dozens of cases against workers’ comp physicians accused of abusing the system.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: EPA and TCEQ Debate Permitting
At a lunchtime debate on Thursday in Austin, federal and Texas pollution regulators aired their disagreements over the state’s controversial permitting program for large plants.
Posted in
Demographics
TribBlog: DHS Payday
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano in Laredo today announced more money for border states and defended an administration under fire from folks on the Mexican border.