As the trend goes, and as the newest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll confirms, Texans want it both ways with budget cuts.
February 2011
Posted in
University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
UT/TT Poll: Voters Want Budget Cuts but Don’t Like Options
By more than 2 to 1, Texas voters believe lawmakers should solve the state’s shortfall by cutting the budget, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll, but they’re divided on specific cuts.
Posted in
Energy
Blackouts Revive Debate Over Electric Deregulation
The power failures earlier this month have called into question one of Texas’ most basic tenets: that we do everything, including deregulation, better than anyone else.
Posted in
Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: Public Education Funding Is…
For the latest installment of our nonscientific survey of political and policy insiders on issues of the moment, we asked whether public education is sufficiently funded in Texas — and how deep the coming cuts are likely to be.
Posted in
Economy
“Rube Goldberg” School Finance System Faces New Test
Cutting $10 billion public education funding could push more than two-dozen school districts from the group that receives state financing into the group that writes checks to the state to even things out between richer and poorer districts.
Posted inState Government
Boom!
The state’s explosive growth during the past decade was fueled by a boom in its minority population, which accounted for 89 percent of the total, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanics alone accounted for 65 percent of the state’s growth over the last ten years.
Posted in
Public Education
Charter Schools Eye Permanent School Fund
Charter schools want access to the state’s Permanent School Fund, which guarantees bond issues for traditional public schools, allowing them to secure advantageous interest rates. Not everyone is on board — including the traditional public schools.
Posted in
Public Education
U.S. House Votes on Texas Education Money [Updated]
In the latest round of the political feud over $830 million in federal funding, House Republicans, led by U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, passed a bill Saturday that attempts to block the enforcement of the Texas-specific Education Jobs amendment.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
The best of our best content from Feb. 14 to 18, 2011.
Posted in
Demographics
The Week in Texas Politics Recap: 2/14 to 2/18
No time to follow every twist and turn of the Texas Legislature? We’ve made it easier for you with our weekly recaps of the action under the dome.