Across the nation, U.S. House Republicans are getting an earful from their constituents about a GOP budget proposal to overhaul federal Medicare. But that message hasn’t made its way to Texas, where state lawmakers are still angling to take control of the program.
May 2011
Posted in
State Government
House Poised to Pass Insurance Sunset Bill
House lawmakers voted Tuesday night to continue the duties and operations of the Texas Department of Insurance, giving early approval to the agency’s Sunset bill.
Posted in
Health care
House Gives First OK to Medicaid Waiver Plan
House lawmakers have given an early okay to Rep. Lois Kolkhorst’s bill to ask Washington for a block grant to run Medicaid — the joint state-federal health care program for children, the disabled and the very poor — as Texas sees fit.
Posted in
Immigration
Obama: It’s Going to Take More Than One Term
After an El Paso stop that focused on immigration reform, President Barack Obama used his second stop, in Austin, to talk politics with a sea of fellow Democrats and raise money for his upcoming re-election campaign.
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State Government
House Gives Initial OK to Windstorm Insurance Reform
Lawmakers have given early approval to a bill to reform the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, a quasi-governmental insurer of last resort that has been the subject of ethics concerns.
Posted in
Higher Education
Bill to Ease College Transfers Passes House
A bill that streamlines the process for community college students seeking to transfer into a four-year universities was kicked out of the House — passing unanimously — and over to the Senate this afternoon.
Posted inState Government
The Midday Brief: May 10, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Hispanic activists call Obama’s El Paso speech too little, too late; bigamy bill heading to Senate floor; A&M chancellor steps down
Posted in
Demographics
More Debate, Same Result: House Passes Sanctuary Cities
In a last-ditch effort to tweak one of their most despised bills of the session, House Democrats tried — and failed — to adopt several amendments today to the “sanctuary cities” bill first passed by the House late Monday.
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Public Education
Wendy Kopp: The TT Interview
The founder of Teach for America and Highland Park High School alumna on why she’s (generally) positive about the direction of public education in America and how Texas school districts should cope with deep funding cuts.
Posted in
Higher Education
A&M Chancellor Mike McKinney Stepping Down
Texas A&M University System Chancellor Mike McKinney is stepping down effective July 1, 2011. “The time has come for me to step aside,” he explained this morning in a memo to System employees.