It would be nice if the two largest cities in Texas’ largest metropolitan area were fired up about the June 18 runoffs that will determine their next mayors. But about the only thing voters in Dallas and Fort Worth have been engaged in is a collective yawn.
June 2011
Posted in
Public Education
With Less State Money, Will Schools Raise Local Taxes?
Across the state, school districts are considering raises local taxes to pay for the state shortfall in funding. But will the same public that sent lawmakers to Austin in November with an overwhelming no-new-taxes imperative accept paying more locally to preserve programs and jobs?
Posted in
Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: The Best and Worst Legislators Were…
We asked our insiders this week about Texas Monthly’s forthcoming list of the Ten Best and Ten Worst Legislators — perhaps the most talked-about and eagerly anticipated media pronouncement in the state in any odd-numbered year.
Posted inState Government
Anti-Washington, in More Ways Than One
Serving in the U.S. Congress is a pretty big deal.
Posted in
Higher Education
Controversial UT Regent: Let’s Push Reset Button
Of the new University of Texas System regents, none has received more scrutiny than Alex Cranberg. After months of controversy, he said the time has come to “push a reset button” on the relationship between the regents and the leadership at UT.
Posted in
Demographics
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aguilar on a newly exposed rift in the GOP, Dehn on what summer overtime for lawmakers costs taxpayers, Galbraith on one bright spot for environmentalists this session, Grissom on reports of abuse shrouding a death row case, Hamilton on the long slog toward higher education reform, Ramsey on where the Big Three stand, Ramshaw on the filibuster-induced rise of a state senator, Root on Perry’s jump into the culture wars, M. Smith on a new wrinkle in the school finance battle and Tan on the “pansexual” debate that nearly killed the crucial fiscal matters bill: The best of our best content from June 6 to June 10, 2011.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Another State Agency Data Breach Reported
The Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services said today that the personal data of about 4,900 current and former state employees may have been exposed in a security breach.
Posted inState Government
TribLive: Post-Forum Q&A With GOP Senate Candidates
After Wednesday night’s forum with Ted Cruz, Elizabeth Ames Jones, Tom Leppert and Roger Williams, Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith continued the conversation with questions from the public about the Tea Party, the 10th Amendment and one contender in the race who wasn’t present.
Posted in
Health care
House OKs Bill to Seek Federal Medicaid Waiver
The Texas House passed a bill today to take control of Texas health care reform, tentatively passing a bill that will allow the state to petition the Obama administration for a block grant to operate the Medicaid program.
Posted inState Government
The Midday Brief: June 10, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Democrats’ Rainy Day victory survives; the “pansexual” amendment that nearly killed a key fiscal bill; Texas Republicans weighing a straw poll