The Brief: Dec. 10, 2012
Already a known foe of federal health care reform, Gov. Rick Perry doesn't have high hopes for the law's success nationwide, either. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry at the 2012 Texas Tribune Festival in on Sept. 21, 2012.]()
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Perry Helps Key Advisers Take a Big Next Step
“Career coach” is not listed on Gov. Rick Perry’s résumé — but it might as well be. In the 12 years he has held Texas’ highest elected office, he has helped align the professional stars for many of his key advisers. Full Story
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Batheja looks at the impact of the Trans-Texas Corridor proposal, Aaronson on Democrats' hopes for a Medicaid expansion deal, Galbraith and White on a $17 million payment approved for Oncor's CEO, Ramsey describes the challenge facing the House speaker, Chammah looks at a bill requiring police to record interrogations, Batheja and Murphy detail accounts holding dedicated state revenue, Hamilton reports on plans for a new Rio Grande Valley university, Aguilar examines 20 years of NAFTA, and E. Smith talks to the Texas Senate's new Higher Education Committee chairman: The best of our best from Dec. 3 to 7, 2012. Full Story
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The Evening Brief: Dec. 7, 2012
Your evening reading: lawmakers may revisit family planning cuts; Abbott voices support for federal measure increasing child porn penalties; Hensarling chimes in on Boehner committee purge Full Story
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![State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, on June 16, 2011]()
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Abbott Backs Federal Measure Increasing Child Porn Penalties
Attorney General Greg Abbott expressed support Friday for a federal measure that increases penalties for viewing child pornography. Federal judges and advocates have said that the penalties are already steep enough. Full Story
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TribuneFest: High-Tech Higher Ed
At the Trib's November 29 symposium on higher education at Texas A&M University, I talked about innovations in online curriculum and the use of smartphones and other devices in and out of the classroom with Steve Klingler of Western Governors University, Steven Mintz of the University of Texas System, Renee Patton of Cisco Systems and Phil Schubert of Abilene Christian University. Full Story
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TribLive: A Conversation with Kel Seliger
Full video of my December 6 TribLive conversation with state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, the chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee. Full Story
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UT Officials Resign in Wake of Fracking Study Controversy
The same day a highly critical review of a controversial University of Texas fracking study was released, UT announced that the lead author of the study and the head of the institute that released it had resigned. Full Story
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Lawmakers Could Restore Family Planning Funds
When lawmakers passed a budget in 2011 that cut $73 million from family planning services, the goal was largely political: halt taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. Now they are facing the policy implications and, in some cases, reconsidering. Full Story
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![Microgestin birth control from Planned Parenthood.]()
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What if Government Officials Were Scrutinized Like Football Coaches?
Imagine a government as accountable to voters for its performance as football coaches are to the ire of fans and boosters. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Lotus Carroll / Aaron Vazquez -
After 20 Years, NAFTA Draws Broad Spectrum of Praise and Controversy
Twenty years after NAFTA was enacted, stakeholders met in Texas to discuss its future. A who's who of business leaders touted NAFTA's success. But critics say the pact created an unbalanced economy and displaced workers. Full Story
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![From January to April of 2017, more than $178 billion in two-way trade has passed through ports in the United States and Mexico, according to a Florida-based think tank.]()
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The Brief: Dec. 7, 2012
A dramatic day in Texas education news marked the rise of one public institution and the demise of another. Full Story
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The Evening Brief: Dec. 6, 2012
Your evening reading: UT System announces plans for new South Texas university; education commissioner strips El Paso ISD board of authority; Hutchison to release new book in April Full Story
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![University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa during a Joint Committee on Oversight of Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency hearing on Sept. 21, 2011.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
TEA Commissioner Strips El Paso ISD Board of Authority
In the wake of a cheating scandal in the El Paso school district, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams announced Thursday that he's stripping authority from the district's board and installing a new board of managers. Full Story
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![Texas Education Agency commissioner Michael Williams announces at a press conference that he is stripping all authority from the El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees. The move comes in the wake of a cheating scandal that landed the former superintendent in federal prison.]()
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TribLive: Seliger on the Cost of a College Education
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, the chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, discussed the prospect of tuition reregulation and whether the state is adequately funding higher ed. Full Story
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UT System Planning New Rio Grande Valley University
At Thursday's meeting of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa announced a major plan to consolidate its existing institutions in the Rio Grande Valley to create a new university. Full Story
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UT System Tackles Issue of Growing Student Debt
The University of Texas System Board of Regents on Thursday will take on the issue of rising student loan debt, discussing the recommendations of a task force on ways to help students reduce and manage their burden. Full Story
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Interactive: Billions of Dedicated Funds Unspent
Lawmakers have stockpiled nearly $5 billion in more than 200 dedicated revenue funds, using the money to help balance the budget rather than for its intended purposes, according to estimates from the Texas comptroller's office. Our interactive shows you which accounts hold all the money. Full Story
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New Divorce Forms Make Breakups Cheaper, Easier, but Stoke Controversy
A Texas Supreme Court decision approving standardized divorce forms will give poor people easier access to divorce than ever before. But opponents of the forms worry that without a lawyer's help, the process could go wrong. Full Story
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Coalition Publishes Study Touting Texas Flagship Universities
The Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education released a report on Thursday arguing that the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University provide quality education for a bargain, compared with peer institutions. Full Story
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![William Powers Jr., UT President and R. Bowen Loftin, Texas A&M President at TribLive on April 28, 2011.]()
Credit: Jacob Villanueva
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