Perry: Protect Rainy Day Fund
Gov. Rick Perry told lawmakers Tuesday he is against tapping the state's $9.4 billion Rainy Day Fund to close the budget shortfall: “That approach would not only postpone tough, necessary decisions." Full Story
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What Do the Historical, Arts Commissions Do?
Gov. Rick Perry wants two state agencies — the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Texas Historical Commission — defunded because they don’t provide “mission-critical” services. But what do they do? Full Story
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![Cow John and Old Ruidoso by Robert Summers. On display at the White Horse Station, a coffeeshop, event space, and art gallery, in Clifton, Texas.]()
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LiveBlog: Perry's State of the State
Gov. Rick Perry delivered his sixth State of the State speech today, addressing a joint session of the Texas House and Senate, and selling the state's fiscal troubles as an opportunity to make government more efficient. Full Story
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Perry to Push Colleges to Offer $10,000 Degree
Gov. Rick Perry will challenge the state's colleges and universities to offer a $10,000 bachelor's degree, including books, in his State of the State speech later this morning, according to sources familiar with some of the proposals. Full Story
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![Word cloud aggregate of Rick Perry's State of the State speeches from 2001 to 2009.]()
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Senators Grill Education Agency Over Cuts
At the Texas Education Agency's first appearance before the Senate since the release of a budget that reduces school funding by $9.3 billion, senators called for a "full picture" of the state's spending on public education. Full Story
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![Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott speaks at the TASA midwinter conference in Austin, Texas February 1st, 2011]()
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Hartnett Expected to Recommend HD-48 Winner Friday
After three days of testimony and today's closing arguments, state Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas, is expected to recommend a winner of the disputed HD-48 seat on Friday. Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
A Conversation with Rob Eissler
For our latest TribLive conversation, I sat down with the chairman of the House Public Education Committee to talk about the coming cuts to public ed: how big they're likely to be, the prospect of tens of thousands of teacher and non-instructional-staff layoffs and whether new revenue sources are on the table. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Rob Eissler of the Size of Public Ed Cuts
The chairman of the House Public Education Committee on whether the cuts to public ed will be as bad as everyone says they'll be. Full Story
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Rob Eissler on the Rainy Day Fund
The chairman of the House Public Education Committee on whether the Rainy Day Fund should be used, in part or in whole, to reduce the size of the budget shortfall. Full Story
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Rob Eissler on Public Ed Layoffs
The chairman of the House Public Education Committee on how many public school teachers, administrators and non-instructional staff members are at risk of being laid off as a result of the budget shortfall. Full Story
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A Conversation with Rob Eissler
For our latest TribLive conversation, I sat down with the chairman of the House Public Education Committee to talk about the coming cuts to public ed: how big they're likely to be, the prospect of tens of thousands of teacher and non-instructional-staff layoffs, whether new revenue sources are on the table and more. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Bill Aims to Make Sexting Illegal
Under the proposed legislation, teens caught "sexting" could face up to a Class A Misdemeanor. Parents could also face penalties. Full Story
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A Trio of Bills on Student Ticketing
State Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, has filed three bills aimed at regulating the practice of ticketing students for misbehavior in public schools. Full Story
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What They'd Do About the Budget Shortfall
We asked three big thinkers in the Capitol community — Talmadge Heflin, Eva DeLuna Castro and Bill Hammond — to tell us what they'd do if they had the power to take on the budget shortfall themselves. Full Story
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Castro: Start by Casting Aside Wishful Thinking
We need a balanced approach that uses our reserves and adds revenue. And we have to start by casting aside wishful thinking; we are writing the 2012-13 budget, with higher costs and increased enrollment in education and health care services — not some past budget. Full Story
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Heflin: Most Sensible Solution Is Reduced Spending
More money is not the answer to our current woes. Just as anyone managing a household budget knows, when a family’s expenses grow beyond its income, the solution is to cut back — particularly if its spending habits resemble the state's. Full Story
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![Former state Rep. Talmadge Heflin is the director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Fiscal Policy.]()
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Hammond: No Time to Be Penny-Wise, Pound-Foolish
We must continue to fight to ensure that we implement cost-saving reforms that reflect Texas' commitment to prosperity and to economic growth. But our current budget shortfall isn't a time to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Full Story
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Inside Intelligence: A Pro-Choice GOP Candidate Will...
For the latest installment of our nonscientific survey of political and policy insiders on issues of the moment, we asked whether a Republican who supports abortion rights can survive a statewide primary, whether the sonogram bill on the governor's list of emergency items addresses a real or a political problem, whether it will pass and what other issues of interest to social conservatives might win approval from this Legislature this year. Full Story
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In West Texas, a Town's Fate Tied to Its School
With just 56 students, Marathon ISD is one of the state's smallest. But its fate is critical to the West Texas town's survival. And if what is happening here works, it could serve as a model for other towns looking to shield their way of life from the death knell of school closures. Full Story
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Can a Pro-Choice Republican Win in Texas?
State Comptroller Susan Combs may test that question. She is considering a run for lieutenant governor in 2014. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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