In a morning prayer to open the State Board of Education meeting, social conservative member Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, mixed worship with a constitutional argument against the separation of church and state — previewing the politically charged debate to come later today, as conservatives tackle their last big agenda item before approving the state social studies standards.
TribBlog: Praying for Church and State [Updated]
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Health care
TribBlog: Workers’ Comp Chief Blasts Whistleblowers
As the Division of Workers’ Compensation heads into a public hearing at the Sunset Advisory Commission next week, Commissioner Rod Bordelon is blasting his former employees for their allegations reported by the Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Economy
TribBlog: Unemployment Up, But So is Employment
The number of Texans working was up in April, but so was the number of people looking for work.
Posted in
Public Education
The Brief: May 21, 2010
The SBOE’s last day, Dallas could turn all “wet,” El Paso ranked one of the safest cities in the U.S. and the truth behind the BP oil spill.
Posted in
Health care
Health Care, Conservatives and 2011
When they return to Austin for the next legislative session. lawmakers will confront, for the first time as a group, federal health care reform. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports on how some conservative activists and politicians think Texas should respond.
Posted inState Government
A Luxury Liability
Details of life inside Rick Perry’s temporary digs made headlines this week, revealing that — in addition to $9,900 a month in rent — taxpayers foot the bill for Neiman Marcus curtains, $700 clothes racks and a subscription to Food & Wine magazine. How much of a political problem are the governor’s posh trappings?
Posted in
Public Education
Hussein in the Membrane
A member of the State Board of Education’s internationally notorious conservative wing trotted out Barack Obama’s middle name late in a marathon meeting Thursday, a fitting end to a debate over social studies curriculum standards that was marked by irritable outbursts and inane dialogue. Members fought over slavery, Jefferson Davis, Joseph McCarthy — even over when they could finally adjourn.
Posted in
Health care
Diagnosis: Turf War
In Texas, nurse practitioners’ livelihoods are tied to physicians: By law, they can’t treat patients without a doctor’s permission. That means if they want to open their own practice, they must petition, and pay, a doctor to grant them “prescriptive authority” — to essentially keep an eye on their work and, in some cases, to be held liable for it. Doctors say this is as it should be. Nurse practitioners and their allies say doctors don’t want the competition and charge them enough to run them out of business. “It borders on an immoral situation,” says state Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center.
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Health care
TribBlog: AG: Chances of Stopping Healthcare Bill “Pretty Good”
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says he feels “pretty good” that the coalition of states suing to halt health care reform will triumph, partly due to concerns raised during “HillaryCare” in the 1990s.
