The Texas House Speaker discusses priorities for the next legislative session, his position on the tea party wing of the GOP and assesses his first year as speaker.
TribLive featuring House Speaker Joe Straus
Posted in
Health care
Averitt’s Out. Now What?
The next senator from SD-22 could be the incumbent, Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, Republican challenger Darren Yancy, or a Republican or Democrat whose name is not on the ballot.
Posted inState Government
Signs of Discontent
Texans gathered for a “nullification” rally at the Texas Capitol on Saturday, January 16, in protest of federal healthcare plans in particular and federal spending and laws in general. They called on the state government to “nullify” what they contend are unconstitutional actions by the federal government — that is, to opt out of pending healthcare legislation and other federal programs and laws they feel go beyond the bounds of the U.S. Constitution. Most of the photographs that follow were taken by Bob Daemmrich; a few were shot by Ross Ramsey.
Posted inState Government
Along Came Kinky…Texas Jewboy for Governor
This documentary chronicles singing Jewish cowboy Kinky Friedman’s 2006 independent gubernatorial campaign in Texas. Directed by David Hartstein.
Posted in
Public Education
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
A big week, with the State Board of Education working on social studies textbooks — Thevenot was all over that this week, starting with a story that got national attention — and then the first debate between the GOP gubernatorial candidates, a story we tag-teamed with poll analysis, Hu’s and Ramsey’s live-blogging, Philpott’s audio, and video. Our first TribLive event coaxed some news out of House Speaker Joe Straus, and E. Smith also interviewed Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson on beaches, politics, and, um, politics. We featured M. Smith on athletes in politics, Aguilar on the pack of Republicans chasing U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall, Rapoport on women in campaigns, and Hamilton on candidates outside the spotlight. The best of our best from January 11 to January 15, 2010.
Posted in
Public Education
History Lessened
On day three of the State Board of Education’s social studies curriculum hearings, targets of the conservatives’ ire included Marcus Garvey, Clarence Darrow, and Ted Kennedy.
Posted in
Politics
TribBlog: Nullification Now
For the disgruntled ultraconservative, nullification may be the new secession. But as one prominent legal scholar puts it, “If you believe in nullification, you don’t believe in the constitution.”
Posted in
Economy
TribBlog: Snip, Snip
No surprise here, but still: State leaders want state agencies to cut five percent from their current budgets “due to the uncertainty of the state’s short-term economic future, as well as potentially substantial long-term costs associated with the passage of federal legislation currently being debated in Washington, D.C.”
Posted inState Government
2010: Truth Behind the Tweet
It’s the end of the week. Productivity is down and the need for distraction is up. Luckily, a psychology professor has a tool that could easily fill a political junkie’s afternoon.
