Inman on Don Blankenship’s history with Unions.
Inman on History with Unions
Inman on Caperton v. Massey
Inman explains Caperton v. Massey scandal and its political implications.
Money’s Not the Only Thing
Coming soon to a House near you: The first real look at how this bunch votes on tough issues.
Spending Theirs, Saving Ours
The Texas Senate approved a $182.2 billion budget that includes over $10 billion in federal stimulus money, avoids across-the-board cuts in state agencies, and leaves the state’s $9.1 billion Rainy Day Fund untouched.
Cutting the Strings
Texas can get $556 million in federal stimulus money without any permanent changes in its unemployment insurance program, according to an advisory letter from the U.S. Department of Labor.
March Madness
Our bracket says Pitt will win the NCAA men’s basketball championship. That doesn’t mean it’ll happen. And if it does happen, we won’t be able to claim (honestly, anyway) that we knew it was gonna happen. We’ll just have guessed right. [eds. note: After this was written, Pitt lost to Villanova, failed to make the Final Four, ruined our bracket, and painfully proved our point about predicting the future.]
Perry: We’re Not Gonna Take It
Gov. Rick Perry says the state should turn down $555 million in federal stimulus money tied to unemployment insurance, because the requirements are too strict, prompting some lawmakers to say they’ll push to get enough support for the program to go around him.
Up Next: The Ides of March
The “county fair” section of the legislative session — the part at the beginning that’s taken up with glad-handing and rattlesnake roundup demonstrations and mariachis and pre-schoolers and city and county and association “days” at the Capitol — is coming to a close.
Brother, Can You Spare $556 Million?
You’re really out in the weeds when you find yourself listening to arguments about reform provisions for unemployment insurance, but that’s the first of what might be a series of firefights over the federal stimulus money available to the state.


