Texans who gave big money to Kay Bailey Hutchison to try to unseat Rick Perry for governor in 2010 haven’t gelled around a single candidate in the presidential race. In fact, the majority of them seem to still be sitting on the sidelines.
Austin
Posted in
Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: Tweaking Judges and Lawmakers
Gov. Rick Perry proposed term limits for federal judges and cuts in pay and work hours for Congress, so we put those issues to the insiders and added Texas versions: What about a full-time Legislature, and appointed judges instead of elected ones?
Posted inState Government
UT Student Says Tweet About Shooting Obama Was a Joke
Despite what you may have seen in the media today, Lauren Pierce, president of College Republicans at the University of Texas at Austin, says she really does not have any desire to shoot President Obama.
Posted in
State Government
Updated: Combs Taps the Brakes on Formula 1 Racing
The state won’t spend any taxpayer money on Formula 1 in advance of Texas races, Comptroller Susan Combs announced this morning — days after racing officials expressed doubt over a Grand Prix here. It’s not clear how that will affect the track.
Posted in
Economy
Memo to Voters: There’s No Free Lunch
Voters clearly want good schools and nice roads and low taxes. It’s a political and policy question straight out of a business textbook: What’s the right balance of price and quality?
Posted in
Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: Oops, Before and After
Rick Perry’s “oops” moment was costly in our survey of political and government insiders, and we also took soundings on third-party candidates, court-drawn political maps, and the strength of the Tea Party.
Posted in
Demographics
Weekend Insider: Border Business Trouble, West Texas Wind Boom
In this edition of the Texas Tribune Weekend Insider, reporter Julian Aguilar explains the challenges and temptations facing business owners on the border. And reporter Morgan Smith takes us to West Texas, where school districts have benefited from the wind energy boom.
Posted in
State Government
Dewhurst Tells Committee to Study Veterans’ Issues
With Veterans Day approaching, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on Thursday asked the Veterans Affairs and Military Installations Committee to consider several issues, including the status of mental health services for veterans and ways to improve employment services.
Posted inState Government
DMV Board Rejects Confederate License Plate
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles on Thursday unanimously rejected a controversial license plate commemorating the Sons of Confederate Veterans of Texas, but its decision is unlikely to be the end of the heated debate over the symbol many associate with slavery.
Posted in
Health care
Study: Texas Ranks Last in Mental Health Spending
Despite an increase in state spending on mental health care, Texas still ranks last in per capita funding for people with mental illness, according to a report issued by the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
