As a Christian and a lawmaker, biblical stories form something of a lens through which I try to find focus when making public policy decisions — particularly as anti-immigrant bills have gained a disturbing momentum in Austin over the last few weeks.
Eddie Lucio Jr.
Posted in
State Government
Senate Approves “Pork Chopper” Bill
The newest competitive sport coming to Texas just might be pork choppering.
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Criminal Justice
Wentworth Gets a Win for Campus Carry
Sen. Jeff Wentworth is relentless with campus carry, and today, the San Antonio Republican got his way.
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Economy
Could Soda Tax Fill Budget Hole?
Republican lawmakers have vowed to close the budget hole without a new tax. But that hasn’t stopped Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, from proposing a penny per ounce tax on soft drinks.
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State Government
Another Senator, Another Proposed Tax
On Monday, state Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, said he would rather raise taxes than make the cuts under consideration. Now, state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, has introduced legislation to increase the tax on soft drinks by a penny per ounce.
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Health care
For Senate Democrats, Abortion Bill Reveals Split
Unlike the debate over voter ID, in which Senate Democrats stood united in their opposition, a combination of politics, religion and personal histories have made the sonogram bill more divisive in their caucus.
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Public Education
Special Needs
After a decade in which Texas has seen a 400 percent increase in the number of children with autism, lawmakers are wrestling with how best to educate the afflicted — and how to pay for it.
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Health care
TribBlog: “Older and Sicker” [Updated]
After Thursday’s lively state hearing, where health advocates told lawmakers they were bracing for massive Medicare cuts, doctors got some rewarding news: Congress had voted to delay a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments six months.
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Higher Education
TribBlog: Excellence for Aid?
A previously rejected proposal that would give TEXAS Grants to college students based on academic merit, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis, saw the light again on Wednesday — but old tensions still linger about who should get a piece of the nearly $615 million financial aid pie first.
Posted in
Politics
The Big Hungry
Texas’ participation in the federally funded summer food service program is dismally low compared to the national average — meaning only a small percentage of the state’s 2.5 million low-income kids are getting free meals.
