Will the Planned Parenthood brouhaha affect elections? Should state officeholders be able to collect retirement while they’re still on the job? And should Texas lawmakers have term limits?
Employee Retirement System
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Gets a D+ in Public Integrity Study
Texas has scored a 68 out of 100, placing 27th in a national state integrity study. The state got high marks for auditing and for monitoring pension funds, but not as high for accountability of the governor and legislators.
Posted in
State Government
Video: State Rep. Lon Burnam on Double-Dipping
State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Forth Worth, shares his concerns about public officials collecting retirement while continuing to work.
Posted in
State Government
Perry’s Use of Provision Lifts Perk From Obscurity
Gov. Rick Perry’s use of the obscure provision has shed light on a controversial practice that has remained in the shadows.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson on Rick Perry’s Texas Enterprise Fund, Aguliar on the DOJ’s Joe Arpaio problem, Galbraith on the uncertainty about Texas’ electric grid, Grissom and Schwartz of The New York Times on the latest in the Michael Morton case, Hamilton on the first leg of Perry’s Iowa bus tour, Murphy and McLain unveil our new campaign finance database, Ramsey et al. go live with the first round of our 2012 election brackets, Root on a GOP rival’s queries about Perry’s pension play, M. Smith contrasts the various school finance lawsuits and Tan, Dehn and Murphy on a shortage of mental health professionals: The best of our best content from December 19-23, 2011.
Posted in
State Government
Critics Question Perry’s Move to Collect Pension
Gov. Rick Perry has sparked a wave of criticism, and some unanswered questions, after filing paperwork this week revealing that he is collecting both a salary and a pension from the state of Texas. Critics say there are rules designed to prevent such arrangements. Perry and his aides say its perfectly legal.
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Health care
Perry, Foe of Government, Entitled to Big State Pension, Health Benefits
As a Texas governor and presidential candidate, Rick Perry has repeatedly turned to the marketplace for policy solutions to health care and retirement security. But as a private citizen, Perry has generally relied on the government.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Outside Group Wants Investigation Into Data Exposure
The Texas attorney general and the FBI are already investigating the accidental release of personal information by the comptroller’s office. Now, as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, an outside group wants to start its own investigation.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Comptroller Offers Help After Data Mishap
Frustrated state employees continue to search for help — and answers — after the comptroller’s office accidentally left sensitive personal data on an open server for anyone to see.
Posted in
State Government
Will Lawmakers Cut Their Own Benefits?
As they talk of cutting pension contributions and raising premiums for state employee health care and mandating layoffs and furloughs at state agencies, what are lawmakers doing to their own compensation and benefits?
