The Houston builder and Health Care Compact Alliance vice chair on how an interstate compact could fix health care in Texas — and give the state some semblance of local control over what he calls an unsustainable health care system.
Houston
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State Government
Anglo Democratic Lawmakers: From Endangered to Protected Species?
Anglo Democrats — an endangered species when the political mapmakers were working in 2001 — might be a protected species this year. Many of them represent districts full of minority voters they say are protected from disruptive redistricting.
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Demographics
Cross-Border Trucking Program Gains New Life
The U.S. and Mexican governments announced today that they have reached a tentative agreement to re-start the cross-border, long-haul, trucking program.
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Demographics
Interactive: Census Totals by House, Senate District
Our new interactive map visualizes population changes by House and Senate district for the total population and residents who are of Hispanic origin. These totals are important now given that lawmakers are preparing to redraw all 181 districts based on their growth, demographics and election histories.
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Criminal Justice
Community Colleges Leery of Guns on Campus
State Rep. Van Taylor, R-Plano, has filed legislation to allow licensed handgun owners to carry concealed weapons on community college campuses. But some campus police fear it could actually put students and faculty in more danger.
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State Government
Perry: Keep the 2009 Business Tax Break
Gov. Rick Perry wants to keep a small-business tax break approved by lawmakers two years ago that, without legislative action, will require more businesses to pay franchise taxes.
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Public Education
Cy-Fair Superintendent on Education Cuts
In an interview with KRLD’s Scott Braddock in Dallas, David Anthony, the departing superintendent of the state’s third-largest school district, said districts are in a “difficult situation” as they try to meet new student achievement measures while coping with cuts.
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Criminal Justice
Veteran Who Shot Baby Seeks Clemency
He was an Army veteran and a Houston security guard who had never been arrested until February 2002, when a fight with his wife sent Timothy Adams into a suicidal spiral. During a stand-off with police, Adams fatally shot his 19-month-old son twice in the chest — landing him a spot on death row.
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Public Education
A Trio of Bills on Student Ticketing
State Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, has filed three bills aimed at regulating the practice of ticketing students for misbehavior in public schools.
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Criminal Justice
Jail Officials: Mental Health Cuts Hurt Everyone
Slashing funds for community-based mental health care will hurt taxpayers and degrade the quality of life for thousands of mentally ill Texans and their families, Harris County Jail officials told Texas budget writers today in written testimony for the Senate Finance Committee.
