As displeasure with Texas’ standardized testing regime mounts, all eyes are on a special panel the Legislature created to figure out whether to scrap the widely reviled STAAR exam.
Joe Straus
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Public Education
Straus Orders Texas House to Study School Finance
Citing a recent Texas Supreme Court decision that upheld the state’s public school funding system while deeming it “undeniably imperfect,” state House Speaker Joe Straus on Thursday ordered representatives to study the school finance system.
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Politics
State Rep. Wayne Smith Now Wants Recount in House District 128 Runoff
In a reversal, state Rep. Wayne Smith is now pursuing a recount in his narrow loss in Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff.
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Politics
Asked About Trump, Joe Straus Points to Paul Ryan’s Comments
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, is signaling agreement with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan when it comes to Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
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Health care
With Planned Parenthood Cleared, Lawmakers to Mull Fetal Tissue Laws
Texas lawmakers will meet Thursday to examine policies on how human fetal tissue can be used for scientific research.
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State Government
Analysis: Texas Lawmaker Says Sunset Process Has Lost Some of Its Glow
If state Rep. Larry Phillips gets his way, the Sunset Advisory Commission could be up for the sort of operational review it’s used to dishing out to other state agencies — forcing the agency to justify its existence.
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State Government
Analysis: Texas Legislative Review Process in Need of a Review of Its Own
House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, is trying to rescue legislative reviews of state agencies from poachers in the lobby and in the Legislature itself. He says they’ve “made a mockery” of the process.
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State Government
Analysis: Straus Stays Firm but Won’t Raise Voice in Texas House
Buried in a couple of vanilla announcements this week, House Speaker Joe Straus gently telegraphed some of his plans for next year’s legislative session. If you weren’t listening carefully, you probably missed it.
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Politics
Cornyn Lauds Trump-Fueled Republican Turnout
The senior U.S. senator from Texas, a quiet observer of the presidential race thus far, still won’t endorse his junior colleague, but he does say increased turnout spawned by Republican frontrunner Donald Trump could work in the party’s favor.
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Politics
Analysis: Low Voter Turnout in Texas Gets Obama’s Attention
Perhaps it’s not in the best interests of the people now in office in Texas — whatever their party labels — to change the electoral setup that put them in office.