The 15 members of the State Board of Education share three staffers and at times must travel hundreds of miles to meet with constituents. At a hearing on Tuesday, the House Redistricting Committee heard debate on whether members can adequately represent such large districts.
redistricting
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice, Energy, Environment, Health care, State Government
Interactive: The Cost of Texas vs. the Feds
This interactive breaks down the costs of the lawsuits that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has brought against the federal government.
Posted in
State Government
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Redistricting Court Case, 2012 Election Brackets
This week in the Newsreel we look at the Texas redistricting court case still pending in D.C., and the Texas Weekly 2012 election brackets.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
On the Records: Legal Spending on Redistricting
Redistricting has cost Texas taxpayers nearly $1.5 million in legal expenses so far — a total that could rise as more invoices are filed. Use our interactive to compare spending by category or to see the number of hours billed for legal work.
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Energy
The Hot Seat: A Conversation with West Texas Lawmakers
At our Hot Seat conversation at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, state Reps. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, and Tryon Lewis, R-Odessa, and state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, discussed cuts to public and higher education and other by-products of the 82nd Session.
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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
Where Republican Math Gets Complicated
Texas Republicans are stuck, having won as many seats as it is possible to win by elections or by creative political mapping. But the solution for them is simple.
Posted in
State Government
Political Districts Expose Split in Minority Ranks
New congressional maps reveal splits between lawyers for minority groups over districts in the Metroplex and in the Hill Country.
Posted in
State Government
In Redistricting, Race is the Limit to GOP Majority
Texas Republicans grabbed just about every seat that wasn’t protected by the Voting Rights Act. Democrats either have to find more voters or be forced to continue relying on ethnicity to protect the seats they still have.
Posted in
State Government
Redistricting: Maps, Stats and Some Notes
The federal judges in San Antonio unveiled their maps this week, and the analysis started right away. Here’s the starter kit.
