The Third Court of Appeals in Austin said the Texas Department of Public Safety does not have to halt its policy that prevents some legal U.S. residents from getting driver’s licenses.
state agencies
On the Records: What the Big App-le Can Teach Us About Open Government
Is NYC bigger than Texas when it comes to releasing government records?
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Roll your own political videos … interactive travel maps of your federal and state legislators … scary movies, to keep the kids out of the border’s scary drug wars … puttting dropouts back in class … rates squeezing families out of home health care … how many lobby and trade associations do teachers in Texas need? … enjoying the silence before an expected two-month siege of political advertising … the dean of Texas political writers gets shut out of the gubernatorial debates … and we have an interactive database of the state’s best and worst public schools. The best of our best for a short news week, from December 19 to 26, 2009.
Data Apps: Best/Worst Public Schools
Find the highest and lowest performers in Texas. Learn why nearly 500 campuses failed to meet minimum standards โ and how the state inflated the rankings in the top category.
TribBlog: DSHS Will Destroy Blood Spots
The Department of State Health Services will destroy all blood samples taken from infants before May 27, 2009 to settle a lawsuit over the state’s newborn screening program.
Rate Riot
Families of disabled Texans fear an increase in home nursing rates could force them to cut services for their loved ones.
Membership has its Privileges
Since 2005, Texas lobbyists have spent more than $500,000 on transportation and lodging for state officials, including members of the Lege.
TribBlog: Hunger Season
More than 2.5 million Texas students are enrolled in the School Lunch Program, but just a fraction of those participate in the federally funded Summer Food Program, according to a report the Center for Public Policy Priorities released toay.
Dropping In
After much hand-wringing by public officials and business leaders over the dropout crisis, a patchwork of last-resort schools and programs has emerged statewide. Gauging their performance is tricky, but there’s no question that the students they serve might otherwise be on the street or in jail.
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Stiles and Thevenot collaborate on the salaries paid to superintendents, and even compare them on price per studentโฆ Ramseyโs look at redistricting and next yearโs electionsโฆ Aguilarโs report on jails, brought to you by the federal agency thatโs in the ag businessโฆ Rapoportโs peek at the power behind Texas pre-kindergarten programsโฆ Smithโs conversation with Dan Patrick, in three partsโฆ Grissomโs narrative on a circular immigration and deportation route financed by two governmentsโฆ Ramshaw finds doctors agreeing on public policy and split on strategy and tacticsโฆ Huโs latest Stump Interrupted puts the camera on Farouk Shamiโฆ Hamiltonโs story on two retired cops who are taking on cargo theft in Texasโฆ And Kreighbaum and Stiles pop open the itineraries of your folks in Congress. The best of our best from December 12 to 18, 2009.


