Ramsey on Flintstone truthers, Thevenot on the explosion of “dual-credit” enrollees and the potential sacking of teachers when student test scores don’t measure up, Ramshaw on government-subsidized child care providers with troubled track records, Stiles’s enhanced state employee salary app and new dangerous day care app, Aguilar on our commie trading partner and the cost of being undercounted in the next census, Philpott on the legal wrangling over gay divorce and how social media fanned the flames of Debra Medina’s 9/11 flap, and our roundup of powderkeg party primaries: Hu in HD-20, M. Smith in CD-23, Ramsey in HD-98, Hamilton in HD-127, Grissom HD-76 and HD-78, and Rapoport in SBOE 5. The best of our best from February 15 to 19, 2010.
Texas Legislature
TribBlog: Road Warriors
Introducing the House Select Committee on Transportation Funding.
Primary Color: HD-127
Four plausible candidates are vying for the GOP nomination to succeed retiring state Rep. Joe Crabb, R-Atascocita, and each has a decent shot. The tough part for voters in this reliably Republican north Houston suburb is differentiating between them.
2010: Newspaper Endorsements: Chron for Earle
“Their best-known and most effective candidate.”
TribBlog: DSHS Pulls Informed Consent Guidelines Down
State health officials have pulled guidelines allowing abortion facilities to use pre-recorded telephone messages to provide informed consent to patients off of their website. They said concerns raised by Rep. Frank Corte, who is seeking an AG opinion on the matter, “may have merit.”
Ads Infinitum: Chavez-Thompson Coming Soon to TV
Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate Linda Chavez-Thompson will be appearing in selected Texas TV markets starting on Friday, with this colorful new spot.
The Brief: February 18, 2010
Shami takes another hit, Keller back in the spotlight and the state of Texas’ health.
The Numbers Game
More than 373,000 Texans went uncounted by the 2000 census, resulting in a loss of $1 billion in federal funds. With eight of the nation’s 50 hardest-to-count counties right here in our state, the coming 2010 census is a cause for concern โ and an apparent lack of attention by elected officials is making matters worse.
2010: Newspaper Endorsements: Star-Telegram for Chavez-Thompson
“[S]he would bring a fresh perspective, a commitment to work with both sides of the aisle and an emphasis on the state’s public schools and higher education…”
TribBlog: Budget Cuts Due [Updated]
State agencies are expected to submit their budget cuts today.


