The runoff between John Frullo and Mark Griffin shares one important characteristic with the adjacent race in HD-83: It pits inside-the-tent Lubbock Republicans against a coalition of social and libertarian conservatives who are distinctly unhappy with government in Washington and Texas. In that frame, Frullo’s the insurgent and Griffin represents the establishment.
Texas Legislature
Posted in
State Government
2010: Shapleigh, Moreno Back Naomi Over Norma
State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, and former state Rep. Paul Moreno, D-El Paso, will endorse challenger Naomi Gonzalez over incumbent state Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, in the April 13 runoff that will decide the winner of the House District 76 seat, according to the El Paso Times.
Posted in
Health care
Admission Impossible
The wait to get into one of Texas’ 10 state mental hospitals — already long — may be about to get longer. Last month, as part of its attempt to comply with Gov. Rick Perry’s request that each state agency reduce its budget by 5 percent, the Department of State Health Services proposed eliminating 50 beds from four of the state’s 10 mental hospitals: San Antonio, Rusk, Terrell and North Texas Wichita. The state’s mental hospitals are already almost at full capacity, with nearly 2,500 self-admitted patients and allegedly criminal patients awaiting treatment so they can stand trial.
Posted in
Demographics
TribBlog: A Redistricting Compromise?
Republican and Democratic members of the Texas congressional delegation are discussing a possible compromise designed to cool off the overheated politics of congressional redistricting by dividing the expected spoils once U.S. Census figures are in and the reapportionment process begins in 2011, two members of the delegation say.
Posted in
State Government
2010: Flo Says No
State Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, is no longer a candidate for U.S. Senate and says she’ll refund about $1 million to her contributors.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Down for the Count
As of Friday, three-quarters of Texans hadn’t returned their census forms. Only five states have a worse rate of participation so far.
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Higher Education
TribBlog: McCall’s Off to College [updated]
Brian McCall will apparently be the next chancellor of the Texas State University System. The board of regents picked the state representative, a Plano Republican, as the sole finalist to replace Charles Matthews in that job. They made the announcement on Monday.
Posted in
State Government
2010: Al Edwards Contesting Recount Results
A recount showed state Rep. Al Edwards lost his primary race by eight votes, but Edwards wants to be absolutely sure. He’s filed an election contest in district court.
Posted inState Government
A Taxing Session?
The Texas Legislature will find itself in a multi-billion dollar budget hole when lawmakers return to Austin in 2011. Constitutionally, the state’s budget can’t run a deficit. Ben Philpott covers state politics and policy for KUT News and the Texas Tribune, and reports that lawmakers are expected to use a mixture of budget cuts and revenue raisers to keep the state in the black.
Posted in
Economy
A Taxing Session?
Lawmakers will find themselves in a multibillion-dollar ditch when they return to Austin in January 2011. Constitutionally, they can’t write a deficit budget, so they’re expected to use not just cuts but revenue raisers to keep the books in balance. Ben Philpott, who covers politics and public policy for KUT News and the Tribune, filed this report.
