State schools chief Robert Scott recently failed to get the Legislature to increase the cap on charter schools — then found a legal way to do it anyway, much to the dismay of state Democrats and teachers unions.
Texas Legislature
Posted in
Politics
2010: Hopson’s BFF
Republican Brian Walker, who lost a close race to Democrat Chuck Hopson in 2008, endorsed Hopson’s reelection bid next year — now that Hopson has switched to the GOP.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Forensic Science Chairmen Face Off
John Bradley, the Williamson County District Attorney and the newly-appointed chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, spent his morning answering a steady stream of questions from Texas lawmakers. At issue, if and when his panel will re-open the investigation into whether faulty science led to the arson conviction of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed by the state in 2004.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribBlog: Bradley Makes His Case
Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley expected some verbal jousting today at the Senate Criminal Justice Committee about his plans for the Texas Forensic Science Commission. He was right.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Anchia for President? How about Castro?
A California newspaper’s speculation on who will be the country’s first Hispanic president lists Texas’ own Rep. Rafael Anchia and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as fan favorites.
Posted in
T-Squared
T-Squared: Twit and Wisdom
We’ve set up our first Twitter list, aggregating the feeds of 58 tweeting Texas elected officials
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Sunset’s Up
House Speaker Joe Straus’ picks for the legislative committee that says whether the state should kill or keep state agencies: Reps. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and Byron Cook, R-Corsicana. San Antonio attorney Lamont Jefferson, who’s with the Haynes and Boone law firm, will serve as the House’s public member.
Posted in
State Government
2010: El Paso County Attorney announces Senate candidacy
Today in El Paso, County Attorney Jose Rodriguez announced he is running for the state Senate seat that Democrat Eliot Shapleigh is giving up.
Posted in
State Government
2010: Rodriguez Senate announcement Sunday
El Paso County Attorney Jose Rodriguez is expected to announce tomorrow at an El Paso press conference that he will run for the Texas Senate seat that state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh is vacating.
Posted in
Higher Education
The Tipping Point: Texas Textbook Politics Meets the Digital Revolution
Under new legislation, school districts for the first time can spend a portion of state “book” money on computer hardware and digital content. Some fear the explosion of choice will produce an erosion of quality content.
