Forget about issues. The GOP primary for this Senate seat in Central Texas is all about honesty and integrity. Incumbent Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, says of his challenger, Ben Bius, “I can’t remember the last time he said something truthful.” Bius says of Ogden, “I can forgive a man a policy difference if he keeps his word.”
Texas Senate
Posted in
Economy
The Last Time Around
How will lawmakers deal with a budget shortfall of at least $11 billion — and maybe several billion more — in the next legislative session? In all likelihood, by doing what they did in 2003, when things were almost this bad.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Change
Sen. Cornyn said allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the U.S. military would hinder recruitment efforts.
Posted in
State Government
2010: Michael Williams Rails
… against Washington, of course, and the less-than-resolute wing of his party: An interview with the Texas Railroad Commissioner, who’d like very much, thank you, to be the next Marco Rubio.
Posted in
State Government
Averitt’s Out. Now What?
The Waco senator’s exit could open the door for the Democrats, who don’t have a candidate in the race but might get a chance to add one.
Posted in
State Government
2010: The Democrats Muck Their Hand in Waco
You cannot win if you do not play: Poker players know it, and the Ds, if they mean to make this a two-party state again, need to know it too.
Posted in
State Government
2010: Kip Averitt Drops Senate Reelection Bid
A Burleson insurance agent who was challenging him in the primary is the beneficiary of his unexpected decision, as no Democrat filed to run in the race.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Access Granted
Should reporters wear muzzles when they’re around politicians? Some states seem to think so, but not, thankfully, Texas.
Posted in
Demographics
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.
Posted inState Government
Dan Patrick on His Future
The Republican state senator from Houston on whether he wants to run for statewide office in Texas.
