Texas Tribune Weekly Rundown
The Texas Tribune's rundown of capitol politics for the week of March 7-11, 2011. Full Story
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Job Market Proves Tougher for Workers Over 50
The nation’s unemployment rate ticked down last month. But as Matt Largey of KUT News reports, even in Texas, which has fared comparatively well, the job market remains bleak for one group: workers over 50. Full Story
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Inside Intelligence: The Consequences of Public Ed Cuts Will Be...
For the latest installment of our nonscientific survey of political and policy insiders, we asked what it would mean to make deep cuts to public education, as proposed by the House, the Senate and the governor. Full Story
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Deuell Eyes Rainy Day Fund
Austin, TX. March 1, 2011 State Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, would rather raise taxes a little bit than make the cuts lawmakers are considering now. Full Story
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Deuell: Make Cuts, but Raise Taxes Too
State Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, would rather raise taxes a little bit than make the cuts lawmakers are considering now, he told the Tribune this evening. Full Story
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Disability Rights Protesters Block Perry's Office
A dozen protestors from disability rights group ADAPT gathered at Gov. Rick Perry's office this afternoon to block the entrances. Organizers say they wont leave until Perry pledges to oppose cuts to community services. Full Story
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Disability Advocates: "No Cuts! No Cuts!"
Disability advocates gathered at the Capitol today to call on lawmakers to use the Rainy Day Fund, to raise new revenue and, above all else, to not cut community-based services for the disabled. Over and over again the crowd chanted, "No cuts! No cuts!" Full Story
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![People with disabilities protest at the Texas Capitol against budget cuts to home and community-based services on March 1,...]()
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
The best of our best content from Feb. 21 to 25, 2011. Full Story
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Voices of the Mentally Ill
As lawmakers consider cutting community-based mental health care services by about 20 percent in the 2012-2013 budget, the Texas Tribune talks with mentally ill Harris County Jail inmates and with consumers who use community-based services to stay out of jail and off the streets. Full Story
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Mental Health Cuts Would Strain Local Jails
Proposed reductions in community-based mental health treatment, experts say, will mean more mentally ill Texans are likely to end up on the streets, in emergency rooms and behind bars, where it will cost local taxpayers even more to care for them. Full Story
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Bill: Hire an Illegal Alien, Go to Jail — Unless It's Your Maid
The bill would broaden the scope of employers subject to scrutiny — and extend penalties for violators to include possible jail time and big fines. Exempt? People who hire undocumented workers as domestic help. Full Story
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Texplainer: Can Wisconsin Happen Here?
Gov. Scott Walker should come to Texas, where much of what he’s seeking already exists. The right to bargain collectively isn’t allowed among state employees, and no public employee in Texas may legally go on strike. Full Story
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UT/TT Poll: Senate Race Wide Open as Voters Are Glum About Future
Most Texas voters haven't decided, but if they voted today, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst would lead the field for the Republican nomination to replace U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Full Story
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"Rube Goldberg" School Finance System Faces New Test
Cutting $10 billion public education funding could push more than two-dozen school districts from the group that receives state financing into the group that writes checks to the state to even things out between richer and poorer districts. Full Story
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Inside Intelligence: Public Education Funding Is...
For the latest installment of our nonscientific survey of political and policy insiders on issues of the moment, we asked whether public education is sufficiently funded in Texas — and how deep the coming cuts are likely to be. Full Story
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What's at Stake in the Texas-Amazon Fight Over State Sales Taxes?
The fight over Amazon's taxes isn't just about the giant online retailer. State officials say Texas is losing $600 million annually on taxable items purchased online. And as they work to close a budget gap of up to $27 billion, they're chasing every penny. Full Story
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Budget Cuts Trickle Down to Local Governments
One lawmaker has proposed a constitutional amendment blocking lawmakers from passing so-called unfunded mandates on to local governments. But as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, cities and counties worry the costs will come anyway. Full Story
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The Governor's Symbolic Cuts and His Real Ones
The proposed budget cuts Gov. Rick Perry laid out in his State of the State speech are more symbolic than lucrative and trivialize the cuts that are being made elsewhere in state services and programs. Full Story
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Perry: Protect Rainy Day Fund
Gov. Rick Perry told lawmakers Tuesday he is against tapping the state's $9.4 billion Rainy Day Fund to close the budget shortfall: “That approach would not only postpone tough, necessary decisions." Full Story
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Perry to Push Colleges to Offer $10,000 Degree
Gov. Rick Perry will challenge the state's colleges and universities to offer a $10,000 bachelor's degree, including books, in his State of the State speech later this morning, according to sources familiar with some of the proposals. Full Story
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