Ben, Ross, Evan and Matt talk about President Obama’s visit to Texas and who didn’t want to be seen with him, the battle over strings attached to federal education money, Bill White’s donor-appointees and the legal and political definitions of residency.
Politics
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Posted in
Economy
Every Doggett Has His Day
The U.S. House has passed a bill on Tuesday that is expected to send about $800 million to bolster the state’s education budget. But thanks to an amendment added by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, the funding comes with Texas-specific strings attached. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune has this report.
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Demographics
TribBlog: Border Residents Feel Safe, Poll Finds
A large majority of the residents of Texas cities on the U.S.-Mexico border feel relatively safe despite harsh rhetoric from lawmakers and a consistent media portrayal of their communities as war zones, according to a poll released today.
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Politics
The Polling Center: White’s No Mad Man
Bill White deciding to travel to points far from Austin and Dallas while President Barack Obama visits the state today to raise money and speak at the University of Texas presents us with yet another mountain-out-of-a-molehill political story in the long, hot summer of gassy coverage of the governor’s race. A look at Obama’s standing in Texas makes it clear that White would be nuts to share a stage with Obama unless he feels like doing a favor for Gov. Rick Perry’s ad team.
Posted in
Health care
TribBlog: How Much Do Kids Count?
Texas ranks 34th nationally in childhood well-being, has the third highest teen birth rate and is experiencing a rapid increase in child poverty, according to new numbers released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS Count data center.
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Politics
The Map: Get Out the Vote
El Paso and Hidalgo are the largest Latino-majority and Democratic-leaning counties in the state, and they rank near the bottom when you compare the size of their voting age population to the actual number of people who show up at the polls. Collin and Fort Bend are growing suburban counties with larger Anglo populations that tend to lean Republican and produce some of the highest turnouts of eligible voters anywhere in Texas. Guess which pair gets the most attention and has the most clout?
Posted in
Demographics
The Map: The Giant Still Sleeps
Nearly 37 percent of the state’s population of nearly 25 million is Latino, but only about 1.2 million Latinos who were registered to vote in 2008 cast ballots. Pinpointing when the emerging majority group in Texas will begin wielding its power at election time is no small feat. Scores of campaigns, party activists and interest groups spend millions of dollars each year trying to determine what will happen when that day comes.
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Politics
2010: Rasmussen: Perry 50, White 41
Gov. Rick Perry leads Democrat Bill White 50-41 in the latest poll from Rasmussen Reports.
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Politics
The Brief: June 25, 2010
That extra spring in Democrats’ step this weekend? Blame it on the Green Party.
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Politics
2010: Perry 43, White 43
According to a new poll released by Public Policy Polling, Democratic challenger Bill White is running neck and neck with incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry.