After much hand-wringing by public officials and business leaders over the dropout crisis, a patchwork of last-resort schools and programs has emerged statewide. Gauging their performance is tricky, but there’s no question that the students they serve might otherwise be on the street or in jail.
State Government
Stay informed on Texas state government with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth coverage of the governor, Legislature, state agencies, and policies shaping the future of Texas.
Posted inState Government
Your Last Rest Stop
From Texas Weekly, this same week a year ago: “Kay Bailey Hutchison’s term in the U.S. Senate runs through 2012 and she now says she won’t resign earlier than the end of next year if she runs for governor. She has formed an exploratory committee.”
Posted in
State Government
2010: The Old Carpetbagger Ploy
Holly Turner, running for the Texas House in Austin’s HD-47, got welcomed into the race by a fellow Republican’s press release with this headline
Posted in
State Government
The Polling Center: Indirect Soundings on Ronnie Earle
Is retired Travis County D.A. Ronnie Earle — who talked about running for governor and then filed for lieutenant governor — a strong statewide candidate?
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Stiles and Thevenot collaborate on the salaries paid to superintendents, and even compare them on price per student… Ramsey’s look at redistricting and next year’s elections… Aguilar’s report on jails, brought to you by the federal agency that’s in the ag business… Rapoport’s peek at the power behind Texas pre-kindergarten programs… Smith’s conversation with Dan Patrick, in three parts… Grissom’s narrative on a circular immigration and deportation route financed by two governments… Ramshaw finds doctors agreeing on public policy and split on strategy and tactics… Hu’s latest Stump Interrupted puts the camera on Farouk Shami… Hamilton’s story on two retired cops who are taking on cargo theft in Texas… And Kreighbaum and Stiles pop open the itineraries of your folks in Congress. The best of our best from December 12 to 18, 2009.
Posted in
Politics
2010: Ronnie Earle Files for Lite Guv
The former Travis County District Attorney was expected to file for some statewide race, though precisely which one has been something of a mystery. Mystery solved.
Posted in
Economy
TribBlog: Unemployment Drops in Texas
Unemployment in Texas hit 8 percent in November — down from the 8.3 percent recorded the previous month and higher than the 5.4 percent registered in the same month of 2008, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Keep On Trucking
Texas has the worst rates of cargo and heavy equipment theft in the country. Yet while criminals are raking in billions of dollars each year, the state has never had an organized system to address the problem.