A new audit of the Texas Medicaid system revealed that $5.5 million was paid out to managed care organizations (MCOs) between January 2013 and December 2015 for beneficiaries already deceased. The report, conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services Office...
Texas State University, located in San Marcos, is coming under fire in recent weeks for allowing a racist article to be published in the school newspaper. The newspaper, titled The University Star, approved the publication of an article titled “Your DNA is an...
The University of Texas Board of Regents is going to raise tuition again, after having done so several times in the last few years, and as recently as just last year. The University sent out a survey to all its students prior to the announcement that they would be...
Following County Judge Ed Emmett’s State of Harris County speech last week, State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) released a blistering press release in which he and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized Emmett’s opposition to their property tax reform proposals. Emmett’s...
An abortion restrictions measure, Senate Bill 8 by State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Round Rock), has been blocked by a federal judge with the Western District of Texas. Judge Earl Leroy Yeakel III, a George W. Bush appointee, ruled in late November that the law, which...
A lawsuit filed Monday is alleging that an incumbent Texas House Republican’s campaign made false accusations with Child Protective Services against his opponent in order to gain an advantage in the 2016 Republican primary. Bo French, a Fort Worth businessman who is...
Texas’ 6th Congressional District is getting a new representative in 2018, and Tarrant County is getting a new tax assessor. As U.S. Rep. Joe Barton announced last Thursday that he would not seek re-election, Ron Wright stepped down as Tarrant County’s tax...
Conservatives in East Texas can rest assured that at least one liberal lawmaker won’t be returning to the Texas House next session. On Tuesday, State Rep. Lance Gooden (R–Terrell) announced his intention to run for the Texas’ 5th Congressional seat to succeed outgoing...
Chip Roy, former chief of staff to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, announced his campaign for Congress Wednesday morning. Roy is running to represent Texas’ 21st Congressional District and is attempting to replace U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R–San Antonio), who is retiring after 16...
A Republican strategist tied to the corruption and admission scandals that have plagued the University of Texas announced her bid for an open congressional seat today. But it might be Jennifer Sarver’s October 10, 2016, column in the Dallas Morning News promoting...
Shortly before announcing their retirements on the exact same day, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus and State Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) teamed up to form a temporary, 60-day committee for the interim period, with the announced intent of “re-assert(ing) that Texas is...
Meetings of the State Republican Executive Committee are always contentious affairs, but Saturday’s gathering was even more compelling than normal with members considering the first application of party rule 44: the censure. But despite having the support from a...
Republican primary voters will get a chance to vote on eleven propositions that could have a major impact in deciding which issues merit attention from the Texas Legislature in 2019. Meeting in Austin this weekend, the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) voted...
At Tarrant County GOP headquarters today, one of Texas’ most conservative state legislators filed for re-election. State Sen. Konni Burton (R-Colleyville) filed for a place on the 2018 Republican primary ballot to represent Senate District 10, which encompasses most...
A Republican member of Texas’ Congressional delegation is facing renewed scrutiny from his constituents over a previously reported sexual harassment case after a report claims he settled the case using $84,000 in taxpayer dollars. At the center of the allegations is...
During his annual State of Harris County Address, County Judge Ed Emmett blasted conservative state lawmakers for pushing reforms that would require voter approval for property tax hikes. Emmett was introduced by Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, upon whom he lavished...
We won! That’s the message from opponents of Mesquite’s planned land grab as new municipal annexation reforms kicked in today. December 1 marks the effective date of Senate Bill 6, which restricts forced annexation in Texas. The new law requires cities in counties...
One of Texas’ largest business associations is claiming that sanctuary cities are somehow “pro-business.” Sanctuaries cities are municipalities that undermine or refuse to comply with federal immigration laws. It’s an issue that was thrust into the national...
In a stunning failure Friday, the Texas House GOP Caucus adopted a process for selecting a speaker candidate that is out of step with the Republican platform. In recent months, GOP activists have urged House Republicans to adopt a process whereby they would unite...
