State

State Archive

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Williams’ Education

A strong, reform-minded conservative has been tapped by Gov. Rick Perry to lead the Texas Education Agency. This is good news for teachers, taxpayers, parents and, especially, students. Michael Williams served more than a decade at the Texas Railroad Commission, where...

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Yellow to Green

With the Texas Department of Transportation ditching a shade of yellow, taxpayers are going to save some green: about $2 million a year. TxDOT executive director Phil Wilson explained to me last week that for decades the agency has been painting transportation...

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Winning with Questions

Every city and county in Texas needs a JoAnn Fleming. Under her leadership and guidance, voters in Tyler—and around the state—have been pushing for smarter government. While many in the state's Tea Party movement know of Mrs. Fleming from her work on the legislature's...

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2007’s Worst Mostly Gone

Voters have been quietly busy separating the wheat from the chaff. Of the 31 Texas House Republicans making worse than a "C" on our 2007 Fiscal Responsibility Index, five years later nearly three-fourths have retired or been defeated—and nearly all have been replaced...

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From the Senate Race to the Speaker’s Race

If anything can be taken from Tuesday night’s victory for Ted Cruz and others around the state, it’s that the Tea Party is as powerful of a force as it ever was. The passion and determination of the movement was something remarkable to witness. It safe to assume our...

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Chisum Goes For A Taxer

It's sad to see State Rep. Warren Chisum ending his career in public service by supporting a self-admitted tax-raiser. But then, Mr. Chisum has spent too much of his time in public office cavorting with big-spenders and high-taxers. Mr. Chisum chose not to seek...

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GOP Battle Brewing Over Texas Taxes

One House GOP committee chairman is embracing the official platform position of the Republican Party of Texas, even as another has financed a study undermining it. State Rep. Harvey Hilderbran (R-Kerrville) last month said he wants lawmakers “to begin the process of...

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Finally Ending Property Taxes?

Texas doesn't have 'a' property tax, as any property owner knows, we have hundreds -- nay, thousands. Schools, cities, counties, hospitals... they and more have claims on your property. Now one state legislator says he wants to abolish them, or at least start moving...

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The Sky Didn’t Fall After All

This time last year, Texans were treated to doomsday scenarios of closing schools and fired teachers unless the legislature gave administrators every dollar they wanted. Lawmakers didn't cave, and today around the state many of those same teachers are getting raises....