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State Archive

Transportation Testimoney: Are New Sources Of Money Needed?

Despite legislative efforts to allow for the creation of new sources of transportation financing, it is not at all clear that there is currently a lack of transportation funding in Texas.    [This testimony was presented to the Joint Meeting of the House...

Carona and the Gospel of Higher Taxes

Proponents of higher taxes, less government accountability and no transparency gathered in Austin yesterday at the behest of their ally State Sen. John Carona. The cheerleading for bad policy and reckless economics lasted all day. The shills for higher taxes allegedly...

Big Rail

While I agree with Michael Sullivan that it was nice to hear Kay Bailey Hutchison on Friday push against the proposed gasoline tax hikes and other revenue grabs proposed by the proponents of boondoggles like light-rail. But her new oppositions to such porkbarrel...

Who Lost GOP Debate? Gas-Taxers

Clearly, everyone is convinced their candidate won the Friday night Belo debate of Republican gubernatorial candidates. Sure, whatever. In reality, there was one clear loser: the gas-tax lobby. The gas-tax lobby is comprised of the editorial boards of the two...

How Todd Smith Killed Voter ID: By Purposeful Inaction

While State Rep. Todd Smith (R-Euless) has said it was Republicans who killed the recent legislative effort to require photo identification when voting, he is getting it partially right. He's a Republican (sort of), and he made sure it died. We offer here a timeline...

Bad News, Good News

Texas has obviously not been immune from the effects of the global recession -- brought on in no small part by the sheer fiscal irresponsibility of Congress. But as Ray Perryman, the Waco economist noted recently, Texas is the "last in, first out" of the recession....

Medina refuses support of GOP ticket, suggests third-party activity

LUBBOCK – Candidate for the Republican nomination for Texas governor Debra Medina, in a Thursday appearance on radio show Pratt on Texas, refused to commit to support the Republican nominee for Texas governor if she is not the Party’s nominee. Medina hinted at there...

Can I Sit at the Big Table?

In 2008 Democrat Carol Kent picked off incumbent Republican Tony Goolsby to win House District 102. This year there are two Republicans vying to retake that seat Geoff Bailey and Stefani Carter. On the campaign trail you can recognize Bailey pretty easily; he is the...