State news in Texas
Statewide Texas News
Analysis: A Bad Week for Gambling Interests in Texas
Between legislative pressure and citizens pushing back against casinos, gambling advocates face an uphill battle.
Professors Testify Against Faculty Senate Reform Proposal
The measure pushes back against “shared governance” between faculty and boards of regents.
Court Blocks Biden-era Rule Demanding Foster Care Providers Affirm LGBT Identities
Texas sued the Biden administration over the rule last year.
A Conversation on the Future of Border Security
Border officials emphasized that with Trump now in office, the real work of eliminating the cartels currently operating in the country can finally begin.
State Archive
A Most Unethical Commission
It went about how you would have expected. We were in front of a kangaroo court accustomed to operating far outside the sunlight of public review. Thursday night’s “hearing” by the Texas Ethics Commission on the abusive complaints filed as political vendettas by two...
Joe Straus’ Lawyer Wants to be Your Next Ag Commissioner
Recently, Austin attorney Eric Opiela announced that he will be running to replace Todd Staples as your next Agriculture commissioner. “Who is Eric Opiela?” you might ask. He’s a twice-failed candidate for the Texas House, and a lawyer for Joe Straus. Mr. Opiela would...
Sarah Davis’ Misguided View of Government
State Rep. Sarah Davis of Houston—the only unabashed pro-choice Republican in the Texas House—remains adamant that “government has no place in the abortion debate.” It’s too bad she doesn’t apply that same philosophy to areas where government actually should be...
Big, Bad Growth
You know how we Texans like to brag about being a limited government, low-tax state? New analysis from the Tax Foundation says otherwise. From 2001-2011, real per-capita direct government spending rose 32.9 percent in the Lone Star State, putting us at #15 in the...
Is the Legislature at a Roadblock on Transportation?
It appears legislators stand at a roadblock regarding transportation funding. While both chambers officially stand in recess for a week, informal discussions on how to move forward are already underway. A quick recap of what’s taken place so far: The Senate passed SJR...
House Fails to Protect ESF… Again
To no one’s surprise, the Texas House choose easier spending over common sense protections for the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund. When given an opportunity to put a “floor” for the ESF into the transportation funding bill debated yesterday, 20 moderate...
Transparency Committee Goes Behind Closed Doors
In the coming weeks, the Texas House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations will be meeting in a closed-door session to begin their witch-hunt impeachment against a university regent accused of… seeking greater transparency. And, quite possibly,...
Protecting the ESF Needs ‘Special’ Attention
During the regular session of 83rd Texas Legislature (and very prominently, during the debate over Senate Joint Resolution 2 in the first called session), the issue of how large of a balance the State should maintain in the Economic Stabilization Fund took...
House Set to Take Step Back With Transportation Funding
Today the House will take up House Joint Resolution 2 and its enabling legislation, House Bill 16. These bills relate to the Governor’s call for the Legislature to identify funding sources for transportation infrastructure projects. This particular package of bills...