State
Citizens Tell Senators School Districts Are Failing to Implement Law Barring Explicit Books
Problems with inappropriate materials persist in school districts across the state.
Texas Settles With AI Company Accused of Overpromising on its Healthcare Technologies
The state had accused Pieces Technology of misrepresenting the accuracy of its AI healthcare tool intended to help hospitals recommend treatments based on patient data.
Texas Children’s Hospital Whistleblower Tells Senate Committee to Investigate Use of State Funds
She was fired from her job at the hospital last month after disclosing information that allegedly revealed Medicaid fraud for gender mutilation procedures.
Aggie Scorecard, Investigations, State
Texas A&M Textbook Supports “Transgender” Bathrooms
The textbook author frames allowing males into female spaces as protecting transgender rights.
State Archive
Limits & Priorities
Everyone is about to get a refresher-course on the efficiency inspired by scarcity. According to press reports, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst wants to get more eligible kids on the state health insurance program. But he’s also committed to keeping the overall budget growth...
Environmental Nonsense
As the economy slows, the Dallas Morning News wants Texas to implement the same environmental regimen that has been killing jobs all around the nation. Their headline says it all, "Lawmakers need an environmental stick." The DMN needs that stick applied to their head....
Budget Control
It's early, and the details aren't clear, but the new state budget has only a 1-percent growth rate. Of course, that's the starting point. Over the next three months the budget will change, and change a lot. But it's encouraging to see that at least at the outset,...
A King’s Charge
With property taxes in Texas at near-confiscatory levels, State Rep. Phil King of Weatherford has been leading the charge to eliminate the scheme altogether. He's taken a step in making that happen by introducing a constitutional amendment that would begin devoting a...
Making Sausage
Texans are now officially locked out of the more interesting discussions at the Capitol. House members voted to exclude their caucus meetings from the state's open meetings laws. State Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth) defended the action, saying the caucuses "are a...
Putting The Gas Tax To Work
Even though we're told the gasoline tax is used to fund highway construction, we know some to non-road purposes. State Rep. David Leibowitz (D-San Antonio) wants to fix that, amending the constitution to require our gas-tax dollars are "used for the sole purpose of...
Less Money To Play With
A worsening national economy means Texas lawmakers are going to have almost $9 billion less in tax money to spend this Session than last. Talmadge Heflin over at the Texas Public Policy Foundation says the "Legislature needs to demonstrate leadership this year by...
Teen Voting
State Rep. Hubert Vo wants to let 17-year-olds vote in party primaries. The Houston Democrat/slumlord introduced a Constitutional Amendment 34 that will let anyone vote in the primaries who "will be 18 years of age or older on the date of the subsequent general...
Trans-Texas Corrosion
A few days ago, Texas Transportation Department director Amadeo Saenz announced, “the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) as it is known, will no longer exist”. The TTC was an extremely controversial toll road plan that has drawn negative attention to both TxDOT and Governor...