As of October 26, a total of 858 school districts representing more than 4.3 million students have adopted the testing resolution opposing the over-reliance on high-stakes testing. That represents 84 percent of Texas school districts and 90 percent of all Texas public schools. House Speaker Joe ... Keep Reading

Tax collections are up 11.6 % from last year, spurred by continued strength in energy and manufacturing sectors. The key revenue source has increased 30 straight months. All state agencies are reviewed every 12 years for efficiency and continued relevance. This process is called Sunset Review and ... Keep Reading

Joe Brown, founding member and past president of the Texans for Advancement of Medical Research (TAMR), and The Alliance for Medical Research (TAMR-Ed), passed away on October 10, 2012 after a lengthy illness. Many of you knew Joe as a tireless advocate for medical research that may lead to ... Keep Reading

The five days I spent in Istanbul with Syrian democracy advocates was enlightening, as most of these trips are for me. The participants were all young -- in their mid twenties to mid thirties. They were Arab and Kurdish, Muslim and Christian, women and men. Several of the men had been detained ... Keep Reading

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst announced new chairmanships of Senate Committees this week, choosing Sen. Dan Patrick, Republican from Houston, to head the Senate Education Committee. Patrick’s appointment aligns Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Commissioner Michael L Williams and the chair of ... Keep Reading