WEEKLY REPORT

April 20, 2012

Increase in poor children alarming

One in four children in our community lives in poverty, according to the latest research from the Center for Public Policy Priorities. Instead of improving, the numbers have grown by 8 percentage points over the last decade.

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OPINION: Vote ID law is a waste of money

 

In 1960, the Nixon presidential campaign charged that Fannin County, Texas, allowed more people to vote in that year’s election than had paid poll taxes, the unconstitutional $1 to $2 ballot box admission fee once mandated by the state. Indeed, 6,138 ballots were cast in Fannin County when only 4,895 people had paid the poll tax.

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Look deeper on immigration reform

“When you talk about bilingual education, when you talk about the DREAM Act, when you talk about immigration reform — the moment you talk about one of these labels, you conjure up a parade of horribles in your own mind,” said former Texas Supreme Court Justice Raul Gonzalez, the first Hispanic elected to statewide office in Texas.

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Perry wants anti-tax pledge from lawmakers

Gov. Rick Perryis expected to call on lawmakers and legislative candidates to sign onto an anti-tax pledge Monday, despite the prospects of another challenging state budget.

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Editorial: Texas children need health insurance

In 2008, more than 405,000 babies were born in Texas, and in the past decade, the number of Texas children grew by almost a million, to about 6.86 million. We know that it’s in our best interests to give these children the resources and the structure to become productive, healthy adults. But that’s no easy task, especially given the financial straits of the past few years and the massive budget cuts that ensued. In last year’s state legislative session, we lost $5.3 billion from education funding for 2012 and 2013, and $2.03 billion from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

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Perry promotes plan to control state budget, spending

Texas might be bringing in more tax dollars than expected, but Gov. Rick Perry said Monday the last thing the state should do is spend that money.

Straus urges end of gridlock, defends state

Texas House Speaker Joe Straus admonished federal lawmakers Tuesday to tone down the partisan rhetoric in the nation’s capital before being forced to defend Republican decisions women’s healthcare.

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Fort Worth discusses hiring only nonsmokers

If you want to be hired by the city of Fort Worth, being a nonsmoker may soon be required. In what could be an unprecedented move for a city, officials are studying the idea of telling smokers they need not apply.

Planned Parenthood Branches Vote to Merge

The boards of three regional Planned Parenthood branches — North Texas, Central Texas and the Capital Region — have voted to merge, forming a $29 million-per-year mega-organization with 26 clinics up and down the Interstate 35 corridor.

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SBOE members prefer big districts to bigger board

The oft-divided State Board of Education on Tuesday appeared united against a possible legislative effort to expand the board beyond its current 15 seats.

Rising tuitions threaten Texans

More than a decade after Texas set ambitious goals for higher education, a new study warns that its policies create gaps that could block the path to college for thousands of students and imperil the state’s economic future.

Lawmakers livid over reports of coercion, extortion at Giddings youth lockup

Two legislative architects of Texas’ sweeping reforms in juvenile justice after a sex-abuse scandal five years are fuming over a new report that questions security and safety at the Giddings State School.

In Texas, Property Rights on Collision Course With Oil Industry
In the final installment of a series on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, Mose Buchele of StateImpact Texas, in partnership with State Impact Oklahoma, reports on what happens when laws favoring landowners come into conflict with pipeline companies granted the power to seize land.

Texas Unemployment Rate Drops, Economy Adds Jobs

Texans have received more good news on the state’s economy: 10,900 jobs were added in March, and the unemployment rate dropped to 7 percent from 8 percent at the same time last year, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

Bastrop State Park Reopens After Fire

Less than a year after a wildfire burned 96 percent of Bastrop State Park’s 6,613 acres, the Central Texas park is showing signs of rebirth. Camping areas and hiking trails have recently reopened and grass and trees are growing from the once-charred soil.

(View complete article here.)