WEEKLY REPORT
November 18, 2011
Time to Ask Texas Voters What They Really Want
The line to get a driver’s license at one Houston location is so long, according to Tommy Williams, that a guy called in a pizza order, got it delivered to him, and finished eating before he got to the front of the line.
(View complete article here.)
New study shows health insurance premium spikes in every state
Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance have risen faster than incomes in every state in the nation, according to a report released Thursday.
(View complete article here.)
Texas steps back from stiffest punishment of lax nursing homes
Texas has rolled back its muscular nursing home enforcement in the past decade, and advocates and insiders fear that elderly and frail residents are at risk of abuse and neglect as some operators routinely cut corners.
(View complete article here.)
Drought changes attitudes toward energy
Since the days of Spindletop, when oil first spewed from the soil near Beaumont, Texans have embraced the energy industry. But the worst drought in decades is straining that cozy relationship and spurring protests against projects that once would have been seen as a boon.
(View complete article here.)
Unanswered windstorm insurance questions confront legislators, even out of session
Lawmakers have been making changes in the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association since Hurricane Ike devastated the state’s upper Gulf Coast three years ago.
(View complete article here.)
Texas’ low-wage status is clearly not a good thing
Texas families are concerned about their economic security and their children’s futures. Wages are stagnant. Unemployment is high (having nearly doubled in the last few years). And the state just cut funding for education the proven path to better-paying jobs and a more prosperous economy.
(View complete article here.)
Runoff next in District 14 election gauntlet
That could be the case for Bob Yancy and John Raney, the two Republican candidates who advanced to a runoff in the District 14 Texas House of Representatives race Tuesday.
(View complete article here.)
Number of Texans Receiving Food Stamps Up Sharply Amid Recession
The number of Texans receiving federal food assistance — commonly known as food stamps — has increased by nearly 1.4 million in the last four years. Nearly 15 percent of Texans now receive food stamps, and many more than that are eligible.
(View complete article here.)
Lawmakers Want Defense Technology on Border
Lawmakers gathered today to discuss how to use military technology for border security as the United States shifts its roles in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Kel Seliger draws primary challenger
Former Ector County school board president Randy Rives said Tuesday he will challenge Seliger because Senate District 31 needs conservative leadership the seven-year incumbent has failed to provide.
(View complete article here.)
Nursing home neglect
A private nursing home chain enforced such strict rations on diapers that staff wrapped residents in towels and plastic garbage bags to keep their beds dry.
(View complete article here.)
Politicians, law enforcement clash over spillover violence
A recent shooting that wounded an Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputy and killed a gunman allegedly working for the Gulf Cartel has reignited the debate on spillover violence from Mexico’s drug war.
(View complete article here.)
Law changing payment rules on heart disease tests adds to Texas health insurance mandates
The American people do not realize how lucky they are to have Texas Gov. Rick Perry to blame for everything.
(View complete article here.)
For some Texas Republicans, balanced budget amendment doesn’t go far enough
It seems simple enough: The federal government should spend no more money than it brings in each year.
(View complete article here.)
Texas health premiums cost more, buy less
Texas employer-sponsored health insurance is costing more and buying less, a new report says.
(View complete article here.)
Texas Lawsuit Identifies Problems in Medicare Hospice Provisions
A lawsuit filed in Dallas against one of the nation’s largest hospice companies identifies how Medicare’s payment methods can offer unintended financial incentives to inappropriately move patients from HMOs into hospice programs and then into hospitals.
(View complete article here.)
Time running out for voter photo ID law in March primaries
In a clear signal that Texas’ March primaries might take place without new, stringent voter identification requirements, federal officials are warning that “incomplete information” provided by state elections officials has left them unable to determine whether the controversial law discriminates against minorities.
(View complete article here.)
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