Arnold Public Affairs
Weekly News Report
September 16, 2011
Below are some general items of interest pertaining to the latest political developments and important events:
Congressional Democrats testify against Legislature’s redrawn districts
“Congressional Texas Democrats arrived from Washington on Monday to bash the voting districts drawn by the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature, testifying in federal court that the map discriminates by crowding blacks and Hispanics into shared districts despite a statewide surge in minority growth…….”
(View full article here).
Frustration grows for Texas wildfire evacuees
“Residents left homeless by a massive Central Texas wildfire turned their attention Friday to what they need to move forward, with some voicing frustration over a perceived delay in federal response even as early signs of recovery appeared in reopened neighborhoods…..….”
(View full article here).
Perry honors 9/11 victims, responders
“Perry placed a red, white and blue wreath at the 9/11 monument at the cemetery alongside cards and flowers commemorating those who died in the attacks 10 years ago. He saluted the monument and spoke to assembled law enforcement officials, noting the sacrifices made by first responders nationwide…….”
(View full article here).
Austin based company hopes new technology can spawn boom in algae production
“That naturally horizontal growth has been a challenge for entrepreneurs looking to make algae production commercially viable — because it takes lots of land and water to produce large quantities of the tiny organisms………”
(View full article here).
With boom of student veterans, colleges race to provide services
“Matt King brushed sand off the pages of his Princeton Review ACT book while the chaos of the Iraq War roared around him as he studied for college entrance exams during a 2005-06 tour of duty..…..”
(View full article here).
Some Texas Teachers Left to Clean Up Budget Cut Mess
“Entering the new year, Gardner’s district can say something that fewer and fewer schools in Texas can — that no teachers have been laid off as a result of state budget cuts. But the Dripping Springs Independent School District has eliminated custodial positions, and that has left teachers there with new tasks once the school bell rings: sweeping classrooms and taking out the trash………”
(View full article here).
Charlie Howard Won’t Run Again
“Howard, 69, began his tenure in the Legislature in 1995. He’s been easily re-elected ever since, never drawing less than 64 percent of the vote either in primary or general elections. But this year, opponents started to emerge. Sugar Land Mayor Pro Tem Jacquie Chaumette and Sonal Bhuchar, a Fort Bend ISD Board Trustee, are already in the race, and Howard’s decision to step down could draw others into the race….…..”
(View full article here)
Barbra Mallory Caraway knocking on doors today to unseat Eddie Bernice
“Barbara Mallory Caraway’s run to unseat incumbent Eddie Bernice Johnson in Congress is in full swing….…”
(View full article here).
Area wildfires costliest in state history
“The Insurance Council of Texas reported Monday that estimated losses due to recent wildfires in Central Texas are $250 million, by far the costliest in the state’s history….…”
(View full article here).
Tea Partiers cheer to let uninsured die, Ron Paul says let Churches help
“When debate moderator Wolf Blitzer brought up a hypothetical young, uninsured American in a coma, he asked, “Are you saying society should just let him die?” and the tea party crowd cheered, some shouting, “Yes!”…....”
(View full article here)
Texas leads nation in numbers without health insurance
“Texas leads the nation in the percentage of people without health insurance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s figures released Tuesday….…”
(View full article here)
Lawmakers defiant over federal clean air act
“A threat by one of the state’s largest energy companies to shut down generators and layoff hundreds of workers over stricter pollution standards came one day after the EPA issued a letter assuring the company a plan could be worked out to help it comply with the standards……”
(View full article here).
Federal agencies on alert for 10th anniversary of 9/11
“Gov. Rick Perry may be taking heat for his failed plan to require young girls in Texas to get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted disease human papillomavirus, but the Mexican government has decided it’s a good idea, and many other U.S. states have considered similar plans…….”
(View full article here)
Border issues take high priority with Texas lawmakers
“Of all the work the state government has done to protect its citizens since the 9/11 attacks, none has gotten more attention than border security...….”
(View full article here)
Oil pipeline sparks South Texas jobs boom
“A new pipeline in Hobson is gushing money for the small towns that dot a 400-mile stretch that geologists call the Eagle Ford Shale…….”
(View full article here)
Texas power plants deadline corrected
“A top Environmental Protection Agency official on Thursday rebuffed concerns that some Texas power plants could shut down because they might not have enough time to prepare for a new federal limit on toxic emissions that cross state lines….…”
(View full article here).
More Schools Choose to Teach Abstinence-Plus
“In the spring, public school students in Midland will touch what until recently was the political third rail of sex education. For the first time they will be taught about contraception — and how to practice safe sex…….”
(View full article here).
Dewhurst is a candidate without a worst-case scenario
“The lieutenant governor is the guy waiting in line, the candidate who has climbed the ladder in an orderly way. If you go for this sort of thing — and the Republican Party often does — it’s his turn….…”
(View full article here).
Plaintiffs make final push over Texas voting map
“Minority groups made a final push Thursday to have new redistricting maps tossed out, arguing in court that the new election lines violate federal law by diminishing Hispanics’ voting strength and failing to recognize a surge in their population over the past decade in Texas…..…”
Leave a Reply