Wouldn’t it be nice if Texas were to catch up to the modern world, for once? I’m addressing the issue of same-sex marriage here. What’s the use of fighting for a policy that without question violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection of the laws? In fairness to Greg
Rick Perry likes to say that the reason the Texas economy performs so well is because of the quality of the state’s work force, the reasonableness of regulations pertaining to business, and the passage of tort reform in 2003. I’ll grant him his evaluation of the work force and the
Governor Perry’s decision to fund the opening of a new Charles Schwab office in El Paso (and another in Austin) is a classic example of what is wrong with the governor’s economic development funds. Charles Schwab is a national firm that needs no subsidy from the state to succeed. The
Michael Quinn Sullivan, the Texas Ethics Commission, and the federal courts.
It is one thing to institute a DPS “surge” on the border; it is quite another to send the National Guard there, a thousand strong, as Perry intends to do. What is the purpose of sending the Guard to the border? The National Guard is a military force. Is its
Are we on the way to becoming Alabama?
In the July issue of the magazine, several writers—myself included—assessed the legacy of Governor Perry. One of the stories reviewed eight critical areas Texas Monthly believes the governor is responsible for, and we gave him a letter grade for each. Some readers thought we were too
One of two candidates, both of whom are outstanding choices. They are:Richard Fisher, the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of DallasorAdmiral William H. McRaven, a 36-year Navy Seal and the UT commencement speaker at June’s graduation ceremony.
I have generally been impressed by UT regents’ chair Paul Foster’s ability to smooth the waters concerning the Bill Powers controversy. But Foster was out of line when, a day after the University of Texas System announced that Powers would step down in June 2015 — ending a standoff that
My colleague Skip Hollandsworth has written a timely story for the upcoming August issue that was posted online this morning. Titled “Is This the Most Dangerous Man in Texas?” it’s about UT Regent Wallace Hall, the impeachment process, and the resignation of William Powers, the president of UT-Austin.
What does his resignation really mean?
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas is going to reopen the redistricting case left over from 2011. The first phase of the case involves the maps for the Texas House of Representatives; the second involves the U.S. House maps for 2011. The case comes at an
Texas Tech's gain is the Legislature's loss.
Wendy Davis is asleep at the switch again. The Obama administration has opened a new front on the battle over Medicaid expansion. By 2016, says the White House, states that have adopted expansion will have saved $4.3 billion. In addition, expansion states would have experienced 3.3 million annual physicians’ visits,
Wendy Davis wins a round over Greg Abbott.
Why Texas is stuck with its transportation policy.
A visiting judge has ruled that John Dietz can continue to preside over the school finance case.
The list of recipients of Emerging Technology Fund grants in particular is replete with Perry’s longtime friends and campaign contributors. The Dallas Morning News has reported on who received some of these grants, and have contributed large sums to his campaigns. The list includes: •$2.75 million to Terrabon Inc., a
How not to solve the problem on the border.
I’m stunned that Rick Perry allowed himself to be drawn into a discussion of homosexuality in an appearance before the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, in the nation’s most gay-friendly city. I thought he was far too seasoned a politician to make that kind of blunder. Apparently not.
The Democratic nominee will have the money. Will she have the talent and the staff?
Three Texas Republicans might be contenders in 2016.
The GOP platform is divorced from reality.
Paul Burka on Rick Perry’s greatest feat: completely changing state government.
What does his schedule suggest about his role?
A fight over immigration looms at the Republican state convention, which begins tomorrow in Fort Worth.This alert went out to Republicans attending the convention, from leaders opposed to immigration reform: “If you haven’t been paying attention, [Speaker] John Boehner and his “leadership” team (that includes Pete Sessions) have
Rick Perry's presidential ambitions have run into a formidable obstacle in his home state: fellow Texan Ted Cruz.
Rick Perry and the House appear to be on a collision course. The chatter is increasing around the Capitol that if the Transparency Committee continues on its course to impeach Wallace Hall, the governor will call the Legislature into a series of special sessions this summer, presumably on transportation.I don’t
In short, he never had a constituency.
The tea party is in total control of the state, and the consequences are going to be staggering.
Why moderate Republicans should run as moderate Republicans.
If this is the worst election season in recent memory, what does that mean for Texas in 2015?
I watched the debate on immigration between Dan Patrick and Julian Castro last night. Erica is also going to write about it today, but in my mind it didn’t really settle anything though it did raise a long-lingering issue. During the course of the debate, Patrick said that
UPDATE: This post has been edited to correct errors related to the candidates’ position on pre-K and public education. I regret the error.Why does pre-K matter? The answer is that professional educators wouldn’t be so gung-ho about pre-kindergarten instruction unless they saw the huge value – both in terms of
The ongoing lawsuit regarding the state’s public school system is expected to come to a head in May, when Travis County district judge John Dietz could issue his ruling. The question is whether Texas’s funding of public schools is inadequate, and, therefore, violates the Texas constitution’s imprimatur in Article VII
Are they the final nail in the coffin for the lieutenant governor?
Can high-speed rail ever work in Texas?
Glenn Hegar's proposal to eliminate property taxes in Texas could result in a huge spike in the sales tax.
Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, posted a strong showing in the March 4th primary
Ted Cruz should know better than to lambast federal judges for being unelected
David Dewhurst should give up his bid for re-election.
The governor gave a rousing speech, but his interpretation of the Constitution is too narrow
The voters have spoken (loudly) in the primary election. Where do we go from here?
A real-time view of an election in which the tea party flexed its muscles.
Here are five races that I’m watching with particular interest tomorrow that are part of an ongoing battle for control of the Republican party.Sarah Davis vs. Bonnie ParkerWhy it matters:This is a rematch of the 2010 primary, when Davis beat Parker 54-45. Davis is the only pro-choice Republican woman in
At long last, the business community seems to have awakened to the fact that there is an election going on. The Texas Future Business Alliance PAC has raised–wait for it–$112,000 to support members who favor infrastructure improvements.I wish I could celebrate the news, but the truth is that contributing $112,000
Here is part of the text of the ruling issued by federal district judge Orlando Garcia in San Antonio earlier today: “Today’s court decision is not made in defiance of the great people of Texas or the Texas Legislature, but in compliance with the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court precedent.
Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas Morning News has written a story that is fascinating indeed: four Republican lawmakers–all Christian conservatives–have fallen prey to what they claim is a Ponzi scheme orchestrated by a McKinney businessman who once claimed to have discovered Noah’s Ark. The politicians involved (Ken Paxton,
The candidates on the Republican ballot may compose the weakest ticket in terms of career accomplishments the Republican party has ever laid before voters. Take the race for comptroller: The four candidates (Harvey Hilderbran, Glenn Hegar, Debra Medina, Raul Torres) have thin resumes, Hilderbran excepted (he has been chairman of
The University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll results today are not surprising. They show Greg Abbott with a hefty 47-36 lead over Wendy Davis in the race for governor, with 17 percent undecided. That lead is to be expected; of more concern for the Davis campaign should be their inability
