Chopping block: Eliminate state funding for standardized testing
One reader’s suggestion: Have the Legislature quit paying for 11th graders to take the SAT or ACT. Quit paying for all 10th graders to taken the PSAT or PLAN. For those who can’t afford to take these...
View ArticleLegislature moves closer to police line up reforms
In tough-on-crime Texas, state lawmakers who shepherd a bill to reform some aspect of the criminal justice system can face uphill battles. But this session, crowded with budget debates and...
View ArticleChopping block: Gut state funding for Planned Parenthood
In the spirit of today’s belt-tightening budget in the House, our Chopping Block features a family planning group that has been caught in the cross-hairs of state budget debates across the country. A...
View ArticleChopping block: Eliminate monthly Medicaid letters
A reader writes: Texas Health and Human Services Commission mails a paper Medicaid Identification Card each and every month to Medicaid recipients at a cost of $0.35 per mailing. Medicaid recipients...
View ArticleChanges to post-conviction DNA win Senate approval
Another bill in Sen. Rodney Ellis’ so-called Innocence Protection Package passed the Senate this morning — this time with unanimous approval. The bill would require a defendant’s motion for...
View ArticleChopping block: Use more volunteers at TDCJ
A reader writes: As a TDCJ Volunteer, I get to see a lot in prisons. I interact with staff as well as both male/female inmates. If I would cut anything it would be in Administration: 1. Chaplains-limit...
View ArticleJuvenile justice merger wins Senate approval
A Senate bill that sailed through the chamber today would create a 11-member board, appointed by Gov. Rick Perry, to lead a new Texas Juvenile Justice Department. The proposal would merge the Texas...
View ArticleChopping block: Licensing bicycles
While no state agency is charged with regulating the sale or use of bikes in Texas, licensing bikes could prove a boon for lawmakers scrounging for revenue, says Robin Stallings, the executive director...
View ArticleChanges to TEXAS Grant program win tentative approval in House
The House gave tentative approval today to a Senate bill that would alter a popular grant program aimed at helping low-income high school seniors fund their college educations. Rep. Dan Branch,...
View ArticleChopping block: Eliminate toll road advertising
The Texas Department of Transportation is spending less every year to advertise the state’s toll road system, according to data from agency spokeswoman Kelli Petras. In fiscal year 2008, from Sept....
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