The Texas Legislature has decided that everyone that runs a barbecue joint is as honest as the day is long, that they’re so trustworthy they should be exempted from consumer protection laws. Horse hockey. As Ronald Reagan said, “Trust but verify.” I trust my local barbecue guy, but I still want to see that when I buy a pound of sausage I’m getting a pound of sausage.
In my 18-year career as an advocate for victims of crime, it is a rare day that I see a woman walk out of family or criminal court with the outcome they wanted and/or needed to protect themselves and their children from further harm. Instead, most of the victims I have worked with are forced to share custody of their children, to co-parent with their abuser and stay up all night wondering if their children are safe.
The proposed ESA program in House Bill 21 recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all-approach to educating students. If it is enacted, parents would have the option of using money deposited in their ESA to pay for tuition at accredited private schools, tutoring, special-education therapies, homeschool curriculum, online courses or any combination of those options.
As we reach the end of a legislative session surrounded by hundreds of bills that died on the vine, there is one that stands out as worthwhile and urgent: Senate Bill 354, the Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids bill (known as “LEAD-K”). This bill would ensure that deaf children arrive at kindergarten with language milestones commensurate to their hearing peers.
Maintaining a strong nurse pipeline to keep pace with an aging population, nurse retirements and our rapidly growing Central Texas communities is an ongoing challenge. The Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies projects the demand for registered nurses in the state could exceed supply by almost 60,000 by 2030.
To protect our nation and their own majority in Congress, Republicans not only have to govern by building a national consensus, but also to get to the bottom of the Trump and Russia issue.
During my 40 years in Texas, if you were a Republican, you were most certainly a pro-business politician. But today, many in the state's GOP leadership are moving away from, even ignoring, the business community. That is surely not their intention, but it surely will be the result.
Ability to pay an amount of money determines whether many people will be held in jail until their trials or sent home, instead of whether they pose risks to their communities, their likelihood to commit new crimes or whether they’ll come back to court for hearings or trials.
Straight-ticket voting allows down-ballot Republican candidates to ride the coattails of popular and well-funded candidates like Gov. Abbott. It also discourages high-quality Democratic candidates from running in down-ballot statewide contests, and major donors from bankrolling those who do run.
I don’t spend time planning retirement or saving for things like boats or vacations. I don’t worry about my future career or strive for a position of authority or wealth. I worry about what happens when I am not on this planet to watch and look after my special-needs son, Landon.
If this sanctuary cities law goes into effect, Austin and other Texas cities will be forced to make our communities less safe. And we’re speaking out even though this new law would, incredibly enough, allow our state attorney general to remove local elected officials from office if they endorse a different policy, even one that’s in accordance with federal immigration law.
There’s still a little time for state lawmakers to make real progress for kids before the legislative session ends on May 29, but as of today our state legislators are at great risk of falling short.
But blissful ignorance is unacceptable when it comes to Texas schools. Of course, no one wants to believe that their schools are “failing” or even that they have room to improve. But by weakening accountability and assessment measures, we’re only kicking the can down the road while turning a blind eye to the issues in our state’s education system.
Texas’ success has inspired reform across our nation. But many states are poised to surpass the Lone Star State as a juvenile justice policy leader. Due to a recent nationwide movement to raise the age of criminal responsibility, Texas remains one of only six states where 17-year-olds have adult criminal responsibility.
RRC’s information on oil and gas venting and flaring practices provides a critical measure of the efficiency of the oil and gas industry. With improved access to and clarity of information on venting and flaring volumes, scientists and the general public can better understand why, when and where some types of organizations and wells vent or flare at a higher rate than others.
Why should accessibility be a top priority of Texas leaders in the debate over high-speed trains, autonomous vehicles, and TNCs? Simply put, creating transportation equity allows all Texans greater access to employment, education, and upward economic mobility.
The decision for what medication to use and when to use it is based on the patient’s medical condition, his or her history and myriad other factors that are based on a deep knowledge of the drugs, condition and patient preferences and goals. Only the physician and the patient know what choice will be best for that patient. Not the insurance company.
Both SB 292 and HB 12 promote use of the most current knowledge and best practices in behavioral health to target these highest-risk individuals, direct them to the most effective interventions and services and hold local systems accountable for results.
The Texas Legislature is close to a finish on House Bill 100, a bill that purports to streamline the operations of Transportation Network Companies (TNC) like Fasten, Uber and Lyft. In reality, it will do three no good, horrible, very bad things: putting the safety of every ride hailing customer in the state at risk, enabling discrimination and weakening the sovereignty of cities across the state.
The Texas Legislature is considering a statewide bill that would bring fairness to short-term residential rentals in Texas — by creating a consistent regulatory playing field for short-term rentals, ensuring all Texans have the opportunity to participate in this dynamic market.
