Feds aren't telling the truth about Medicaid funds
The Obama administration is attempting to coerce Texas into expanding Medicaid against state lawmakers' better judgment — and against voters' wishes.
More Columns
What Texas could learn from Ireland on gay rights
The legalization of gay marriage by popular vote in Ireland — one of Western Europe's most conservative countries — sends a strong message to red-state holdouts like Texas.
Don't kill Texas' immigrant spirit
Texas celebrates ethnic diversity and empowers newcomers to become prosperous citizens. In the final days of the legislative session, lawmakers should oppose any bills that seek to change that.
The truth about campus carry
Try as they might, campus carry opponents have no factual basis for their position, so this year they've resorted to overblown claims about costs.
Don't let agency reform get derailed
Thousands of hours of work spent on recommending crucial changes to the state's health agencies are now in jeopardy. Lawmakers can't let that go to waste.
Who really wants tax relief — and why
Headlines and rhetoric out of the Texas Legislature this year suggest that the public is clamoring for tax relief. But the polling says otherwise.
The trick to battling gender stereotypes
Research shows that simply criticizing absurd gender stereotypes — like those highlighted by a recent Austin city staff training session — isn’t enough to dispel them. Here’s what it takes.
A state power grab in disguise
A proposal to impose stricter revenue caps on counties may sound fiscally conservative, but it would only serve to erode local control.
Stop penalizing Texas charter school families
High-performing public charter schools are working to level the playing field for Texas students growing up in poverty. It's time for the state to do its part in leveling the funding.
How to save Texas' crumbling parks
A huge backlog of deferred maintenance is taking a toll on our precious state parks. Here’s how lawmakers can help fix the problem.
Ensuring a great quality of life for Texas' elderly
Texas is not prepared on a number of levels to keep the promise to its aging residents. We need to change that.
One year in
We didn’t expect some of TribTalk’s most-read columns of the past year to catch fire the way they did. Neither did their authors.
We must address Texas' behavioral health emergency
The costs of mental health disorders on Texans and their families and on taxpayers in our state are too high to ignore.
What's really at stake in the education reform debate
It’s time to stop talking about reform in Texas and to start taking action that will provide parents with options and children with opportunities.
The case for property tax relief
With Texas homeowners being gouged more and more every year, we in the state Senate believe enough is enough. That's why we've taken action.
Texans deserve details of bullet train plan
For those of us concerned about protecting our land, livelihood and way of life, the Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail proposal has simply raised too many questions.
The true cost of hunger in Texas
Hunger takes an incalculable toll on the stability and dignity of affected families, but there's also a tremendous economic cost that trickles down to every Texan.
Hailstorm lawsuits are threatening Texas homeowners
The Legislature can’t stop thunderstorms from hitting Texas, but it can do something about the lawsuit storm that now follows them.
Setting the record straight on high-speed rail in Texas
Don’t let misinformation derail a game-changing transportation alternative that will help relieve our state’s congested roads.
Bringing Texans closer to their grocer
Investment in grocery access alone won’t solve the obesity crisis, but it's a step in the right direction to stimulate economic growth and stem the tide of diet-related chronic disease.