Underfunding mental health costs Texans big
Properly funded care is the most cost-effective form of mental health treatment. A recent survey reveals that many Texans agree, indicating a new era for mental health in Texas.
More Columns
Changing Texas' car sale laws would hurt consumers
Texans welcome innovative, cutting edge-businesses. But they also know it's unfair, and bad business, to change the rules in the middle of the game for the benefit of a single player.
Can big data lead to transparency in higher ed?
As The Texas A&M University System tackles Texas' higher education challenges head-on, we see an opportunity to lead on transparency and accountability.
The numbers behind the local control debate
Critics have called some Republicans' swift turn against local control an opportunistic reaction to the Denton fracking ban. But the pushback has a foundation in public opinion.
Tax cut giveaways mean trouble for local communities
It's easy to tune out what's happening at the state Capitol if you live outside of Austin. But all Texans should listen up, because more tax breaks will mean less revenue for our growing cities and counties.
Would LBJ have supported marriage equality?
Johnson’s keen sense of social justice tells me that if he were alive today, he’d view the gay marriage fight in much the same way he saw civil rights in the 1960s.
A real fix for Texas' traffic problems
A patchwork of one-time funding jolts to our state’s transportation system isn’t sustainable. We need predictable, long-term sources of revenue.
The path forward for pre-K
Gov. Greg Abbott has made pre-kindergarten one of his top priorities for the legislative session, but some lawmakers aren’t treating it that way.
The true cost of campus carry
Campus carry would bring guns into my workplace at the potential expense of finding a cure for a disease that is trying to kill me.
In defense of straight-ticket voting
With the distinction between the two political parties now clearer than ever, voting a straight ticket is a reasonable response to the number of choices voters today must make.
Liberty trumps local control
Local control is an important governing principle, but so is liberty. When the two are in conflict, liberty should always prevail.
The politics of pre-K in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott may have prioritized early education this year, but his support for modest changes to the state's pre-kindergarten system reflects the complicated divisions within his party.
Fixing a Texas-sized pension problem
It's time for Texas lawmakers to plug the growing hole in the state's retirement pension fund. The future of the state's middle class may depend on it.
What Texans really think about falling oil prices
New polling and analysis reveals that while Texans like paying less at the pump, the possible ripple effects of the oil price plunge have them on edge.
Bring Texas liquor laws into the 21st century
It's long past time for state lawmakers to update Texas' antiquated liquor-sale laws, which serve little purpose other than to constrain competition and favor entrenched interests.
Selling climate change action in Texas
It’s a fraught topic in our state, but two military experts this week made a novel, persuasive argument in front of a skeptical House committee.
How much will the GOP gamble on guns?
The aura of inevitability around open carry legislation in Texas this year belies the divide among Republicans on the issue.
Kill the margins tax
Given the potential for big economic benefits, Texas lawmakers would be wise to use every available dollar this year to fully repeal the state's business tax, also known as the margins tax.
The Christian case for drug law reform
I don’t believe that when God made marijuana he made a mistake that government needs to fix. The time has come for a thoughtful discussion of the prudence of our prohibition approach to drug use.
Let schools, not the travel industry, set start dates
All public schools in Texas should be able to set their own calendars. And local educators — not travel industry lobbyists in Austin — should be making those decisions.