Why Texas women have turned away from Democrats
Democrats continue to try to define and divide women with a narrow set of issues, and Wendy Davis is no exception. But Texas women aren’t buying it anymore.
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It's time for real eminent domain reform
As the former mayor of DISH, I know a thing or two about the impacts of natural gas development in Texas — especially the creeping threat of eminent domain. Texans deserve better than what the Legislature has given us.
An unlikely alliance in Houston: art and oil
Though it may make for strange bedfellows, Houston's vibrant arts scene has forged an enduring relationship with the city's oil and gas industry. And while the alliance has raised ethical questions, I, for one, am thankful for it.
Keep military gear out of Texas schools
It’s hard to imagine many situations in which the presence of military-grade weapons designed to kill many people at once would add to the safety of students in a school setting.
Blurred lines in polling on governor's race
Recent polls have painted two divergent pictures of the Greg Abbott-Wendy Davis race. Here's a rundown of what that means and what to pay attention to as November draws near.
Why women's rights matter for the environment
Cuts to family planning services don't just hurt Texas women and their families. The cumulative impact of women having more children than they desire strains public health systems and natural resources.
Texas must set the compass for energy realism
Climate policy to eliminate fossil fuels is on a collision course with an unprecedented boom in oil and gas production. Energy is at a crossroads, and Texas has the most at stake.
Austin's urban rail plan is overdue
If Austin were a person, a doctor would have told him many years ago that unless he changed his behavior, he was headed squarely in the direction of clogged arteries and life-threatening heart problems. That’s exactly where we are today.
A "plan B" for light rail in Austin
Austin city leaders want voters to approve a light rail system in November that can carry hundreds of people per hour in and out of downtown. But they have stopped listening to residents and instead listened to special interests.
Detaining immigrant families is shameful
Only five years after the Obama administration did the right thing and ended the barbaric practice of detaining families at Texas' T. Don Hutto Residential Center, we return to our unfortunate past.
Abbott may benefit from turn away from issues
Greg Abbott has always been more comfortable making this campaign about Wendy Davis than about the issues that Davis wants to discuss. The timing of Davis’ book release may have inadvertently helped him do just that.
Lawmakers must reduce CPS caseloads to protect kids
Texas Child Protective Services is reluctant to admit it's underfunded, given the scrutiny the agency faces when its shortcomings are revealed. But that's no excuse for shortchanging vulnerable children.
Ray Rice is the tip of the iceberg
Nearly 200,000 incidents of family violence were reported to Texas law enforcement officials in 2013, and more than 100 Texas women are killed by intimate partners every year. Many of these women can't get the help — or shelter — they need.
Houston recycling plan will hit minorities hardest
Houston's new recycling plan has the potential to extend the city's pattern of discrimination by yet again placing a waste-removal facility in a minority neighborhood.
Let's invest in Texas' fast-growing schools
While limiting local debt is a worthy objective, convincing voters to say no to new school buildings in fast-growing school districts does nothing to address the future needs of Texas.
Davis' abortion history doesn't resonate with voters
Wendy Davis’ recent admission to two abortions in the 1990s will energize her base of radical liberal supporters, but it will do nothing to erase her persona as a single-issue candidate.
Davis' abortion history speaks to women
Wendy Davis has fought for women with the same resolve and strength she displayed in sharing her deeply personal decision to have an abortion after learning her much-wanted pregnancy had gone tragically wrong.
The real stakes of the Perry indictment
Rick Perry’s governorship has transcended the spirit of the Texas Constitution. The indictment begs for a discussion of whether his version of the governorship is the one Texans want or need.
Lt. gov. race a study in contrasts
It may not be news to say that the 2014 lieutenant governor’s race provides Texas voters with a stark contrast in political ideologies, but now the numbers back it up.
Austin's "black problem" is a class problem
Some say Austin — the only fast-growing large city in the country that's losing African-American residents — has a black problem. As I myself consider leaving, I realize that it's more complicated than that. Here's the truth: Elitism is Austin's new normal.