Local elected officials welcome the opportunity to talk with state leaders to find common ground on these issues and the principle of local control. That’s a principle I’ve never stopped believing in, nor will I stop fighting for it.
Amidst the discussion of how much the Texas midterm elections will be nationalized — in effect, a referendum on Donald Trump — the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll provides an opportunity to look closely at Trump’s place in the attitudinal landscape of Texans.
Early voting is underway and by all accounts, there will be a surge in voter turnout. Those voters have a record number of candidates in local and statewide races to choose from. In a healthy democratic republic, this would be considered a good thing.
You would think that in Texas, a state that takes pride in individualists, all candidates for political office would be treated equally. You’d be wrong. By law, Texas divides political candidates into three groups: 1) those selected by political parties in primary elections, 2) those selected by political parties at conventions, and 3) independent candidates.
It may be financially prudent for the state's Permanent University Fund to diversify its portfolio away from fossil fuels. If such assets are still going to be valuable for some time, however, it would be counterproductive to divest from fossil fuels rather than putting those revenues to good use.
In the February 2018 poll released today, we rely on past vote history to determine whether or not we should consider someone to be a likely voter, and in particular, past primary voting history. For a respondent’s opinion to be considered in our primary trial ballot estimates, he or she had to have participated in a Texas party primary in 2012, 2014, or 2016.
Texas has the edge – more than a quarter of all U.S. jobs created since the Great Recession have been created in Texas. But other states are catching on – and catching up. So how can Texas keep its lead?
When are we going to start thinking of land — rural land — as infrastructure? When are we going to make substantial investments in this type of critical infrastructure?
here is no credible statistical evidence that shows that weak concealed carry laws reduce crime. In fact, the evidence suggests that permissive concealed carry laws may actually increase the frequency of some types of crime, such as assault.
I am proposing that Texas place a $10 carbon fee on the monthly production of crude oil, condensate and total oil, gas well gas, casinghead gas and total natural gas, raising an estimated $6.5 billion dollars a year.
There is much room for improvement in the state's child support system, as so many families continue to receive no payments from absent parents. After all, isn’t a child’s food and clothing also a worthy “Family Value”?
Public pollsters sample an electorate based on the best available information and best judgments about how to approach that estimate of likely voters, take respondents at their word, report the results, and then hope that those results offer an accurate reflection of what’s going to happen. At the heart of this exercise is a great deal of uncertainty — a condition of all polling, but one that especially defines primary election polling.
Could we kiss our property tax bills goodbye by modestly increasing the sales tax? That’s among the options now floating around the Texas Capitol. If it sounds too good to be true — you’re right. Even a cursory look at the numbers shows that swapping property taxes for a higher sales tax is unrealistic.
While Texans can argue politics every day, there should be no argument about the important role voting plays in protecting democracy and the United States and Texas Constitutions. Efforts to encourage voting should be applauded by all, not criticized.
From protecting mobile technology and making smart cars smarter, to strengthening our national defenses, Aggies are expanding our cybersecurity capabilities and making the innovative contributions our society needs.
At a time when many politicians would like to cut critical health programs or create new hoops for Texans to jump through to stay eligible, Texas leaders should instead ensure that our state’s maternal health programs and policies meet the needs of women, babies, and the next generation of Texans.
There’s a growing resistance in Texas to teachers like me speaking to others about the importance of voting. It’s baffling that there are those in power who would rather educators not vote or encourage others to vote — especially considering how important we are to helping millions of Texas children become responsible citizens.
When it comes to political parity, Texas ranks 41st in the nation, with only 20 percent of our state Legislature made up of women. As the United States is undergoing a political and social shift like we have never seen before, we need to ensure that our young women are prepared to heed the call and step into political leadership.
We must give students not served by their public school, regardless of their reasons, another option. I want every student to love learning and wake up excited to go to school. A universal school choice program is just one solution, and I remain committed to many other reforms, like school finance and limiting unnecessary state mandates.
Educators continue to downplay the overall pervasiveness of sexual harassment in school hallways, locker rooms and classrooms. This despite a study done by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) that found that 56 percent of surveyed middle and high school girls reported being sexually harassed by a peer in the previous school year.
