The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for Feb. 8, 2011
Your afternoon reading: State of the State wrap-up, Historical Commission controversy and prison cuts Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Hartley: Washington Should Help Solve Husband's Murder
Gov. Rick Perry had the ultimate guest to further his border security message at today's State of the State: the young woman whose husband was apparently murdered by a band of Mexican pirates on Texas' Falcon Lake. Full Story
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LiveBlog: Perry's State of the State
Gov. Rick Perry delivered his sixth State of the State speech today, addressing a joint session of the Texas House and Senate, and selling the state's fiscal troubles as an opportunity to make government more efficient. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry delivering his State of the State address on Feb. 8, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Brief: Top Texas News for Feb. 8, 2011
The talk of budget woes may be inescapable, but don't expect gloom from Gov. Rick Perry during his State of the State speech today. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Visualizing Rick Perry's State of the State
Gov. Rick Perry has delivered five previous State of the State speeches. Has his emphasis on certain words and themes changed over the years? We created word clouds of the past addresses to find out. Full Story
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![Word cloud aggregate of Rick Perry's State of the State speeches from 2001 to 2011.]()
Credit: Graphic by Ryan Murphy -
Perry to Push Colleges to Offer $10,000 Degree
Gov. Rick Perry will challenge the state's colleges and universities to offer a $10,000 bachelor's degree, including books, in his State of the State speech later this morning, according to sources familiar with some of the proposals. Full Story
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![Word cloud aggregate of Rick Perry's State of the State speeches from 2001 to 2009.]()
Credit: Graphic by Ryan Murphy -
Electricity Price Cap in Question After Blackouts
When blackouts rolled through the state last week, wholesale electricity rates skyrocketed to more than 50 times their normal price, finally hitting a set limit. But as Matt Largey of KUT News reports, the timing of changes to that limit is raising questions. Full Story
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Credit: Callie Richmond -
Senators Grill Education Agency Over Cuts
At the Texas Education Agency's first appearance before the Senate since the release of a budget that reduces school funding by $9.3 billion, senators called for a "full picture" of the state's spending on public education. Full Story
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![Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott speaks at the TASA midwinter conference in Austin, Texas February 1st, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Hartnett Expected to Recommend HD-48 Winner Friday
After three days of testimony and today's closing arguments, state Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas, is expected to recommend a winner of the disputed HD-48 seat on Friday. Full Story
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![Dan Neil at table with attorneys during a public hearing for the election contest of House D-48]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Report: Cost of Obesity Rising
Obesity cost Texas businesses $9.5 billion in 2009, according to a report released today by Comptroller Susan Combs. It could cost them $32.5 billion annually by 2030. Full Story
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Credit: Callie Richmond -
Veteran Who Shot Baby Seeks Clemency
He was an Army veteran and a Houston security guard who had never been arrested until February 2002, when a fight with his wife sent Timothy Adams into a suicidal spiral. During a stand-off with police, Adams fatally shot his 19-month-old son twice in the chest — landing him a spot on death row. Full Story
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![Timothy Wayne Adams, convicted of murdering his 19-month-old son, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Feb. 22, 2011.]()
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A Conversation with Rob Eissler
For our latest TribLive conversation, I sat down with the chairman of the House Public Education Committee to talk about the coming cuts to public ed: how big they're likely to be, the prospect of tens of thousands of teacher and non-instructional-staff layoffs and whether new revenue sources are on the table. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
A Trio of Bills on Student Ticketing
State Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, has filed three bills aimed at regulating the practice of ticketing students for misbehavior in public schools. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
El Paso's Water Crisis
El Pasoans are not supposed to shower today. Or wash dishes, or do the laundry. The city is in the third day of a severe water shortage, which was partly caused by last week's rolling blackouts. Restrictions may be lifted tonight. Full Story
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The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for Feb. 7, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Texas faces lawsuits over education cuts; bill targets "sexting"; and El Paso nears end of water crisis Full Story
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Watson Files Bill to Make Sexting Illegal
"Sexting" — sending or receiving pornographic images via cell phones — should be a criminal offense for teenagers, say Attorney General Greg Abbott and Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin. Full Story
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Heflin: Most Sensible Solution Is Reduced Spending
More money is not the answer to our current woes. Just as anyone managing a household budget knows, when a family’s expenses grow beyond its income, the solution is to cut back — particularly if its spending habits resemble the state's. Full Story
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![Former state Rep. Talmadge Heflin is the director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Fiscal Policy.]()
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Castro: Start by Casting Aside Wishful Thinking
We need a balanced approach that uses our reserves and adds revenue. And we have to start by casting aside wishful thinking; we are writing the 2012-13 budget, with higher costs and increased enrollment in education and health care services — not some past budget. Full Story
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What They'd Do About the Budget Shortfall
We asked three big thinkers in the Capitol community — Talmadge Heflin, Eva DeLuna Castro and Bill Hammond — to tell us what they'd do if they had the power to take on the budget shortfall themselves. Full Story
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Hammond: No Time to Be Penny-Wise, Pound-Foolish
We must continue to fight to ensure that we implement cost-saving reforms that reflect Texas' commitment to prosperity and to economic growth. But our current budget shortfall isn't a time to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Full Story
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![Bill Hammond is the CEO of the Texas Association of Business.]()
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