Hearing Set on Vaccine Mandate
The Texas House will take its first step Monday to overturn Gov. Rick Perry's mandate that schoolgirls be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease linked to cervical cancer.

Hegar Says He Will Withhold Support for Hawkins’ Nomination
Texas State Senator Glenn Hegar announced that he will withhold his support for Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins in the Senate Nominations Committee ...

Senator Plans to Grill Health Official on HPV Vaccine
When Texas health and human services chief Albert Hawkins goes before a Senate committee considering his reappointment [February 14], he'll probably face scrutiny about Gov. Rick Perry's mandate ...

Hawkins’ Hearing Postponed Because of HPV Questions
Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Albert Hawkins finds himself in the hot seat only as the recipient of a controversy.
To read the rest of the article, scroll down to February 12.)

As Questions Brew, Perry Explains Push for HPV Vaccine
His crusade against cancer, including a controversial order to vaccinate schoolgirls against a virus linked to cervical cancer, is partly personal, Gov. Rick Perry revealed Thursday.

Perry HPV Order Upends the Session
What started out as a debate over the best way to protect women's health has turned into a full-blown constitutional debate between the executive and legislative branches of government.

Liberal Think Tank Files Brief Against Perry’s HPV Executive Order
Center for Public Public Policy Priorities Executive Director F. Scott McCown has filed a brief to the Attorney General arguing that the governor has no right to issue executive orders.

HPV Vaccine's Cost Turning Into Key Issue
The high cost of the vaccine that protects against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer is becoming a key issue in opposition to Gov. Rick Perry's order that schoolgirls receive the shots.

Gov. Perry Stepped over Line on HPV
Last summer, we applauded the medical breakthrough of a new vaccine specifically approved to prevent certain strains of cervical cancer.

Vaccine Plan puts Perry on New Stage
What has gotten into Gov. Rick Perry?

Q&A: James Leininger
After more than a decade of spending millions of dollars to promote legislation that would allow Texas students to take public dollars to private schools with vouchers, James Leininger of San Antonio has yet to get a bill through the Legislature.

A Promising Start to 2007 for School Choice Initiatives
Last year was the most successful year ever for state school choice initiatives.

School Choice Saves Students and Dollars
Every hour of every school day, 93 students drop out of Texas public schools.

Vouchers Pushed in Fight to Prevent Dropouts
Former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige touted school vouchers Monday as one way to address the state's dropout issue ...

We Choose Vouchers
Would that we could turn down the volume on the angry rhetoric that boils into toxic rage when the words "taxpayer" and "funded" are placed in close proximity to "school" and "vouchers."

Anti-voucher Group Takes Shape
Former Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff joined several high-profile Texas business leaders Tuesday to announce a public education advocacy group that's opposed to private school vouchers and wants to replace the state's standardized tests.

Broad Voucher Plan Is Approved in Utah
The Utah State Legislature approved one of the broadest school voucher programs in the nation on Friday, allotting up to $3,000 for any public school student to put toward private school tuition.

Foundation Applauds Signing of Utah Universal School Choice Law
The signing of the first statewide universal school choice law in Utah sends a strong signal to Texas legislators that they should act now to provide educational freedom and opportunity to Texas families, according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Somewhere, Milton Is Smiling
The late Milton Friedman, who was the nation's foremost advocate for school choice, would be more than pleased with the news coming out of Utah.

Home Schooling vs. a Mandated Mental Health Agenda
You may not know it, but you are in the middle of a battle for the minds of your children.

Parenting Skills Should Trump Mental Health Screening
Mental health screening of all children is the goal of legislation introduced into many state legislatures this year.

Senate OKs Going Over the Spending Cap
The Texas Senate voted Wednesday to circumvent a constitutional provision designed to hold down state spending ...

Texas’ Lawmakers Should Vote to Bust the State’s Spending Cap
For the sake of taxpayers, Texas’ lawmakers should vote to bust the state’s spending cap.

Third Verse, Same as First

Verse one: In 2003, the committee run by Rep. Fred Hill, R-Richardson, was put in charge of the governor's idea to reduce the cap on increases in property-tax appraisals ...

'08 Slate Without Standout for GOP
Many conservatives say they pick "none of the above" when faced with a choice ...

Romney Joins the 2008 Race
With a call for "innovation and transformation in Washington," Mitt Romney formally stepped into the Republican presidential field on Tuesday morning ...

Giuliani Says He Is Running for President in ’08
Rudolph W. Giuliani yesterday removed any lingering doubts that he was running for president ...

Texas May Move Up Primary to Feb. 5
A state as huge as Texas shouldn't have a paltry primary that's irrelevant in the presidential sweepstakes ...

Bloggers & Politicos Not a Natural Fit?
First, after more than a week of diverting positive attention from their boss and presidential candidate John Edwards ... Amanda Marcotte resigned from the Edwards' for President Campaign.

Gingrich Among Top GOP '08 Candidates
Press accounts seldom name former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in the top tier of aspirants for the Republican presidential nomination, despite polls consistently showing he belongs there.

Bush Certain Iranians Tied to Arms
President Bush yesterday said he knows an elite Iranian military unit is supplying arms to insurgents in Iraq ...

The Race to the Bottom
In the race to the bottom for votes to win office, or to preserve themselves in office, it would be difficult to out-run Republicans as they pander to the Hispanic vote ...

House Democrats Aim to Limit Troops
House Democratic leaders yesterday revealed their plan to restrict President Bush's use of war funding ...

Utah Gunman Was Muslim from Bosnia
World Net Daily is reporting that the young gunman who "killed five people in a crowded Utah shopping mall was a Bosnian Muslim refugee who was prepared to kill many more, say investigators."

Yellowcake and Yellow Journalism
by Ann Coulter
To see how liberal history is created, you need to tune into the nut-cable stations and watch their coverage of the Scooter Libby trial. On MSNBC they're covering the trial like it's the Normandy Invasion, starring Elvis Presley, as told by Joseph Goebbels.

Sudden Jihad Syndrome?
by Gary Bauer
Were five people killed in Salt Lake City this week because of Islamofascism? Don't count on Big Media to answer that question. Here is what we know as of now.