Merck's Reversal May Mean Setback for Perry
Pharmaceutical giant Merck abandoned its lobbying push to require girls to get vaccinations aimed at preventing cervical cancer.

Testimony Doesn't Convince Lawmakers to Support Vaccine Mandate
After hearing six hours of testimony on Gov. Rick Perry's anti-cancer vaccine mandate, lawmakers seemed to leave as wary and skeptical of the requirement as ever.

Challenging Gov. Perry's Vaccine Plan
By now, it should be obvious that Gov. Rick Perry's legally questionable order on the cervical cancer vaccine is on a fast track to nowhere.

Texans Air Hopes, Fears on Vaccine
At 31, Heather Burcham doesn't have time to sort through abstract arguments about whether requiring sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against the virus that causes some kinds of cervical cancer should be up to the parents or the state.

Cancer-virus Vaccine Targets Wrong Age Group
Lawmakers looking to force preteen girls to take Gardasil ... are targeting the wrong age group, cancer data shows.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility
This 80th Session of the Texas Legislature is building up steam. A friend of mine has suggested that we change the constitutionally mandated session of 140 days every two years, to 2 days every 140 years. Not a bad idea ...

House Votes to Raise Limit on Spending
No good deed goes unpunished.

Legislators Should Exceed Spending Cap to Deliver Promised Property Tax Relief
Statement by former House Appropriations Chairman Talmadge Heflin: “While conservatives are naturally hesitant to broach a constitutional spending limit that has been in place for 30 years, the goal of property tax relief justifies such a vote tomorrow.

Dallas and Houston to Drop $34 Million in Federal Teacher Incentive Money
Democrats in Congress have never liked the idea of "incentive pay" for teacher and principal performance ...

House Passes Record Property Tax Relief; Lifts Spending Cap
It was a fingernails-on-the-chalkboard day at the Capitol.

Appraisal Reform Should Be Top Legislative Priority
The 80th session of the Texas legislature has gotten off to an unusual start.

Capitol Roundup
Facing a growing number of prisoners who have mental health diseases, Texas is one of seven states that has been selected to participate in a national study to find new ways to treat those offenders.

Court Limits Perry's Power Over Agencies
A state district judge dealt a blow to Gov. Rick Perry's official powers.

Legislation Would Prohibit Taxpayer Funded Associations From Lobbying
Legislation filed today by Rep. Frank Corte (R-San Antonio) would prohibit lobbying by associations which accept public funding.

Lieberman Warns Democrats: I May Join GOP
Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut fired a shot across the bow of the Senate's Democratic majority ...

GOP Hopes Presidential Straw Poll Boosts Texas' Clout
Texas Republicans will hold a presidential straw poll this summer that could draw thousands of party activists and make the state a focal point in the blooming 2008 race for the White House.

McCain Continues to Drop in Polls
Sen. John McCain, the former Republican presidential frontrunner, continues to fall in the polls.

GOP Hangs on for Dear Life
Although their goals for the 110th Congress make no mention of pro-life legislation, Republicans have quietly aligned themselves against the inevitable attacks on the unborn.

The Talented Mr. Romney
I have been following the zigs and zags of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and now Republican presidential candidate ...

Here Comes Newt
To echo the famous Negro League pitcher Satchel Paige: “Don’t look back, Newt Gingrich might be gaining on you.”

Democrats Seek to Repeal 2002 War Authorization
Senate Democratic leaders intend to unveil a plan next week to repeal the 2002 resolution authorizing the war in Iraq in favor of narrower authority ...

Democrats Disingenuous in Their Anti-War Rhetoric
Why did a majority of Democratic Senators ... vote to authorize a war with Iraq on Oct. 11, 2002?

Court Hands Bush Win in Gitmo Case
A federal appeals court panel yesterday, in a 2-1 vote, upheld a key provision of anti-terrorism legislation signed by President Bush.

Guantanamo Detainees Lose Appeal
A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that hundreds of detainees in U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, do not have the right to challenge their imprisonment in federal courts.

Don't Abandon Iraq-Or Our Troops
Recently, the House spent several days debating a Democrat-introduced, non-binding resolution about the future course in Iraq.

Diddling While Americans Die
He was an American hero. On his second tour of duty in Iraq, he had already served in the Western Pacific and a prior combat tour in Afghanistan.

To Our Troops We Must Remain Always Faithful
(Note: The following is the text of remarks delivered by Rep. Johnson on the floor of the House of Representatives today.) You know, I flew 62 combat missions in the Korean War and 25 missions in the Vietnam War before being shot down.

Democrats Consider New Ways to Limit Iraq War
Thwarted in their attempt to formally rebuke President Bush, Senate Democrats yesterday shifted their focus to narrowing the U.S. military mission in Iraq.

War in Austin: Sen. Patrick vs. the Texas Association of Business
Houston/Dallas radio talk show host and Houston State Senator Dan Patrick threw a sharp right to the jaw of the Texas Association of Business (TAB) yesterday.

Cheney vs. Pelosi
A few days ago, Vice President Dick Cheney hit a nerve when he suggested that Al Qaeda's goals would be helped by the "cut and run" policies being promoted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Music to My Retro-tuned Ears
By rejecting ideology and embracing “retroculture,” Conservatism can recover itself and perhaps reverse America’s decline ...

Remembering George Washington's Birthday
On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States.

Goldwater Institute Gives All-day Kindergarten an “F”
A report published February 7 by the Goldwater Institute’s Center for Educational Opportunity finds that Arizona’s all-day Kindergarten programs initially improve learning but have no measurable impact on reading, math or language arts test scores by fifth grade.

“Muslim Cabbie Charged With Running Over Students After Religious Dispute”
Fox News is reporting that a Muslim cabdriver tried to run over two Vanderbilt University students after the cabbie and the college students got into a religious argument.