Experts Say State Must Reach Out to
Students
Texas school districts could do much to curb high
dropout rates if there were fewer high-stakes tests,
districts didn't hold so many students back, and
schools did more to get to know their students, state
and local officials said in a Houston conference this
week.
Craddicks Feted in Odessa;
West-Lewis Race Hot Topic
The Odessa Chamber of Commerce held a reception
for Texas Speaker of the House Tom Craddick and his
wife Nadine Thursday night at Odessa Country Club,
where Rep.
Surprise: Christie Is Not a
Flake
If you've read the recent news articles about City
Council candidate Jack Christie you might, as I did,
come to the conclusion that he was a 14-carat flake
totally out of touch with reality.
Court
Won't Look at Decision
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused
Wednesday to reconsider its decision to dismiss a
conspiracy charge against former U.S. House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay. Travis County prosecutors had
asked the court to rehear the case.
With Possible Foes in Wings, Craddick Urges
GOP Unity
House Speaker Tom Craddick on Tuesday urged the
GOP to stand together or risk losing ground to
Democrats and squandering the party's efforts over
the past four years.
Texas Sticks with
Lethal Injections Despite Supreme Court Review
The nation's busiest death penalty state isn't budging
from plans to continue executing by lethal injection
despite a Supreme Court review of whether the
practice is cruel and unusual, Texas officials said
Tuesday.
Gov. Rick
Perry Asked the State's Two Major Pension Funds to
Sell the Shares of Companies that Do Business in
Iran
In letter Tuesday to the Teacher Retirement System
and the Employees Retirement System, Perry asked
the funds to start identifying their holdings of
companies doing business in Iran and submit "a plan
of action" within 30 days.
Eye on Austin: House Seats Up for
Grabs
Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie thinks
his party is on a roll and will regain control of the
Texas House of Representatives next year.
No More Hiding from
Folks in Texas
For too many years the Texas Legislature refused to
provide Texans with one of the most basic tools of
representative democracy: a record of how legislators
voted on important bills.
Judge Denies
Activist's Request to Stop Toll Road
Campaign
A judge has refused a toll road opponent's request to
block the Texas Department of Transportation from
spending money on a campaign that promotes toll
roads and the Trans-Texas Corridor.
GOP Defection Signals
Woes
Republicans could be slowly losing their stronghold
on the Texas Legislature, especially in the House.
Last week, Democrats won another victory when
Republican Kirk England of Grand Prairie announced
that he is switching parties.
State
Policy Interpreted Many Ways
The school day begins with a prayer. The student
council president, a Christian, briefly praises God
before reading the day's announcements over the
loud speaker.
Perry's Got Plenty of
Potential
While reporters back home were still catching up on
his recent foray into California, Gov. Rick Perry was
taking his show on the road again last week,
preaching the Republican gospel and passing the
collection plate in Florida and Colorado.
Race May
Shed Light on Power Struggle
To critics of Tom Craddick, last week's defection of
freshman state Rep. Kirk England to the Democratic
Party was further evidence that the speaker of the
Republican-dominated Texas House is driving the
chamber and his party to ruin.
