August 16, 2018 6:53 PM TEC Says It Still Cannot Trust Paxton To Defend Agency, Makes Big Budget Request For Outside Lawyers With Paxton’s office refusing to get involved in Empower Texans cases, lawmakers could essentially hobble the regulator in its ongoing beef with the nonprofit by cutting off funding for outside lawyers The Texas Ethics Commission is asking budget
writers for a new round of cash to pay for outside lawyers because Attorney
General Ken Paxton’s office has
declined to defend the state agency in a seemingly endless series of lawsuits
involving Empower Texans. Paxton’s roster of lawyers in the attorney
general’s office has withdrawn as counsel from every lawsuit in which it once
represented the state’s campaign finance regulator against the state’s most
prominent conservative nonprofit. Those cases all stem from two high-profile
investigations into Empower Texans and its president, Michael Quinn Sullivan — and now include attempts by the group to
gut the commission’s legal authority. The rest of the story, subscribers only By David Saleh Rauf |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 15, 2018 5:05 PM As Texas schools receive first official A-F grades, some potential themes take shape Urban districts maybe end up looking closer to each other than expected, charters aren’t always as consistent as you might expect, and Parents fleeing their public schools due to dissatisfaction or economic trouble don’t always end up in better-rated schools Texas’ new accountability system – one that diminishes the role of state standardized tests in high school ratings – has yielded a healthy number of “A”-rated school districts. Yesterday, conservative-leaning education reform groups – the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Aspires and the Texas Business Leadership Council – hosted a briefing for legislative staffers with Deputy TEA Commissioner Penny Schwinn. Schwinn, a former educator and the mother of a young child, said every accountability system must start with high expectations. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Kimberly Reeves |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 15, 2018 5:00 PM Press Releases: A-F reactions, VA Health Care, voter registration, and moreClick the Press Releases button above for the latest |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 15, 2018 1:26 PM Patrick says TRS Board should hold the line on retired teacher health insurance premiums The senate’s presiding officer promises more spending to shore up TRS Care: “let me be clear, I believe additional funding should be the responsibility of the Legislature and not fall on the shoulders of our retired teachers.” Saying
his office was “notified yesterday” that the Teacher Retirement System of
Texas is considering an
increase in health insurance premiums of $50 per month, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tuesday told the TRS
Board “I urge you not to take that step.” Patrick
also said he hopes the next Speaker of the Texas House will agree this is a
spending priority. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 15, 2018 9:20 AM GOP House Chairman expresses deep concerns about what has been described as a power grab by Gov. Abbott“Questions have been raised about which statute or court decision grants the Office of the Governor powers that are presumed to exist” in directive on rulemakings; Chair Cook says Abbott needs to ask the Legislature for the authority to consolidate that power in his office Frustration among some legislators
about what many see as a potential power grab by Gov. Greg Abbott when it comes to rulemaking may be about to boil over. “If you’re going to start
moving authority without legal or constitutional precedent that’s a big issue
that needs to be well thought out,” said Texas House State Affairs Committee
Chairman Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, on
Tuesday morning. He was reacting to a directive from Abbott’s office to state
agencies earlier this year about the way rulemaking is handled. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 15, 2018 9:18 AM School ratings released Only a handful of "F" rated districts Search
your district here. Full coverage on the
way |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 14, 2018 7:37 PM Sources tell the Lubbock Avalanche Journal TTU regents pushed for Duncan ouster Per the paper’s sources, the regents who pushed the retirement were Rick Francis, Ronnie Hammonds, Christopher Huckabee, Mickey Long and John Steinmetz Lubbock
newsman Matt Dotray
has
the details: The
Texas
Tech Board of Regents had an informal vote of no confidence in
Chancellor Robert Duncan late last
week in a closed meeting, sources close to the situation have told A-J
Media. The
nine members of the Board of Regents supposedly took turns expressing their
views on the chancellor’s future at Tech, and a 5-4 majority wanted new
leadership. The closed meeting on Thursday, Aug. 9, lasted five hours. ...The
five members of the board to push for Duncan’s leave, according to sources,
were Regents Rick Francis, Ronnie Hammonds, Christopher Huckabee, Mickey
Long and John Steinmetz. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 14, 2018 4:05 PM Coordinating Board approves Sam Houston med school on 5-4 vote Vote clears the way for national regulatory board to give its blessing this month |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 14, 2018 11:01 AM Babe Schwartz funeral to be at Texas State Cemetery, 10:30 on September 5 with possible reception afterwardsFamily decided to wait to allow all of Babe's friends time to make proper arrangements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 13, 2018 6:53 PM Chancellor Robert Duncan announces retirement from Texas Tech Radio host Jay Leeson reported it first; KAMC-TV confirms it as well The
website Everything Lubbock has
the letter Chancellor Bob Duncan
sent to TTU Regents today. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 13, 2018 5:25 PM Updated: Judge rejects TRO request from Texas GOP to block Gallego from ballot in SD19Gallego and Flores on track for special election runoff; Abbott today set the date for Sept 18 Represented
by longtime Empower Texans attorney Joe
Nixon, the Republican Party of Texas on Monday failed to convince a state
district court judge in Travis County to quickly prevent the Secretary
of State’s office from certifying the names in the special election
runoff for Senate District 19. The
RPT contends that Democratic candidate Pete
Gallego does not live in the district. But during
a hearing this afternoon, the party’s attorney Nixon seemed to concede there was
not sufficient evidence for the judge to make an
emergency ruling about it today. The rest of the story, subscribers only |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 13, 2018 5:21 PM Grusendorf: Education Reform? Well ahead of the next legislative session, former Texas House Public Education Chairman Kent Grusendorf lays out some history of what previous governors have sought to do about the issue and whether they really accomplished anything If you talk
to moms around Texas, you’ll quickly learn that a major issue for them is
education. Education reform has been a top priority for Texas parents, business
leaders, and politicians for decades. So, what have our state leaders said and
done in recent decades? With
the 85th
Legislature due to start in a few months, a review what governors have
said over the past 40 years regarding their education agendas in their State
of the State addresses to the legislature might be enlightening. Each of
the last six governors, who have led Texas over the past four decades, has proposed
reforms designed to fix the problems of public education. The complete
guest column by former Texas House Public Education Committee
Chairman Kent Grusendorf is in the R&D
Department. By Kent Grusendorf |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 13, 2018 4:54 PM Fox TV in Houston invites Patrick and Collier to debate Collier says he is in; no word from Patrick's camp - they've said previously the Lt. Gov. has no interest in debating his Democratic challenger Fox 26, KRIV TV in Houston has now invited the candidates for Lt. Gov. to debate live
on their air – an invitation that was immediately accepted by the Democrat Mike Collier. But Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s campaign has said nothing
about it so far. The
offer was apparently made over the weekend. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 13, 2018 4:38 PM Press Releases: Endorsements, debate proposals, defending America, and more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 13, 2018 2:52 PM As Gallego residency hearing unfolds, Abbott sets special election runoff for Sept. 18 in SD19More coverage from hearing to follow |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 10, 2018 4:40 PM People on the Move Total staffer moves, a veteran of the Senate joins the lobby, some new staff at the RPT, a TV pro jumps to PR in Houston, and more Another
week of summer in which Austin seems a little empty. Many of you are reading
this on a beach somewhere or in the mountains where it’s a bit cooler. Ok, a
lot cooler. But some have made the trek to hot and humid New Orleans for ALEC
and, unlike past years, the organization has actually allowed
journalists to sit in on some of the conversations. Guess they got tired of being
called “secretive.” QR’s Kimberly Reeves
is in the Big Easy and will be reporting back on some of the buzz. Meantime
there’s plenty of career news to pass along as some folks get promotions and
others move into new offices or change professions. We can’t brag on you in the
pages of Quorum Report if we don’t know what’s up. You
can always share career news about yourself or a colleague by emailing ksbraddock@gmail.com. Please use the subject
line “People on the Move” or “POTM” or even “PTOM” – because yeah, sometimes folks
mess it up and who am I to critique anyone’s typos? It helps a lot. Here’s
Texas’ weekly edition of People on the Move: The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 10, 2018 4:35 PM UPDATED: Former Senator Babe Schwartz passed away; a true Texas legend and fierce advocateRepresented Galveston area in House from 1955-1959,Senate 1966-1981. Funeral arrangements pending A friend tells of Babe saying he never had so much fun as when he was fighting and messing in the Senate with Bill Moore, the "Bull of the Brazos", his ideological antithesis as well as a man Babe considered to be an anti-semite. "The Senate was never the same after Moore left", Schwartz said. It was not so long ago that Babe and the five star Republican consultant and wise man Reggie Bashur would hold court at the same table in the Capitol Grille downstairs. Bashur was suffering a brain tumor and wore a perennial baseball cap along with his suit and tie. Everyone stopped at that table, powerbrokers, leading lobby, reporters. And just about everyone left laughing at a story told by one of the two of this odd couple. There will be stories and much laughing over the next several days as people remember how this man, small in stature, loomed so large over 30 years fighting for his constituents and those the Legislature often ignores. By Harvey Kronberg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 10, 2018 4:34 PM At ALEC: Supreme Court decision on union fees opens door for conservatives to pursue measures aimed at organized labor Conservatives clearly see the decision as only a first step; union dues deduction is already on the radar of Lt. Gov. Patrick Editor’s note: Just as
she covered conversations in Los Angeles at NCSL, QR’s Kimberly Reeves is checking out
discussions this week at ALEC in New Orleans – SB NEW ORLEANS – Conservative lawmakers consider the Supreme Court’s Janus v AFSCME decision to be the first step in what they consider to be a battle for worker rights in both union and right-to-work states. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Kimberly Reeves |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August 10, 2018 4:24 PM RPT files suit over Gallego residency RPT Chair Dickey says "Gallego has established a longtime pattern of misleading the voters of Texas regarding his place of residency"; Gallego maintains he lives in SD 19 The
Republican
Party of Texas on Friday filed a lawsuit questioning whether former Rep.
Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, really lives
where he says he does. Gallego is up against Republican Pete Flores in the special election runoff to succeed Sen. Carlos Uresti,
D-San Antonio, in the Texas Senate. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright August 16, 2018, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved 