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February 3, 2012 4:54 PM
PRESS RELEASE SECTION HEADLINES
Berman released from hospital, Komen fallout, CPAC top ten and more
SENATOR
JOSE RODRIGUEZ: SENDS COMMISSIONER SCOTT LETTER IN SUPPORT OF HIS COMMENTS
REPRESENTATIVE
SENFRONIA THOMPSON: CHAIR OF WOMEN'S HEALTH CAUCUS COMMENTS ON FUNDING
FOR BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS
OFFICE
OF THE GOVERNOR: PERRY APPOINTS ELLIOTT TO NORTH TEXAS TOLLWAY AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TEXAS
WORKFORCE COMMISSION: CHAIRMAN HIGHLIGHTS SUCCESS OF PROGRAMS TO HELP RETURNING
VETS
REPRESENTATIVE
BRANDON CREIGHTON: APPOINTED TO INTERIM MEDICAID OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
BOB
DEUELL CAMPAIGN: SENATOR DEUELL AWARDED FIGHTER FOR FREE ENTERPRISE BY
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS
TEXAS
CHARTER SCHOOL ASSOCIATION: TRACY YOUNG TO JOIN TCSA AS NEW VICE
PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
REPRESENTATIVE
LEO BERMAN: RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL
TEXAS
PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION: MONDAY: MEDIA BRIEFING ON "EPA'S
APPROACHING REGULATORY AVALANCHE"
REPRESENTATIVE
JESSICA FARRAR: STATEMENT REGARDING SUSAN G. KOMEN'S REVERSE DECISION
OFFICE
OF THE GOVERNOR: STATEMENT ON U.S. SENATE PASSING CONGRESSIONAL INSIDER
TRADING BAN
TDP:
TED CRUZ: BILINGUAL ED. CREATES LANGUAGE GHETTO
REPRESENTATIVE
CAROL ALVARADO: STATEMENT ON KOMEN FOUNDATION'S COMMITMENT TO WOMEN'S
HEALTH
MATT
KRAUSE CAMPAIGN: MATT KRAUSE CHOSEN AS TEXAS CPAC TOP TEN CONSERVATIVE
CHALLENGER CANDIDATE
PAUL
SADLER CAMPAIGN: PAUL SADLER RESPONDS TO JASON GIBSON'S DECISION TO
WITHDRAW FROM U.S. SENATE CAMPAIGN
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Copyright February 03, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 3, 2012 10:51 AM
JANUARY SURPRISE! U.S. ECONOMY ADDS 243K JOBS
Turns out the weather isn't the only thing experiencing an unseasonably warm winter as the jobless rate drops to 8.3 percent
From the Washington Post story, job gains were broad based. The biggest gains were concentrated in manufacturing (50,000), leisure and hospitality (43,000) and health care (30,000).
Also, job gains in November were revised upward from 100,000 to 157,000, meaning the economy added significantly more jobs in November than originally thought.
Texas figures are out in two weeks. All eyes will be on those numbers to see if the Texas economy continues growing new jobs alongside the national economy.
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Copyright February 03, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 2, 2012 4:48 PM
PRESS RELEASE SECTION HEADLINES
Perry appoints, Texas intervenors on Voter ID and more
WEAVER
AND TIDWELL: TEA EXECUTIVE ADAM JONES SET TO JOIN WEAVER AND TIDWELL
OFFICE
OF THE GOVERNOR: PERRY APPOINTS THREE TO FINANCE COMMISSION OF TEXAS
JASON
GIBSON CAMPAIGN: STATEMENT ON WITHDRAWAL FROM U.S. SENATE RACE
TDP:
TEXAS INTERVENORS ATTEMPT TO BLOCK ADOPTION OF THE TEXAS PHOTO VOTER ID
LAW
REPRESENTATIVE
RUTH JONES MCCLENDON: DSHS REVIEW OF STATE'S PUBLIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
SYSTEM BRINGS STAKEHOLDER FORUM TO SAN ANTONIO
TEXAS
PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION: STATEMENT BY TPPF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ARLENE
WOHLGEMUTH
JIM
HERBLIN CAMPAIGN: PALO PINTO COUNTY GOP VICE CHAIRMAN ENDORSES HERBLIN
FOR TEXAS SENATE
REPRESENTATIVE
MYRA CROWNOVER: TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS NAMES MYRA CROWNOVER A
"CHAMPION OF FREE ENTERPRISE"
HISPANIC
REPUBLICANS OF TEXAS: JASON VILLALBA ENDORSED BY HRT
OFFICE
OF THE GOVERNOR: PERRY APPOINTS NELSON AS CHAIR OF MEDICAID REFORM
LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
REPRESENTATIVE
JOE DESHOTEL: TEXAS MUST CONTINUE TO TAKE THE LEAD ON FRACKING REGULATION
REPRESENTATIVE
VICKI TRUITT: NAMED "FIGHTER FOR FREE ENTERPRISE" BY TEXAS
ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS
WILLIAMSON
COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY: GOVERNOR PERRY TO KEYNOTE 2012 REAGAN DINNER
TEXAS
ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS: FULL PAGE AD SUPPORTS TESTING
LARRY
TAYLOR CAMPAIGN: REP. LARRY TAYLOR NAMED "CHAMPION OF FREE
ENTERPRISE" BY THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS
REPRESENTATIVE
VICKI TRUITT: LOCAL STUDENT TO BE NOMINATED FOR TEXAS ARMED SERVICES
SCHOLARSHIP FROM TEXAS HOUSE DISTRICT REPRESENTED BY REP. VICKI TRUITT
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Copyright February 02, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 2, 2012 4:12 PM
SAN ANTONIO JUDGES CALL FOR BRIEFS TO HELP GUIDE NEXT VERSION OF INTERIM MAPS
Also, state Rep. Marc Veasey files to intervene in Voter ID preclearance trial
Another day, another order
from the San Antonio
court…
The judges on the San
Antonio panel – fully aware now that they will need to
draw interim maps without input from their D.C. counterparts on Section 5
preclearance claims – today asked the parties to submit briefs to help them as
they draw a new set of interim maps.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By John Reynolds
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Copyright February 02, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 2, 2012 4:04 PM
HK: TRUTH-TELLING TO THOSE WRESTLING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE LAST LEGE
Two key Perry administrators speak frankly about the consequences of last year's budget cutting
First, Education Commissioner Robert Scott brought
the audience to its feet in a standing ovation at the recent Texas
Association of School Administrators annual midwinter event by
apologizing for draconian budget cuts and refusing to certify the abolition of
social promotion absent funding for academic intervention. In addition, he drew the wrath of some by
decrying the new testing regime as a “perversion” of the intended system.
Scott comes from a unique position having watched his agency
defunded and hollowed out by massive layoffs.
While it may be fashionable in GOP primary circles to decry government
as the problem, many of Texas educational gains in the Perry years were the
result of programs that simply lost funding an manpower to execute. No one can dispute Scott’s loyalty to the Rick
Perry but it must be heartbreaking
to anyone loyal to the mission of the agency to watch promising reforms
evaporate.
Twenty four hours later, Health and Human Services
Commissioner Tom Suehs told hospital administrators at their convention
(at the other end of the Austin Convention Center) that the state was facing
yet another substantial shortfall in Medicaid funding next session: between $15-$17 billion and that is before
any accommodations to the Affordable Care Bill. Five billion of that came from the hot check
(my language, not his) the Lege wrote last session to “fund” Medicaid to the
last part of the biennium. Since the Rainy
Day Fund was untouchable last session, lawmakers passed a mythological
budget that has to be paid for by the next Legislature.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Harvey Kronberg
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Copyright February 02, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 2, 2012 3:16 PM
JASON GIBSON WITHDRAWS FROM U.S. SENATE RACE
Leaves former state Rep. Paul Sadler with unobstructed path to Democratic nomination
Gibson, the president of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association, said in a statement today that the decision over the weekend by the Texas AFL-CIO to back Sadler weighed heavily in his decision to leave the race:
"This was my first time seeking elected office, and I knew that as an outsider, I'd be up against others with institutional advantages. My heart and my upbringing are with the labor movement and I did not want to move forward without their endorsement."
The rest of the story, subscribers only
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Copyright February 02, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 2, 2012 2:53 PM
GREENFIELD: WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN -- THE UNITED STATES OF TEXAS
Transposing Texas statistics on the US--how the "Texas Miracle" would have translated if applied to the rest of the country
Before returning to Texas after his valiant, heroic effort
to lead the nation, Gov. Rick Perry had traveled the national campaign circuit
proposing that the United States should be more like Texas, with low taxes, a
balanced budget, reduced regulation, and reduced government services. But what would it mean if the U.S. had
become what Texas is?
Cal
Jillson,
a professor of Political Science at SMU, was interviewed on an NPR
broadcast, Rick Perry's America, Texas-Style. Professor Jillson mentioned a number of salient points from his recently
released book, “Lone Star Tarnished.” He summarized, “We show
that while Texas has done very well on population and job growth, its ranking
among the states on income, education, social services, criminal justice, and
the environment have been stagnant or falling for decades.”
Let’s explore the implications of the U.S. not becoming more
like Texas by engaging in a what-if experiment. What if Americans went to bed
the first Tuesday of November 2012 knowing that Rick Perry had been elected
president and Republicans had swept to super majorities in both the House and
Senate.
And what if President Perry and the Republican Congress that
took office in January 2013, he was determined to make the U.S. look like
Texas? President Perry’s Economic Policies (PEP) focused like a
laser on reducing the size of government, cutting taxes, cutting social
services such as public education, access to health care, and welfare, while
renewing the emphasis on individualism and personal responsibility.
What if the Republican super majorities in Congress quickly
passed laws to implement the President’s PEP.
And what if the U.S. economy responded to the new policies as quickly as
Congress passed and President Perry signed these bills into law. By the end of
2013, these policies will have transformed the United States of America into
the United States of Texas.
How would the U.S. look then? Initially, the U.S.
unemployment rate (8.9%, for 2011) would decline by .7 percentage point to the
Texas rate of 8.2 percent.[1]
The nation might celebrate that more than 1 million workers went from
unemployed to employed. Unfortunately, 9.5 percent of Texas workers, compared
to only 6.0 percent of U.S. hourly workers, earn minimum wages or less. So while
the U.S. would see an increase of 2.6 million hourly workers--a 60 percent
increase—they would be earning the minimum wage or less. The celebration would
likely become somewhat subdued. The rest of Stuart Greenfield's column can be found in today's R&D Department.
By Stuart Greenfield, Ph.D
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Copyright February 02, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 2, 2012 2:40 PM
SUSAN B. KOMEN CEO AND FOUNDER NANCY BRINKER RESPONDS TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD FLAP
Says current committed funds still flowing, somewhat oblique about "new standards" but says organization is not bowing to political pressure
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Copyright February 02, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 1, 2012 5:05 PM
PRESS RELEASE SECTION HEADLINES
Appointments, endorsements and other news from the campaign trail
SPEAKER JOE STRAUS:
ANNOUNCES HOUSE APPOINTMENTS TO THE MEDICAID REFORM WAIVER LEGISLATIVE
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
SPEAKER JOE STRAUS:
ANNOUNCES HOUSE APPOINTMENTS TO THE JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE TO STUDY
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
MATT RINALDI CAMPAIGN:
REPUBLICAN MATT RINALDI ENDORSED BY TEXANS FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS: CHAIRMAN TREY MARTINEZ FISCHER RESPONDS TO MINUTE ORDER
FROM THE D.C. DISTRICT COURT
RON SIMMONS CAMPAIGN:
RON SIMMONS EARNS "A" RATING FROM NRA
JEFF LEACH CAMPAIGN:
JEFF LEACH EARNS "TEAAPPROVED" RATING FROM NORTH
TEXAS TEA PARTY
SENATOR CARLOS URESTI:
TEXAS
CITIES FARE POORLY ON SURVEY OF LITERARY RESOURCES
PAUL SADLER CAMPAIGN:
TEXAS LEADERS RALLY AROUND PAUL SADLER
FOR U.S.
SENATE
PHILIP CORTEZ CAMPAIGN: SAN ANTONIO LABOR BACKS
FORMER COUNCILMAN PHILIP CORTEZ
FOR STATE
REPRESENTATIVE
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR:
GEISE NAMES GOVERNOR'S MANSION ADMINISTRATOR
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR:
PERRY ANNOUNCES TEF INVESTMENT IN CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC. TO
CREATE 300 JOBS IN SEGUIN
OFFICE OF PUBLIC INSURANCE COUNSEL: IMPROVED PROPERTY AND CASUALTY POLICY
COMPARISON TOOL NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
TEXAS
STATE TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION: URGES SPECIAL SESSION ON
RAINY DAY FUND
SUSAN NARVAIZ CAMPAIGN:
CITY OF SAN MARCOS
RECOGNIZES FORMER MAYOR SUSAN NARVAIZ WITH THE PIONEER SPIRIT AWARD
BARRY SMITHERMAN CAMPAIGN:
ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT FROM FORMER RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS
BENNETT RATLIFF CAMPAIGN:
REP. JIM JACKSON ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT OF BENNETT RATLIFF IN RACE FOR
HOUSE DISTRICT 115
DAVID DEWHURST CAMPAIGN:
TEXAS RETAILERS ASSOCIATION PAC
ENDORSES DAVID DEWHURST FOR U.S.
SENATE
BOB HALL CAMPAIGN:
BOB HALL CHOSEN A TEXAS
CPAC TOP 10 CHALLENGER CANDIDATE
RANDY STEVENSON CAMPAIGN:
TOM PAUKEN ENDORSES RANDY
STEVENSON FOR
TEXAS STATE
BOARD OF EDUCATION DISTRICT 9
RAMIRO GARZA CAMPAIGN:
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE RAMIRO GARZA SHOWS IMPRESSIVE FUNDRAISING
RESULTS IN FIRST FEC FILING REPORT
JEFF WENTWORTH CAMPAIGN:
ELIZABETH JONES NEEDS TO STOP HER CHARADE AND PAY BACK TAX MONEY SHE HAS
RECEIVED SINCE NOVEMBER 1, 2011
HISPANIC LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE: ALONG WITH FORMER MEXICAN PRESIDENT VICENTE
FOX HOSTS GLOBAL LEADERS LECTURE SERIES IN DALLAS/FORT WORTH
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Copyright February 01, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 1, 2012 4:26 PM
D.C. COURT SAYS NOT TO EXPECT A RULING IN PRECLEARANCE REVIEW FOR AT LEAST 30 DAYS
Final nail in coffin for April 3 unified primary?
The D.C. court hearing the case for pre-clearing the state’s
legislative and congressional maps said today that it won’t issue an order for
at least another 30 days. Without any definitive guidance from that court on
the state’s pre-clearance claims next week (as recent rumor conjectured), it would certainly appear that the task of
the San Antonio
court drawing interim maps just got a lot more difficult. To comply with orders
handed down by the Supreme Court last month, the San Antonio judges must now make some form of
a stance on both Section 2 and Section 5 claims under the Voting Rights Act when
coming up with their maps. On Section 2 claims, that’s not as much a problem
because the San Antonio
judges are hearing the Section 2 challenges to the state map. But in
regards to Section 5 claims, the San
Antonio judges are now squarely in the position of
having to guess what the D.C. court is thinking. Their discomfort with that was
quite evident at Friday’s status conference.
It also means that holding the April 3 primary elections is
now entirely contingent on the parties settling their differences on the
interim maps. Buzz Central is not by nature a betting man but the saying “chances
are slim to none, and slim just left town” comes to mind.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By John Reynolds
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Copyright February 01, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 1, 2012 4:11 PM
TEXAS ASSN OF BUSINESS POSTS FULL-PAGE AD IN STATESMAN IN RESPONSE TO COMMISSIONER SPEECH
"Texas must advance – not retreat – from the bipartisan, smart-minded education reforms
passed unanimously in 2009."
The ad can be found here.
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Copyright February 01, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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February 1, 2012 3:14 PM
SUEHS: MEDICAID PROGRAM NEEDS $15B-$17B NEXT SESSION
The shortfall stems from lawmakers' decision to underfund the program this year as well as normal levels of caseload growth
The state Medicaid program will need about $15
billion to $17 billion in additional general revenue next legislative session, HHS
executive commissioner Tom Suehs told a conference of hospital administrators
today.
That multi-billion dollar bill to sustain the Medicaid
program – one of the state’s biggest cost drivers – will drop on lawmakers’
desks next January at the same time that demand for services elsewhere in the
state budget continues to increase.
Suehs told the Texas
Hospital Association that his message isn’t all that different from the
one he sent two years ago. “I basically said something to the effect, ‘I don’t
see how the Legislature’s gonna get out of this
session without some form of revenue.’ I got in trouble for that,” Suehs said. “And I’m going to say the same thing today. I
think I have a little bit more data with me today.”
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By John Reynolds
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Copyright February 01, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 31, 2012 6:15 PM
COMMISSIONER SCOTT TELLS EDUCATORS THE SYSTEM HAS BECOME A PERVERSION OF ORIGINAL INTENT
"I cannot and will not certify the ban on social promotions unless there are resources to provide interventions to students who need to pass the test."
Robert Scott, in a speech before superintendents and
school board trustees this afternoon, pulled the biggest gun out of the
education commissioner’s arsenal to guarantee lawmakers will start sending new
money to schools next session.
Scott’s speech
to the Texas Association of School
Administrators’ Midwinter Conference was probably
the best speech ever has given to the group during his years as interim and
permanent commissioner. In it, he included an apology for the recent $4 billion
in education funding cuts, plus the $1.4 billion carved out of the state
education agency, much of which went to raising student achievement.
Too much has
been loaded onto the state’s current accountability system, Scott said, a system which
is dominated by a growing number of high-stakes tests that Scott generally
supports. That includes a new requirement that high school students pass 12
end-of-course tests in order to graduate, starting with the Class of 2015.
“I believe that
testing is good for some things, but the system that we created has become a
perversion of its original intent,” Scott said, to thunderous applause from the
school officials. “The intent to improve teaching and learning has gone too far
afield, and I look forward to reeling it back in.”
So how does the education commissioner do that, when the power to broaden
graduation requirements is given to the Legislature, and the power to set
standards and curriculum is shared with the State Board of Education?
In this case, Scott is going to turn to a provision in law added by Democrat Sen. Royce West when the accountability
system recently was overhauled and new requirements added.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Kimberly Reeves
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Copyright January 31, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 31, 2012 5:08 PM
AP REPORTS THREE DC JUDGES SKEPTICAL OF TEXAS REDISTRICTING ARGUMENTS
Bush appointee, Judge Griffith: "“Doesn’t the law require map makers to look at the consequences?”
The Associated Press reports
this afternoon the state’s argument that its new electoral maps don’t
discriminate because they were drawn with intent to maintain Republican
strength fell on skeptical ears.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
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Copyright January 31, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 31, 2012 4:43 PM
TIDBITS: FROM THE REDISTRICTING WAR ZONE, SURPRISING FUNDRAISING RESULTS AND THE DIFFICULTY OF BENDING THE CURVE
A little pre-emptive distancing, O'Rourke outraises Sylvestre Reyes and big numbers are not so big
With the parties busy with closing arguments in the D.C.
pre-clearance trial, it does not appear that negotiations on interim maps
progressed much today. At this point, it seems to us that with Republicans
negotiating among themselves as much as with Democrats, there would seem little
incentive for the plaintiffs to give the state a way out for the next few days.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By John Reynolds
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Copyright January 31, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 31, 2012 4:39 PM
PRESS RELEASE SECTION HEADLINES
Texas Watch disses TLR, RPT sends best wishes to Berman, NRA endorses Christian and more
TEXAS
TRAVEL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION: HONORS STATE REPRESENTATIVE JIM PITTS WITH
ANNUAL SILVER SPUR AWARD
RPT:
SENDS OUR BEST WISHES FOR REPRESENTATIVE LEO BERMAN
TEXAS
MEDICAL ASSOCIATION PAC: ENDORSES REPRESENTATIVE PAXTON FOR STATE SENATE
JIM
HERBLIN CAMPAIGN: OP-ED: UNEMPLOYED? SEND YOUR RESUME TO 1600
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE
WAYNE
CHRISTIAN CAMPAIGN: RECEIVES REELECTION ENDORSEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL
RIFLE ASSOCIATION
CENTER
FOR PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES: ONE IN TWO HAS ALMOST NO "RAINY
DAY" SAVINGS TO BANK ON
CENTER
FOR PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES: NEW REPORT ON SCHOOL BREAKFAST SHOWS TEXAS
OUTPERFORMS MOST STATES
REPRESENTATIVE
LEO BERMAN: HEALTH UPDATE
PATRICK
COX: ANNOUNCES REELECTION TO PEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TEXAS
WATCH: THE COURT'S DEFENDERS: POLLUTERS, BIG INSURANCE, CORPORATE
WRONGDOERS
ELIZABETH
AMES JONES: ASKS FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION ON RESIDENCY ISSUES
By John Reynolds
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Copyright January 31, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 31, 2012 3:36 PM
RETIRING INCUMBENT REP JIM JACKSON ENDORSES BENNETT RATLIFF
Pick preferred successor in crowded field
Outgoing state Rep. Jim
Jackson (R-Dallas) announced
today that he’s supporting Bennett
Ratliff to succeed him as the HD 115 representative. In picking Ratliff
from a crowded field of at least five candidates vying for the party
nomination, Jackson said, “Bennett has the best experience to qualify to be our
Representative. His family, business, and public service histories are
impressive. He and (wife) Becky are people of faith and maturity who have a
good understanding of who they are and why they are running.”
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By John Reynolds
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Copyright January 31, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 31, 2012 3:12 PM
INSIDERS CONFIRM A FIFTH SCHOOL FINANCE LAWSUIT IS BEING SHOPPED AROUND
Litigation, nicknamed the Waiting for Superman lawsuit, would say the school finance system is inefficient because it does not offer school choice and increased efficiency.
By Kimberly Reeves
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Copyright January 31, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 30, 2012 4:57 PM
AMES JONES REQUESTS FORMAL AG OPINION ON RESIDENCY FOR RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
At issue is whether a sitting Railroad Commissioner is constitutionally required to reside in the "state Capital" and whether that conflicts with residency requirment to run for State Senate
Railroad Commissioner and state Senate candidate Elizabeth Ames Jones' has
requested a formal Attorney General Opinion on whether or not a sitting Railroad Commissioner must reside in Austin, Texas. Incumbent Senator Jeff Wentworth has challenged Ames Jones claiming she can not declare a San Antonio residence for purposes of running for the Texas Senate while still serving in a statewide office which he says constitutionally mandates residency in Austin.
Although the date of the primary is uncertain, AG Opinions are not typically quickly generated affairs.
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Copyright January 30, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 30, 2012 4:52 PM
PRESS RELEASE SECTION HEADLINES
AFL-CIO endorses Sadler for Senate, TLR vs. Texas Watch,and more
TEXANS
FOR LAWSUIT REFORM PAC: ENDORSES ERWIN CAIN FOR 62ND JUDICIAL COURT
HISPANIC
REPUBLICANS OF TEXAS: AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW REGARDING GOP PRIMARY
TDP:
REPUBLICAN BUDGET CUTS TO PUBLIC EDUCATION HITTING HOME CHARLES SCHWERTNER
CAMPAIGN: STATE REP. CHARLES SCHWERTNER RECEIVES NRA'S EXCLUSIVE
ENDORSEMENT IN CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE
SCOTT
TURNER CAMPAIGN: ENDORSED BY TEXANS FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
TEXANS
FOR LAWSUIT REFORM: STATEMENT ON TEXAS WATCH REPORT ON TEXAS SUPREME COURT
TEXAS
PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION: STATEMENT ON MEDICAL LOSS RATIO WAIVER RULING
JON
COLE CAMPAIGN: GRASSROOTS LEADER TRACY HANCOCK ENDORSES JON COLE FOR
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
REPRESENTATIVE
MIKE VILLARREAL: OVER 8,000 TEXAS CLASSROOMS EXCEED STATE CLASS SIZE
LIMITS
TEXAS
PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION: MACIAS TO JOIN FOUNDATION'S CENTER FOR ECONOMIC
FREEDOM
TEXAS
AFL-CIO: COPE CONVENTION ENDORSES PAUL SADLER FOR U.S. SENATE
REPRESENTATIVE
RUTH JONES MCCLENDON: HOUSE DEMOCRATS APPLAUD HHS REJECTION OF TDI
REQUEST TO DELAY $260 MILLION IN HEALTH INSURANCE REBATES
SENATOR
CARLOS URESTI: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT APPROVES BEXARMET DISSOLUTION VOTE
TEXAS
ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION: STATEMENT ON LOW INTEREST RATES AND THE
EFFECT ON LEGAL AID
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Copyright January 30, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 30, 2012 4:05 PM
OUTGOING OGDEN RENEWS CALL FOR SPECIAL SESSION ON SCHOOL FINANCE
Finance chair tells Texas Association of Mid-Sized Schools that Perry should call for session after primary, consider proposal of a statewide property tax
Senate Finance Chair Steve Ogden told educators today that he would call upon Governor Rick Perry to call a special session on school finance after the primary.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Kimberly Reeves and Harvey Kronber
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Copyright January 30, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 30, 2012 3:56 PM
DMN REPORTING SCOTT O'GRADY SUSPENDS SENATE CAMPAIGN FOR OPEN SHAPIRO SEAT
Still may be considering run for House seat
Bob Garrett at the Dallas Morning News just reported that war hero Scott O'Grady is suspending his campaign for the Collin County based Senate seat opened by the retirement of Florence Shapiro because of the uncertainty of the primary date. His withdrawal leaves an open door for State Rep. Ken Paxton who appeared to be consolidating his position with local endorsements and fundraising.
In his last finance report, O'Grady reported having more than $100K on hand. The Election Group notified reporters several weeks ago that they were no longer representing O'Grady.
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Copyright January 30, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 30, 2012 3:29 PM
DESPITE FLEXIBILITY AND FUNDING, SCHOOLS STILL OVERWHELMINGLY OPTING FOR PRINT OVER TECHNOLOGY
Parents overwhelmingly support mobile devices
The vast
majority of instructional material allotment funding spent to date has gone to
purchase instructional materials and not technology, despite the fears of the State
Board of Education.
Opinions on
Senate Bill 6, passed during the special session, have been split: The State
Board of Education, which is losing power in the deal, is leery of it. The Texas
Textbook Coordinators Association has been supportive of it, although
the new environment has been called “the Wild Wild West.” And the Texas
Computer Education Association, of course, has readily embraced the
shift, which gives school districts broad latitude to make instructional
material choices.
Jennifer Bergland of the TCEA led a session
at the Texas Association of School Administrators’ Midwinter
conference this morning. She compared the impending passage from print to
digital to the anacronym of her own generation.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Kimberly Reeves
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Copyright January 30, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 30, 2012 1:24 PM
THE ORDER FROM THE FRIDAY INTERIM MAPS STATUS CONFERENCE
As we noted previously, the San Antonio court is asking for help in identifying where to concentrate efforts in order to get a set of interim maps out ASAP
Click here to view the court order.
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Copyright January 30, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 30, 2012 10:56 AM
PIERCE FRAMES SCHOOL FINANCE LITIGATION IMPERATIVES AT CONFERENCE
Four school finance lawsuits currently include 400 school districts
The four school
finance lawsuits may be different, but the one standard that needs to stand is
equity within the school finance system, the executive director of the Equity
Center told a crowd at a pre-session for TASA’s Midwinter
conference.
More than 4,000
superintendents and school board members will attend the Texas Association of School
Administrators’ conference in Austin this week. Two issues will be at
the top of the agenda: the pending school finance litigation and the
implementation of the state’s new end-of-course assessments.
At a school
finance conference on Sunday, Equity Center Executive Director Wayne Pierce laid out his case for
priorities in the school finance and urged attendees to both answer an online
survey and join the lawsuit the Equity Center has backed. Pierce’s goal is to
see three-quarters of the districts in the state sign on to fight what
plaintiffs consider to be the inherent flaws in the current school finance
system.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
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Copyright January 30, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 27, 2012 6:26 PM
SAN ANTONIO COURT ISSUES ULTIMATUM--AGREED UPON MAPS BY FEB 6 OR NO APRIL 3 PRIMARY
Judge Garcia says there will be interim maps--plaintiffs will have to give on some issues
The San Antonio panel has adjourned for the evening after
telling the litigants that if they want to have an April 3rd primary,
they must submit and agreed upon map by February 6. No agreed map by February 6, no April 3 primary
In the alternative, the litigants must submit a list of
districts they agree must be remedied by February 6.
Judge Orlando Garcia underscored that there will be an
interim map and the plaintiffs will have to give ground on some issues.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By John Reynolds and Harvey Kronberg
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Copyright January 27, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 27, 2012 6:07 PM
UPDATE ON SAN ANTONIO REDISTRICTING AS HEARING CONTINUES INTO THE NIGHT
Intractable problems for scheduling primary as off-camera negotiations continue between litigants
The San Antonio
federal redistricting panel is working late into the night. The three judges continue to hear testimony
at this hour.
As recounted by correspondent John Reynolds, three
possible primary alternative primary dates are on the table: April 17, May 29 and June 26. However the election administrators have one
set of problems which if resolved favorably makes holding state party
conventions all but impossible…and Texas election law requires certain things
happen at the party conventions.
Republican Party of Texas chairman Steve
Munisteri gave compelling testimony as to why anything after the current
April 3 primary date would not allow enough time for the two political parties
to do necessary business and hold their conventions. Rescheduling the Republican Party Convention with its 20,000
anticipated attendees is not an option.
Venues are usually booked years in advance.
However, the county election administrators reiterated to
the Court that they need 13-14 weeks lead time to hold an election. They need six to seven weeks to draw their
precinct maps and issue their voter registration cards. The administrators then need to print their
ballots and new federal law then requires forty-five days to deliver military
ballots and allow for them to come back.
They say that the federal law can not be superceded.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By John Reynolds and Harvey Kronberg
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Copyright January 27, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 27, 2012 5:23 PM
CORRECTION: DEWHURST REPORTS $1.4M LOSS IN 2009 AND $1.0M INCOME IN 2010
Paid $281k taxes in 2009 on $1.4m loss, $443K in taxes in 2010 on $1.01m adjusted income; estimate for 2011 income at just over $5M--filing later this year
The release outlining the Dewhurst tax returns can be found
here.
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Copyright January 27, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 27, 2012 5:03 PM
PRESS RELEASE SECTION HEADLINES
Texas Alliance for Life rallies, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast gets new CEO, consumrer groups applaud rejection of waiver request and lots more
REPRESENTATIVE
ROLAND GUTIERREZ: US COMMISSION DENIES TEXAS HEALTH CARE WAIVER REQUEST
OFFICE
OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: ANNOUNCES NOMINATION FOR TEXAS ARMED SERVICES
SCHOLARSHIP
REPRESENTATIVE
LON BURNAM: APPLAUDS U.S. HEALTH SECRETARY DECISION TO REJECT TDI REQUEST
PLANNED
PARENTHOOD GULF COAST: ANNOUNCES NEW CEO
TEXAS
WORKFORCE COMMISSION: CHAIRMAN HIGHLIGHTS SUCCESS OF PROGRAMS TO HELP
RETURNING VETERANS
RITA
ASHLEY CAMPAIGN: SBOE MEMBER DAVID BRADLEY MISSING IN ACTION ON IMPORTANT
MATH STANDARDS VOTE
MEXICAN
AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS: CHAIRMAN TREY MARTINEZ FISCHER RESPONDS TO THE
POSSIBILITY OF A SETTLEMENT IN THE TEXAS REDISTRICTING CASE
TEXAS
ALLIANCE FOR LIFE: TEXAS RALLY FOR LIFE TO DRAW THOUSANDS AT CAPITOL,
COMMEMORATE ROE V WADE
CENTER
FOR PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES: CONSUMER GROUPS APPLAUD FEDERAL REJECTION
OF TEXAS EFFORT TO DELAY HEALTH REFORM CONSUMER PROTECTION
MATT
RINALDI CAMPAIGN: RINALDI ENDORSED BY CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA
LEGILSLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE
TEXAS
WORKFORCE COMMISSION: CHAIRMAN TOM PAUKEN'S TESTIMONY TO THE HOUSE
ECONOMIC AND SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 26, 2012
REPRESENTATIVE
MIKE VILLARREAL: FOLLOWING STATE BUDGET CUTS, UTSA PROPOSES TUITION HIKE
TEXAS
AFT: SURVEY OF SUPERINTENDENTS SHOWS STUDENTS NOT SHELTERED FROM BUDGET
CUTS
REPRESENTATIVES
JOHN GARZA, HARVEY HILDERBRAN, AND DEE MARGO: OPINION-EDITORIAL:
1,000 DAYS
GIOVANNI
CAPRIGLIONE CAMPAIGN: DENISE MCNAMARA ENDORSES GIOVANNI CAPRIGLIONE FOR
TEXAS HOUSE DISTRICT 98
HARRIS
COUNTY JUDGE ED EMMETT: FOURTH ANNUAL TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE TO FOCUS
ON REGION'S ROLE AS "GATEWAY OF NORTH AMERICA"
MATT
BEEBE CAMPAIGN: PRO-LIFE MOMENTUM SURGES IN MATT BEEBE'S FAVOR IN HD 121
TEXAS
CENTER FOR DEFENSE OF LIFE: FEDERAL LITIGATION AGAINST THE CITY OF AUSTIN
TO CONTINUE
REPRESENTATIVE
SERGIO MUNOZ, JR.: APPOINTED TO LEGISLATIVE PANEL TO IMPROVE FIGHT
AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
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Copyright January 27, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 27, 2012 12:26 PM
CONGRESS HAS ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITY FOR MEDICARE DOC FIX, AMA PRESIDENT SAYS
Proposal to use savings from ending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to scrap formula that would cut physicians’ reimbursement rates by 27.4 percent is gaining support
Congress has “a once in a generation chance” to come up with
a permanent fix to a Medicare payment formula that could
cut reimbursement rates to physicians by 27 percent as early as the end of next
month, said the president of the American Medical Association in an
interview with QR.
In recent days, a coalition of lawmakers has been talking up
a proposal to use a portion of the savings from ending military involvement in
Iraq and Afghanistan to scrap the Sustainable Growth Rate formula.
An attempt to find a permanent replacement for the SGR, the
so-called “doc fix,” is one of the core issues in ongoing negotiations on a
one-year extension of the payroll tax cut.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By John Reynolds
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Copyright January 27, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 27, 2012 11:41 AM
COPPEDGE: FROM BEHIND THE PINE CURTAIN
Are the words Republican and Hispanic compatible in Texas today?--If the courts ever finish dithering, we will get an answer.
Governor Rick Perry
was banking on the Texas Republican Primary voters to help catapult him into
the Oval Office in 2012. That is not to
be. But those voters will still have an
impact on his legacy. And at the same
time they will help determine the prospects for the Republican Party to remain
the majority party in Texas.
Governor Perry’s name
will not be on the ballot, however two of his high profile Hispanic appointees
will be. And in the U.S. Senate race Ted
Cruz and Lt. Gov. Dewhurst will battle it out. With no disrespect intended to Tom
Leppert and the other 7 filers, that campaign appears to be coming down to
a two man race. Lots of eyes will be
looking at how these three Hispanic-surnamed candidates fare.
There have been 11 Hispanics to hold statewide office in
Texas. Of those 4 are Democrats and 7
are Republicans. Of the 11, two first
ran for and were elected to office*.
The remaining 9 were first appointed to office and then ran for
election. The rest of John Coppedge's column can be found in today's R&D Department.
By John Coppedge, MD
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Copyright January 27, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 27, 2012 9:20 AM
REP. LEO BERMAN BATTLING LYMPHOMA
Will continue campaigning as he fights the cancer
From the KETK news story.
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Copyright January 27, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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