Ari Phillips

Senate Puts Brakes on ‘Pork Chopper’ BillApr 26, 2011
Having already passed the House by a huge margin, the “Pork Chopper” bill, House Bill 716, lost some momentum today when it arrived in [...] Full Story
The Wages of Climate-Change DenialApr 21, 2011
The American Goldfinch can’t get out of Texas fast enough. Not because real estate is cheaper elsewhere, or birdseed more readily available, but because [...] Full Story
Perry Touts Education Record in Face of Impending Cuts, ControversyApr 14, 2011
This morning Governor Rick Perry joined members of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to announce the release of the inaugural edition of the [...] Full Story
The Convoluted Path of Natural Gas PipelinesApr 07, 2011
It’s an axiom: A straight line is the shortest, most efficient way to get from point A to point B. But where natural gas [...] Full Story
The High Cost of Tax ExemptionsMar 28, 2011
Here’s a bold idea for fixing Texas’ $23 billion budget deficit: repeal sweetheart tax loopholes for Big Business. While this Legislature is unlikely to [...] Full Story

Walking the Fence LineMar 02, 2011
Suzie Canales is one cafeteria worker you don’t want to mess with. Attendees at last December’s first-ever White House Forum on Environmental Justice learned [...] Full Story
Underfunded Public Ed: Cyclical or Structural?Feb 21, 2011
In case you haven’t heard, Texas public education system is facing a $9.3 billion shortfall over the next biennium. That’s not including funding needed [...] Full Story
Legal Aid Funding CrisisFeb 16, 2011
Devastating budget cuts could mean even fewer Texans can access basic legal services. With only about 20 percent of Texans in need of basic [...] Full Story
An Education Pep RallyFeb 01, 2011
The scene: signs waving, buttons blazing, cheers berating. Monday’s Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) press conference was packed full of Texas school administrators [...] Full Story
Don’t Mess with Texas EnergyJan 21, 2011
The free-marketeers at the Texas Public Policy Foundation rolled out yet another policy paper yesterday presented by Steven Hayward of the American Enterprise Institute. [...] Full Story