One Weekend a Month, Two Weeks a Year, Five Years in Jail
Sometimes our legislators don't even know what's in their own bills. This morning, Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van) discussed his House Bill 1165 before the Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee and it was evident that he hadn't read - or maybe didn't understand - what all was in it.
Fraser Lowballs Number of Voters Without ID
In laying out his Senate Bill 362, Sen. Troy Fraser claimed that only about 1.5 percent of Texas voters don't have photo ID.
Burka Off the Rails
Over the weekend, Texas Monthly‘s Paul Burka railed against funding for high-speed rail in the stimulus bill, saying the dollars were much better spent on highways. But his facts were whack.
Empirical Evidence, Part II: Voter Suppression
There seems to be more evidence of voter suppression than of voter fraud, but as Dan Tokaji, elections expert and Ohio State University law professor, put it, “The problem with measuring the impact on turnout is it’s difficult to disaggregate all the different things that affect turnout.”
The Texas Legislature by the numbers
The skinny on the statehouse, from the top-selling items at the Capitol gift shop (antacids and breath mints) to some sobering state rankings (thank God for Mississippi).
Empirical Evidence, Part I: Voter Fraud
At the end of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's two-year investigation voter fraud looked more like a rare genetic disorder affecting one in 3 million than an epidemic.
RSS
Bad Bills
HB 4184/HJR 133: One-Legged Stool
Rep. Wayne Christian’s intent in House Bill 4184 is noble: provide adequate funding for public education. It’s his way of going about it that’s all wrong.
Capitol People
Women to Watch: Rep. Kristi Thibaut, D-Houston
After she lost her first campaign for a House seat from Houston in 2006, Kristi Thibaut showed up in Austin anyway. What she encountered, as she lobbied unsuccessfully for lower utility rates with fellow ACORN activists, was almost enough to make her wonder why she'd wanted that seat in the first place.
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