News, Texas Political Parlor

Son of Special Session?

June 24, 2011 5:00 am by: KUT Staff

Members of the Texas House may have to postpone their summer vacations for another 30 days. Photo by Nathan Bernier for KUT News.

The 30-day special session of the 82nd Texas Legislature is set to end no later than Wednesday night. But that may not be the end of business for lawmakers this summer. Hints are floating around the State Capitol that Governor Perry may call a second special session, if the House and Senate can't get together on proposed changes to the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. No one is saying when the call may come, but many folks beneath the Pink Dome are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. KUT's Ian Crawford and Tim Eaton of the Austin American-Statesman discuss the factors that could lead to a second 30-day call....
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News, Texas Political Parlor

A New Education

The politics of education in Texas has undergone a change during the 82nd Legislature. Some are using words like "sea change" and "seismic" to describe it. Lawmakers took a $4 billion bite out of state support to education, bucking a long-standing trend of funding for Texas' public schools. Backers of the move say it's part of a move to get the state to spend within its means; opponents say the legislature turned its back on schools. In this week's "Texas Political Parlor," KUT's Ian Crawford and Kate Alexander of the Austin American-Statesman discuss the change and whether the new stance could become permanent....
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Texas Political Parlor

Mixing Political Colors

The Texas Supreme Court has to determine whether the Green Party can appear on this fall's ballot. But questions linger about where the money to raise the necessary petition signatures came from....
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