Texas Freedom Network’s guide to the SBOE elections

The Texas Freedom Network has put out a useful little voter’s guide to the 2012 State Board of Education elections, which covers a range of topics from creationism and climate change to bullying and SBOE procedures. You might look at the answers that the candidates who responded submitted and think “Hey, cool, everyone is basically sane and rational”, but look again. Only one Republican incumbent (Thomas Ratliff) and one Republican running for an open seat (Laurie Turner, running for the seat currently held by Democrat Mary Helen Berlanga), submitted answers. Seven Republican incumbents, and three Republican candidates for Republican-held open seats, did not. Donna Bahorich, who is running for Terri Leo’s seat in SBOE6 and who is opposed by Traci Jensen, did not submit answers. Bahorich doesn’t much like talking to audiences that don’t already agree with her so no surprise here. Of course, for a number of these issues we already know where the Republican incumbents stand as their records are quite clear and they’re generally not shy about saying what they believe, but you wouldn’t know it from this. Anyway, take a look and see if your SBOE candidates gave answers. If they didn’t, you probably have a pretty good idea why not.

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One Response to Texas Freedom Network’s guide to the SBOE elections

  1. Mainstream says:

    Lawrence Allen and his longshot Republican opponent Dorothy Olmos spoke to a group of eastside GOP precinct chairs Oct. 12. One questioner asked Allen, a Muslim, whether he would favor Sharia law in Texas classrooms. Of course, he did not. (A Republican Muslim is a state house candidate in Harris County this year.) Later Olmos made clear that she did not believe there should be any religious test for officeholding.

    Other topics of discussion included bilingual education, the permanent school fund bidding process, vocational education, vouchers, textbook adoption.

    HISD sent Mr. Veselka to speak regarding bonds, and Dave Wilson (yes, that Dave Wilson) spoke impromptu in opposition, noting that a group opposing the bonds would hold a press conference next week at a Sunnyside school. Wilson indicated the bonds are 40 years in duration; Mr. Veselka thought they were 15, but was unsure, but in any event the intended projects would be built far earlier.

    HCC board member Yolanda Navarro Flores opposes the HCC bonds on the ballot, indicating that a share is to cover prior debt, and that enrollments in HCC are falling.

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