Tag Archives: Mike Villarreal

Going through the couch cushions

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

“Taxes” may be a dirty word, but the Lege is busy looking for revenue in other places. “Right now, there is a tremendous amount of effort being invested in identifying new revenues that avoid being called a tax bill,” said … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How about those tax exemptions?

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of them, and they cost the state big bucks. A 68-page report released by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs on Monday offers a detailed look at billions of dollars in state tax exemptions and could fuel renewed discussion … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Activists for the disabled protest in front of Perry’s office

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Go for it! About 35 Texans in wheelchairs, denouncing proposed state budget cuts, staged a sit-in outside Gov. Rick Perry’s Capitol office late Tuesday. Protesters with the disability rights group Adapt of Texas vowed to stay until they were removed … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Brewery bills get referred to committee

Posted on February 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a first step. State Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, has introduced House Bill 602, which would allow breweries to distribute up to 48 12-ounce beers at the conclusion of tours of the respective facilities. Brewers would cover the cost of … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Brewery bills get referred to committee

The Trib on the brewpubs’ efforts

Posted on February 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve written before about the efforts by brewpubs to pass a bill that would allow them to distribute their product outside their own doors. That effort is being led by Scott Metzger of San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing Company, who has … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Higher tuition coming

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what did you expect? The 63,000 students of the University of Houston System could be paying higher tuition as early as the fall semester, Chancellor Renu Khator told a Senate committee Monday. Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Khator … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Census data is on its way

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Via Greg, who is predictably jazzed about it, the state of Texas expects its detailed Census data this week, meaning that the redistricting battle is set to begin in earnest. Demographers expect the data to validate projections of surging growth … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Census data is on its way

The state of the state

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Is strong, according to Rick Perry. So strong, in fact, that we’re going to kick the legs out of social services, because clearly we don’t need them. When the state faced a budget crisis in 2003, Gov. Rick Perry’s office … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The state of the state

School districts begin preparing for the inevitable

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

If nothing else, we have a clear winner in the furloughs versus layoffs debate. School superintendents want more freedom in determining class sizes and permission to cut employee pay or to furlough teachers and other district employees, which school boards … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Legislative beer news

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a new player on the beer legislation scene this session. The owner of one of San Antonio’s largest brewpubs, Freetail Brewing Co., is spearheading an effort to change state law to allow it and other brewpubs to distribute their … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Closing loopholes

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, from Rep. Mike Villarreal: Rep. Villarreal announced legislation to close a $20 million corporate tax giveaway, citing it as an example of how the state’s outmoded tax system created the current fiscal crisis. “With the state’s fiscal … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Pitts budget

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here it is, and if it is a shock to you, you haven’t been paying attention. The House’s starting-point budget proposal would provide for a total budget of $156.4 billion in state and federal money, a decrease of $31.1 billion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A few thoughts from Opening Day

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few random bits from today’s festivities… – In the end and despite the teabagger footstomping, the Speaker’s Race turned out to be a big nothingburger, which was what most rational people expected all along. There were a few … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We have a number for the hole

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s actually more than one number that can be used to accurately describe the state budget deficit, depending on what your perspective is, but however you look at it, it’s big and it’s no longer projected or theoretical. State Comptroller … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Do we or do we not have a structural deficit?

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In this corner, State Rep. Mike Villarreal: In a kerfuffle involving two House members who really like to engage in detailed discussions of Texas’ tax system, Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, sent reporters a letter in which he told Rep. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No federal sex ed money for Texas

Posted on October 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Stay ignorant, kids. It’s what the state of Texas wants you to do. At the end of the summer, Texas quietly opted to forgo yet another pot of federal money — specifically, $4.4 million that would have gone toward educating … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Meet the Mostyns

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I have two things to say about this. Attorney Steve Mostyn said Tuesday he and his wife, Amber Anderson, are committed to putting a “substantial” amount of money that likely will exceed $3 million into ending hard-right Republican politics in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Family planning saves money

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It does a lot more than that, of course, but in these times we may as well highlight the financial aspect of it. A state and federal program that provides free family planning and related health screenings to low-income women … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Family planning saves money

White wants to “undo some of the damage” the SBOE has done to social studies

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Lord knows, there’s a lot of it to undo. Bill White wants to start with changing the Chair. Some Texans have called for a limited review to address some of the more controversial standards that will influence new history, government, … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on White wants to “undo some of the damage” the SBOE has done to social studies

The clown show finally calls it a wrap

Posted on May 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some other state to be the national laughingstock again. The Court of Criminal Appeals gives it a good run for its money, but you just can’t out-embarrass the SBOE, and every … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bill Hobby bashes the SBOE

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, I don’t know who put the hot sauce in former Lite Guv Bill Hobby’s Cheerios, but keep it up, I say. Go read it for yourself and you’ll see what I mean. When you’re done with that, you can … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bill Hobby bashes the SBOE

The question to ask

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From State Rep. Mike Villarreal’s blog, explaining the benefit of the Affordable Care Act for Texans: Beyond this next year, many of the six million uninsured Texans will have health insurance, improving their health and financial stability, and saving all … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Census forms start arriving next week

Posted on March 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Fill out those forms and send them back, because redistricting and all that it entails will follow close behind. Experts’ early looks at Census estimates point to a potential new congressional district in northwest Harris County. That could be alluring … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Census forms start arriving next week

Liveblogging the SBOE social studies hearings

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

No, not me. I’m not there, and besides, I’m no good at liveblogging. Here’s all the coverage you could need, from people who actually are good at this. First and foremost, the indispensable Texas Freedom Network. Stephen Schafersman, blogging for … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Liveblogging the SBOE social studies hearings

Strayhorn still talking about running

Posted on December 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I almost don’t know what to say. Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who was twice elected comptroller as a Republican and then ran a losing gubernatorial campaign as an independent, called Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie on Tuesday to discuss seeking the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Villarreal files for re-election, not Comptroller

Posted on December 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Not really a surprise, I guess. A shame, but not a surprise. State Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, will run for re-election next year instead of launching a statewide race for comptroller. The five-term legislator says allies encouraged him to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Villarreal files for re-election, not Comptroller

Villarreal considering run for Comptroller

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Democratic statehouse Rep. Mike Villarreal of San Antonio is considering running for comptroller and is expected to make a decision next week. The five-term House member is an investor who holds a masters in public policy from Harvard. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

First, get someone to actually run

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I certainly agree that the Democratic statewide ticket would benefit from the presence of a qualified Latino candidate or two or three. Agreeing on that is the easy part. Finding someone who qualifies as qualified and who is actually willing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on First, get someone to actually run

Busy day yesterday

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There were a lot of bills passed yesterday by one chamber or the other. My mailbox is full of press releases touting them. I’m going to go ahead and print them beneath the fold as a roundup. A few bills … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Busy day yesterday

House passes budget, slaps Perry

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Chris Turner, on Twitter: At 3:56 am, the House unanimously passed the budget. Believe it or not, that was earlier than was originally anticipated. The pregame chatter was that the House would have to reconvene today to finish … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House passes budget, slaps Perry

Ethics and finance bills to get their turn

Posted on April 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

One never really expects bills relating to ethics and campaign finance reform to make it through the process, but it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on them. In the last session, for example, at least 105 bills … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The sad state of sex education in Texas

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We do a really lousy job of it. In sex education classes, 94 percent of Texas school districts teach that abstaining from sex is the only healthy option for unmarried couples, and, in many cases, students are given misleading and … Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment