Tag Archives: Bill Hammond

We’ve seen this movie before

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate the sentiment, but I know how this ends. Major Republican donors, including some that have contributed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaigns, joined other conservative Texans in signing an open letter supporting congressional action to increase gun restrictions in … Continue reading →

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TAB says it wants better pre-K in Texas

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The Texas Association of Business wants the state to offer a full school day of taxpayer-funded pre-K and plans to push lawmakers in that direction next year, the group announced this week. … Continue reading →

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Once again with “religious freedom” legislation

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, says he plans to re-file legislation next session that would supplement the state’s existing law to allow business owners to refuse services to people whose lifestyles … Continue reading →

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Get ready for more “religious freedom” bills

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Gird your loins. The next Texas legislative session is almost a year away, but Senate Republicans are already zeroing in on proposals to bolster legal protections for religious opponents of same-sex marriage after its legalization by the U.S. Supreme Court … Continue reading →

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Do we need a statewide solution for Uber and Lyft?

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Bill Hammond of the Texas Association of Business thinks so. Fans of apps like Uber and Lyft may find that the rules governing their operations in one city differ dramatically from those in a community down the street or across … Continue reading →

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Joining together for equality

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. Standing alongside Democrats, a representative for the state’s powerful business lobby Tuesday denounced two proposed amendments to the state constitution aimed at bolstering protection for people acting on religious beliefs, which detractors say would legalize discrimination against … Continue reading →

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Rallying to save the Texas DREAM Act

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It won’t be easy. With a new Texas legislative session underway and incoming state leaders indicating a desire to repeal the Texas Dream Act, supporters of the law are gearing up for a renewed fight to keep it in place. … Continue reading →

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More education policy from Davis

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A lot to like here. Saying she wants to expand Texas high schoolers’ access to technical job training programs, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis announced a plan to create a Career-Technical Coordinating Board. The plan is the latest in a … Continue reading →

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Yes, Greg Abbott owns the RPT platform

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Greg. You can mumble all the vague platitudes you want, but this baby’s all yours. In the wake of the GOP’s approval of a platform that includes a hardline stance on immigration, Attorney General Greg Abbott finds himself at … Continue reading →

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Transportation funding shouldn’t be intractable

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As previously noted, Sens. Tommy Williams and Robert Nichols want to take another crack at finding additional funds for transportation. The problem, as always, is political

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Senate passes amended HB5

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Senate has passed its version of House Bill 5, which makes sweeping changes to standardized testing and curriculum requirements for high school students. Texas high school students would have new curriculum requirements under legislation unanimously passed by the Senate … Continue reading →

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Water, water, not so fast

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. A major bill on the top of Gov. Rick Perry’s priority list that would authorize spending billions of dollars on state water projects faltered in the Texas House on Monday night after a contentious debate over … Continue reading →

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Weekend legislative threefer

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you heard on Friday was Rick Perry stamping his feet if he doesn’t get his way. Gov. Rick Perry is warning state legislators that it could be a long, hot summer in Austin if they don’t pass his … Continue reading →

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Senate to consider expanded gambling

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t really take it seriously when I heard that Sen. John Carona had filed his own gambling expansion legislation, but it seems it’s got some traction. A proposal from Dallas Republican Sen. John Carona would establish a commission that … Continue reading →

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Here come the tax cut proposals

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

When the sunny revenue forecast came in, we immediately got one crappy tax cut idea, to eliminate the margins tax at a cost of $4.5 billion. The Texas Association of Business didn’t care for the idea, at least at first, … Continue reading →

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TAB yields on testing

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Retreat! Some of the strongest advocates for high-stakes testing, Texas business leaders now want to cut the number of exams students must pass to finish high school, the latest attempt to ease tougher graduation requirements that went into effect last … Continue reading →

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Some sanity on STAAR

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This is a welcome development. A requirement that the state exams count toward 15 percent of a student’s course grade sparked a backlash last spring over the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, among parents whose ninth-graders … Continue reading →

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Fee for all

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Fees are part of the answer for Texas’ pressing infrastructure needs, but they aren’t and cannot be the whole solution. To help keep the Texas business climate robust, lawmakers should double state fees on motor vehicle registrations and impose a … Continue reading →

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TAB does not intend to release its hostage

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

And why should they, if it’s a viable strategy? Representatives from the Texas Coalition for a Competitive Workforce, which includes major business groups and local chambers of commerce, said at a news conference that the assessment and accountability system known … Continue reading →

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The Lege is going to have to spend some money

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Whether they want to or not, there are a lot of issues that will be demanding attention and money from the Legislature when they convene in January. For example, there’s water. House Speaker Joe Straus said Friday the state’s water … Continue reading →

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Pauken responds to Hammond

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Tom Pauken responds to Bill Hammond on the subject of school accountability. Hammond encourages us to “stay the course” of the existing high-stakes testing system and “4×4” curriculum that have come to dominate public education in Texas. Implicit in this … Continue reading →

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Hammond pushes back on Pauken

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

After I read Patti Hart’s column about Tom Pauken and his anti-standardized testing quest, I noted the absence of a mention of uber-testing advocate Bill Hammond. Hammond has no trouble talking about Pauken, however. Tom Pauken, former chairman of the … Continue reading →

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Pauken on testing

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Patricia Kilday Hart has a conversation with Texas Workforce Commission Chair Tom Pauken about testing and accountability in public schools. As a Texas Workforce Commissioner, Pauken has spent a lot of time studying whether our public school system prepares an … Continue reading →

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A matter of priorities

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Compare and contrast. State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, the outspoken voice of the far right in the Senate, said he will be pushing vouchers that parents of school-age children could use for charter schools, online offerings or additional alternatives to … Continue reading →

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TAB takes a hostage

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t say I’m surprised by this tactic. Leaders in the business community said Wednesday that they would not stand for increased funding for education if it came with any rollback of accountability standards in Texas public schools. “If we are … Continue reading →

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Are the end of course standards too low?

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Beginning this year, high school students must pass new end of course exams in a variety of subjects in order to be able to graduate. These tests begin in the ninth grade and continue through the 12th. The standards will … Continue reading →

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TAB joins school finance litigation

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

But not as a force for good. The Texas Association of Business announced today that it will join a school finance lawsuit against the state, demanding a study of Texas school system efficiency. “The Constitution of Texas calls for the … Continue reading →

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The SBOE can even make math controversial

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The State Board of Education is gearing up to revise math standards, and as is always the case someone is pushing back. The Texas Association of Business is urging the state board of education to go back to the drawing … Continue reading →

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All the “news” that fits, we print

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve heard of slow news days before, but this is ridiculous. State Comptroller Susan Combs trumpeted a survey Tuesday showing – as she wrote in the forward to a 15-page report – that a mere 3.4 percent of employers surveyed … Continue reading →

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House approves a little more money, Senate readies its budget

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Just a little. Texas House budget-writers voted Monday to free up an additional $3 billion for key state services through such moves as speeding up tax collections, delaying payments and suspending the back-to-school sales tax holiday. The bills next go … Continue reading →

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Bill Hammond gets his name in the papers again

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Whether he actually achieves any of the goals that are the basis for many of these stories remains to be seen. Hammond, a former business owner and Republican lawmaker from Dallas, is accustomed to steering the state business organization between … Continue reading →

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Thousands attend the Save Texas Schools rally

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Our voices have been heard. Whether we are listened to remains to be seen. Parents, educators, and students from across the state marched to the Capitol Saturday for the Save Texas Schools rally to express their concern over what could … Continue reading →

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Rally Day

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks in part to our only Governor, those attending today’s rally are even more fired up about it. As thousands of teachers, school staffers and parents prepare for a state Capitol rally Saturday against education cuts, they’ve found new recruits … Continue reading →

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The business lobby’s guide to balancing the budget

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Bill Hammond, the president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, pens an op-ed with his preferred approach to the budget. The main thing to note is right here: The state has $72.2 billion available for general-purpose spending during … Continue reading →

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