Tag Archives: Don McLeroy

Still a “no” on Whitley

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As it should be. Senate Democrats still pledge to block the confirmation of embattled Secretary of State David Whitley, even as a top Texas law enforcement official is taking blame for major errors in a list of suspected non-citizen voters. … Continue reading →

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The Whitley hearing

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not a great day at the office for our Secretary of State and his advisory-ing ways. Almost two weeks after calling into question the citizenship status of almost 100,000 registered voters, Texas’ new chief elections officer, David Whitley, defended his … Continue reading →

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Trib overview of SBOE races

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As always, there’s a lot of action in these low profile races. Among the contenders in the races to replace Republican Thomas Ratliff of Mount Pleasant and Democrat Martha Dominguez of El Paso is a 68-year-old East Texas retiree who … Continue reading →

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Maybe Ratliff won’t step down from the SBOE after all

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Just when he thought he was out, they (might) pull him back in. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed a social conservative and former staffer for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to chair the Texas State Board of Education on Thursday. Donna Bahorich … Continue reading →

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Fraser and Ratliff to step down

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s good news: State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, announced Tuesday that he is not running for re-election, ending a tenure at the Capitol that has spanned four decades. “There comes a time when leaders must take a look at … Continue reading →

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Standing up for science

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sure hope it did some good. A past Texas State Board of Education chairman and outspoken creationist urged his former colleagues on Tuesday to approve high school biology textbooks he said would “strike a final blow to the teaching of … Continue reading →

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Three primary stories

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

TX Trib: 4 Democrats Vying to Replace Hochberg in HD-137 Observers say the winner of the contest for HD-137 is likely to be decided in the Democratic primary, whose four candidates are former Capitol staffers Joseph Carlos Madden and Jamaal … Continue reading →

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Grading Texas science classes

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We get a C. Texas public school science courses “pay lip service” to critical content and largely ignore evolution in the middle grades, according to a national education foundation study that gives the state of Texas an overall “C” for … Continue reading →

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It’s Bradleys all the way down

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Me, March 15, on the subject of SBOE Chair Gail Lowe’s confirmation issues in the Senate: I feel the same way about this as I did with Don McLeroy’s ultimately scuttled confirmation back in 2009. I have nothing good to … Continue reading →

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Lowe has confirmation issues, too

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

John Bradley isn’t the only Rick Perry appointee who is having trouble getting confirmed by the Senate. State Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, who chairs the Senate Nominations committee, says Gail Lowe has not been scheduled for a hearing as chairwoman … Continue reading →

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“You know what that leads to? COMMUNISM!”

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I normally consider it unseemly to kick a man while he’s down, but some men richly deserve it. The godless, left-wing radicals have taken over universities and the national government and are radically transforming the country, State Board of Education … Continue reading →

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Is this the swan song for the clown show?

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

After all this time, my heart isn’t into snarking on the SBOE and its latest travashamockery. I just want to point one thing out from how the vote went on that ludicrous and hateful anti-Islam resolution: State Board of Education … Continue reading →

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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 →

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Science textbook delay

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The adoption of new science textbooks may be delayed a year as a budget maneuver. The $1.4 billion price tag for new science textbooks and other materials has been causing sticker shock among state officials bracing for the upcoming budget … Continue reading →

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White tells the SBOE to wait till next year

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the SBOE is set to take a final vote on their proposed revisions to the social studies textbook standards. They’ve received a lot of mostly negative feedback so far, but have said they’re still considering specific suggestions. … Continue reading →

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Just a minute, SBOE

Posted on April 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I almost missed this op-ed by State Rep. Carol Alvarado about everyone’s favorite clown show, the State Board of Education. In it, she hits on a theme we’re seeing more and more of. How can board members claim that our … Continue reading →

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“The list of shame”

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here are three last reminders of that gang of idiots known as the State Board of Education before they return in May to finalize the vandalism they committed last week. First up, from the Texas Freedom Network: So what happened? … Continue reading →

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Time to send in the clowns

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

You know that old expression about how no one’s life, liberty, or property are safe when the Legislature is in session? That’s how I feel these days about the State Board of Education. And that means it’s loin-girding time, because … Continue reading →

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More on the SBOE

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Freedom Network does a victory dance over the defeat of wingnut SBOE member Don McLeroy, noting that overall the forces of good did much better than the far right did. “Don McLeroy was right when he said this … Continue reading →

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Election results: McLeroy loses!

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The second-best news of the evening is that wackjob SBOE member Don McLeroy lost to Thomas Ratliff, thus making the state’s worst elected body at least somewhat less dysfunctional. The board’s balance of power is delicate. Though it’s had ten … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Statesman on the SBOE

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman makes some recommendations in SBOE primaries in hopes of getting a better, or at least a slightly less dysfunctional, Board for the coming year. In the District 5 Republican primary, Tim Tuggey, 54, gets our endorsement. Tuggey, running … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: DMN for Ratliff and Kinky

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Dallas Morning News has a couple of endorsements of interest, one good and one puzzling. In the good one, they endorse challenger Thomas Ratliff in his GOP primary race for the SBOE against wingnut Don McLeroy. McLeroy, a board … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: ParentPAC for Thomas Ratliff

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m very glad to see that the Texas ParentPAC is getting involved in the SBOE primaries. Here’s their press release for the District 9 GOP race: The bipartisan Texas Parent PAC today announced its endorsement of Thomas Ratliff for election … Continue reading →

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The SBOE slate

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Martha has a great rundown of the slate of candidates for the State Board of Education, along with some partisan index numbers for the districts, which you should check out. The best part about this is that with Michael Soto … Continue reading →

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Let’s make this a bad year for Don McLeroy

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Don McLeroy is a wee bit concerned about losing one of his allies on the SBOE. State Board of Education former Chair (and current member) Don McLeroy wasn’t too concerned about losing Democratic swing-vote Rick Agosto. At least not at … Continue reading →

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You can try, but you can’t out-embarrass the SBOE

Posted on September 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Court of Criminal Appeals has had a good run lately as the public institution that has caused the most embarrassment to Texas, thanks in no small part to the ongoing Keller saga and the recent hot judge-on-prosecutor ruling. But … Continue reading →

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The new social studies curriculum, so far

Posted on August 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There’s no reason to believe that the lunatic fringe of the State Board of Education will do anything but push an unrealistic and ideological change to the state’s social studies curriculum. They’ve made that clear by the kind of “expert” … Continue reading →

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Defining “expert” down

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman editorial board lets us know how Don McLeroy defines an “expert” on something. Don McLeroy, who couldn’t muster enough votes in the Republican-dominated Texas Senate to win confirmation as chairman of the State Board of Education, has a … Continue reading →

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Perry appoints Lowe chair of SBOE

Posted on July 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is, he didn’t pick Cynthia Dunbar. The bad news is, it’s not clear how much better new State Board of Education Chair Gail Lowe will be. Lowe, co-publisher of the Lampasas Dispatch Record, was first elected to … Continue reading →

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SciencePAC

Posted on July 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Chad Orzel mentions an idea by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum from their book Unscientific America. Why not form a nonpartisan science political action committee, or PAC, devoted to funding candidates who are either scientists themselves or who make science … Continue reading →

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Dunbar in line to chair SBOE

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The crazy never stops. Critics who engineered the recent ouster of State Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy, in part because of his strong religious beliefs, could end up with someone even more outspoken in her faith. Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, … Continue reading →

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Five for SBOE 10

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I think it’s safe to say the State Board of Education elections aren’t going to be the obscure affairs they’ve historically been any more. We know that now-former SBOE Chair Don McLeroy has drawn a high-profile primary challenger, and one … Continue reading →

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McLeroy gets a challenger

Posted on June 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Paul Burka breaks the news that Thomas Ratliff, son of former State Sen. and Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, will challenge Don McLeroy, the now-former chair of the State Board of Education, for his seat on the board next year. From … Continue reading →

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Senate spikes McLeroy

Posted on May 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The Texas Senate on Thursday refused to confirm Don McLeroy as State Board of Education chairman after an impassioned floor debate. The 19 to 11 party-line vote was not enough to get McLeroy across the required two-thirds … Continue reading →

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