BOR: - Texas Legislature

Education Needs Relevance Without Sacrificing Rigor: House Bill 5

Senator Leticia Van de Putte — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:32:32 GMT

Earlier this month, the Texas Senate passed its version of House Bill 5, the major reform bill on public education curriculum and testing. In both the House and the Senate, vigorous debate shaped the two versions of the bill. As HB 5 heads to conference committee to iron out the differences between the two versions, more debate will ensue.

Unfortunately, much of this debate has focused on one shortsighted question: Do all students really need Algebra II? Many students will not attend a four-year university, this argument goes, so why should they be forced to spend time taking it?

The real questions need to be: At what point will students decide they are not on a university path? What can we do to prepare them for success in their chosen postsecondary path? And to be prepared for the jobs of the future, can any path afford not to require rigor?

I hope to reframe the debate in conference committee, and come out with a much stronger bill that helps every student realize his or her potential.

Read more below the jump.
Although well intentioned, the House version of HB 5 has a fundamental flaw: All students start at the "Foundation" diploma - the minimum plan to get through high school - and if they want to accomplish more, they can continue toward an "endorsement" (sort of a high school version of a college major). If they're going to reach for college, they must seek a "distinguished" level of achievement, which includes Algebra II.

I think this presents a huge problem, as 14-year-old high school freshmen may be too young to realize just how high they can reach - and if they come from a family with no history of higher education, they may not get the guidance needed to set their sights appropriately. I fear that choosing the minimum will result in a lifetime of minimum wages.

The Senate version improves on this, but not enough - it does at least start students on one of the endorsements, rather than defaulting at the minimum, but one of the endorsement paths (Business & Industry) does not require Algebra II. The problem is, Algebra II is required for eligibility in the automatic admissions program for Texas universities (aka the Top Ten Percent program). A student could choose Business & Industry early on but then realize too late that he or she wants to aim for college.

Even if they don't seek automatic admissions, will their diploma be valued less by higher education institutions?

This is not just a problem for students, but a problem for Texas. The Top Ten Percent program has enabled students from all walks of life - rural, urban, poor, minority - to get a first-tier education and break the cycle of poverty. In general, college admissions require high test scores, but test scores don't measure ganas (the will to succeed). The Top Ten Percent program does.

Why have 14-year-olds choose between multiple pathways, leading to very different outcomes, where the student can get lost?

During the Senate debate, I proposed an amendment that would start all students on a single, rigorous pathway - but one with multiple choices built into it. Along the way, students - with guidance from school counselors and parents - would assess their future direction after they've had time to gauge their abilities and interests.

I pulled down my amendment after sensing that it didn't have the votes to pass, but I still hope the conference committee will incorporate elements of this plan.

I respect the tremendous work that House Public Education Chair Jimmie Don Aycock and Senate Education Chair Dan Patrick put into their respective versions of HB 5. But I do believe that, in creating the curriculum flexibility sought by students and their parents, we must also maintain the rigor necessary to prepare them for the competitive professional world that awaits them, whether they enter it after high school or college.

Senator Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, sits on the Senate Education Committee.

Demand an Honest Budget

Kirk Watson — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:42:33 GMT

This was supposed to be the year when Texas finally did better when it came to budget honesty.

We were going to use parks money to pay for parks; clean air money for cleaner air; utility fees for utility relief ... The list goes on.

But taxpayers aren’t seeing the reform they expect, which means your money – tax dollars, fees and such – still aren’t being spent the way you were promised they would be.

Are you ready for an honest budget and an end to diversions? Sign this petition!

Here’s how they get you:

The state budget is honeycombed with hundreds of "dedicated" funds – little piggybanks where those in control collect your taxes and fees. The state promises to spend the money on a specific, usually popular purpose that you probably support.

But then, much of that money is hoarded in the accounts, diverted from its intended purposes and used to cover other costs.

Over the years, the state has allowed those accounts to get bigger and bigger, starving necessities (like parks, trauma care, 911 service and clean air) that it was meant to pay for and covering up for the failure to fund basic state functions (like schools and healthcare) in more honest, transparent ways.

And, as a result, nearly $5 billion was diverted away from its dedicated purposes in the current 2012-13 budget.

Do you think Texans deserve more transparency and fewer diversions? Click here.

At the start of this session, folks like the Governor and Speaker of the House promised to start weaning the state from its addiction to diversions. But, if anything, things are getting even less transparent.

Right now, those in control of the legislature are pushing a pre-election utility rebate gimmick that would divert more than $700 million from its purpose. That’s money Texans have given the state to help low-income families in deregulated electricity markets pay their utility bills.

The reason the money was collected – the need it’s meant to address – still exists. Hundreds of thousands of poor and elderly Texans still can’t afford their bills in brutally hot months.

Do the math; sign the petition!

Budget writers are using that broken promise to underwrite another one: they pledge to divert no more than $4 billion -- $4 billion! -- in the next budget.

That’s close to the $4.95 billion they’re diverting now, minus the $700 million they’re writing off in the rebate scheme.

In other words they’re still addicted to diversions, pursing business-as-usual while shrouding it in fake reform. Worse still, budget writers have rejected calls to craft a plan to wean the state off of this practice over the next few budgets. I filed a proposed constitutional amendment that would bring true, long-term reform to this process; it hasn’t even been given a hearing.

That’s not real reform. That’s like someone promising he won’t keep drinking any more without promising to drink much less, either.

Texas can do better. Demand honest budgeting. Fight diversions. Sign this petition.

Top Five Budget Requests of Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter

Texas Sierra Club — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:18:09 GMT

Top Five Budget Requests of Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter
Recommendations for House and Senate Conferees on Senate Bill 1

1. Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP)

The Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) is one of the key programs at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) that helps keep compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) ozone standards for clean air. Funded by so-called dedicated fees collected from businesses throughout the state, TERP provides incentives to reduce (mostly) vehicle emissions of nitrogen oxides in non-attainment and near non-attainment areas. The fees raise some $190 million per year, but the current Senate version of SB 1 would only appropriate $90 million per year, while the House version would only provide $65 million per year. These funds are very important now because the U.S. EPA is likely to make the current air quality standard more stringent later this year. Consequently, several more urban areas throughout the eastern half of Texas (Austin-Round Rock, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, for example) would fail the standard and industries in the Houston region would face additional federal fines.

Sierra Club has joined with many public and private sector stakeholders throughout the state recommending that TERP appropriations be restored to at least $135 million per year.

Read more below the jump.
2. Low Income Repair and Replacement Assistance Program (LIRAP)

Another program funded by so-called dedicated fees, the Low Income Repair and Replacement Assistance Program (LIRAP) -- also known as "Drive a Clean Machine" -- is another TCEQ grant program intended to clean up vehicle air emissions in 16 counties in the Dallas, Houston and Austin areas. While fees intended for LIRAP and paid by all motorists in those counties generate some $40 million per year, the Senate version of SB 1 currently earmarks only $7 million per year. The House version provides a bit more for Travis and Williams counties because local elected officials voted to voluntarily implement the LIRAP program without being forced to do so by the TCEQ or U.S. EPA under a federal Clean Air Act non-attainment designation.

Sierra Club requests that at least $35 million per year be appropriated as subsidies for working Texans that fail auto emissions inspections to help repair or replace their vehicle, and an additional $5 million per year for law enforcement officials to prevent fraud in emissions inspections through TCEQ's Local Incentives Program (LIP).

3. Local Park Grants

The sales tax on sporting goods can be used for grants for local parks, be it for education, improvements on existing local parks or expansion of local parks owned by cities or counties. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) requested $15.5 million over the biennium - half the appropriation the Local Parks Grant program received a couple of sessions ago - but no money was provided in the Senate budget, and only a few million in the House version for specific projects.

Sierra Club requests that the Conferees honor the TPWD request for the Local Parks Grant Program and provide $15.5 million over the biennium.

4. Water Conservation Education Grants & Environmental Flows

The 2012 state water plan calls for roughly 34% of the state's future water needs to be met through conservation and reuse (24% through conservation). Although HB 4 calls for not less than 20% of the funds for any loans under a new State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) to be used for conservation and reuse, there is an additional immediate need to educate Texans on ways to use water more efficiently. While addressing our water supply needs, we also must work to protect river flows and freshwater inflows to bays and estuaries to support not only the environment but the businesses and industries dependent upon those flows. The House appropriations bill provides $2 million in FY 2014 to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) for water conservation education grants and $2 million to TWDB for environmental flow studies, both contingent upon passage of HB 4 (or similar legislation) and the allocation of money from the Economic Stabilization Fund (a.k.a. the Rainy Day Fund). The Senate appropriations bill has no similar provisions.

Sierra Club requests that $2 million be appropriated to TWDB for FY 2014 for water conservation education grants and $2 million be appropriated to TWDB for the biennium to continue environmental flow studies.

5. Weatherization for Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs out of SBF balances

One of the authorized uses of the System Benefit Fund (SBF) - which all electric customers pay in the competitive areas of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market - is to weatherize homes of working and retired Texans that cannot afford to do it themselves, thus permanently lowering their electric and gas bills. When the SBF was first established, some $15 million per year was used to weatherize homes throughout Texas.

Sierra Club requests that between $15 and $25 million per year be earmarked from the System Benefit Fund - hopefully from the balances - to the Texas Department for Housing & Community Affairs for weatherization, using the existing network of weatherization providers.

83rd Legislative Update - My bills move to the House

Senator Leticia Van de Putte — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:18:56 GMT

The 100th day of the 140-day 83rd Texas Legislative Session passed last week. The end is in sight, and now the mad rush for legislators to get bills to the Governor's desk before the clock runs out is kicking into high gear.

As you probably know, bills face a two-step process in the Capitol - they must pass one chamber, then the other - before they can go to the Governor for his signature and become law.

So far, 26 bills that I've authored have cleared that first hurdle - making it out of the Senate and over to the House. Additionally, four other bills on which I served as a secondary author have also moved over.

There isn't room to mention them all here, but here are some of the most notable:

Veterans/Military: As Chair of the Senate Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee, taking care of those who serve or have served - including their families - is at the forefront of my work in Austin.

Senate Bill 10 is the Veterans' Employment and Business Opportunity Act, and tackles veteran unemployment on three fronts: It allows direct hiring of veterans by state agencies through the Texas Workforce Commission's automated system, and requires at least 25% of the interview pool to be veterans; increases the ability of disabled veteran-owned business to compete for state contracts by making them eligible for contracting with the Texas Council on Purchasing From People With Disabilities; and makes the College Credit for Heroes program permanent, letting certain military training translate into college credits.

SB 162 will also help the veteran unemployment problem by requiring state agencies that issue occupational licenses to provide an expedited licensure for service members, their spouses, and veterans within one year of separation from the military, if the license they obtained in the military is substantially similar to what Texas requires. (A year after the expedite license is issued, individuals would be expected to fully meet Texas requirements for that license.)

SBs 846 and 898 address veterans' mental health concerns. SB 846 requires the Texas Veterans Commission to coordinate with the Department of State Health Services to incorporate a suicide prevention component into its training of veteran county service officers. SB 898 enables a greater number of veterans and family members to be eligible for Peer-to-Peer services under the Mental Health Program for Veterans.

SB 981 will allow electric utilities in Texas to adopt a discount program similar to the one we now have in San Antonio for burned veterans who must keep their houses cooler than normal.

Healthcare: SB 294 extends the Bexar Cares program until 2023. Bexar Cares requires information sharing among state agencies to more efficiently help at-risk children with behavioral health problems.

Human Trafficking: Combating this form of modern-day slavery is another of my major legislative campaigns. SB 92 will create a juvenile diversion court for human trafficking survivors, so that minors who have been prostituted may be treated as crime victims needing treatment and services rather than as criminals.

SB 532 would enact the recommendations of the Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force created by the 81st Legislature four years ago. It is actually still in the Senate, but that's okay - its companion bill, House Bill 8 authored by my dear friend Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston, has moved swiftly through the House and has been sent to the Senate. I am confident this will become law.

Not directly concerning human trafficking but closely related is SB 1356, requiring training at juvenile correctional facilities to help staff recognize when misbehavior by youth may be due to a past trauma rather than simple disobedience. Such trauma-induced behavior requires treatment, not punishment.

Education: I am particularly proud of and hopeful for SB 1538. There are public and charter schools that specialize in helping high school dropouts get back into the education system and achieve a diploma, but school rating systems fail to recognize the special challenges such schools face. SB 1538 would require these circumstances to be considered, so that such schools don't get punished for doing exactly what they're supposed to do.

Coordinated school health programs currently address a range of physical health concerns for students. SB 1352 would require that mental health be addressed as well.

The education code currently outlines conditions under which a teacher may remove a student from the classroom for disciplinary reasons. SB 1541 would similarly specify conditions under which bus drivers could similarly remove students from a bus and refer the student to the principal.

Economic development: Craft brewing and distilling are rapidly expanding industries nationwide, but Texas companies in the beverage industry are hamstrung by inconsistencies in the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code. Several bills that I have authored or coauthored will level the playing field for these entrepreneurs, such as SB 828 which would allow them to more effectively market their products, or SB 905, which would allow them to sell a small amount directly to consumers visiting a distillery.

The final day of session, known as sine die, will be May 27.

Texas Lunch Links: West, Texas Updates, Nate Silver's Gun Model and Payday Lending Drama,

Nick Hudson — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:30:00 GMT

Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of links to Texas-related news and views.

WEST EXPLOSION UPDATES: The West Fertilizer Company's plans for a "worst-case scenario," filed with the EPA June 2011, didn't anticipate a gigantic explosion. Though the family-owned plant was "fined or disciplined" three times in the past 10 years, it had not had a "comprehensive inspection" since 2006. Texas' regulation of chemical storage doesn't appear to be as robust as other states. There are more than 160 casualties and at least 12 fatalities. President Obama promised Governor Perry prayers and federal aid in a telephone call yesterday.

MODELING THE GUN VOTE: Over at FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver produced a very interesting logistic regression model that seeks to explain with five variables each United States senator's voted on the background check amendment proposed that failed to muster 60 votes. The five variables are: gun-ownership rates in the senator's state; whether or not the senator caucuses with the Democrats; the senator's voting record on a liberal-conservative scale, based on the the DW-Nominate system; the share of the vote that Obama received in the senator's state in 2012; and a variable indicating whether the senator is running for re-election in 2014.

PAYDAY LENDING: After what the Texas Tribune called a "raucous" debate, Republican Senator John Carona pulled his payday lending bill from the Senate floor on Thursday. During the debate, which became at times heated and personal, Republican Senator Troy Fraser and Democrat Senator John Whitmire, criticized Carona and suggested that senators needed more time to consider six proposed changes to SB 1247 that would have strengthened consumer protections.

Keep reading Texas Lunch Links below the fold!
REDISTRICTING: Michael Li has coverage of the committee hearing on on SB 1524, a bill by state Senator Kel Seliger, Republican of Amarillo, that would adopt the three court-drawn interim maps as permanent.

TOLL ROADS: The Texas Senate approved by a vote of 29-1 on Thursday a bill that would let toll road authorities bar from vehicle registration drivers who have more than 100 unpaid tolls.

NAOMI GONZALEZ DWI: El-Paso State Representative Naomi Gonzalez, who struck a bicyclist on Congress Avenue while driving with a blood alcohol level about twice the legal limit, could spend up to one year in jail for her DWI offense.

OBAMACARE IN TEXAS: Sendero Health Plans, the Central Texas nonprofit sponsored by Central Health that seeks to provide health care to low income residents of Central Texas, may provide insurance coverage to low-income residents of Central Texas who have incomes too-high to qualify for Medicaid starting in January.

LEHMBERG SENTENCED: Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg pleaded guilty to drunk driving and was sentenced to 45 days in jail this morning.

Helping Traumatized Kids in Texas' Juvenile Justice System

Senator Leticia Van de Putte — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:04:49 GMT

"Sometimes kids just go bad."

When young people end up in our state's juvenile justice system, that statement is, unfortunately, the easy assumption to make. Real life, of course, is usually more complex than that. Bad behavior usually has a cause.

Too often, children who head the wrong direction in life got started down that path by the bad hand they were dealt early in their lives. So many of our kids have been abused, either emotionally, physically, sexually, or some combination thereof. Or they were neglected, or suffered deprivation.

Each year, roughly half of the youth referred to Texas' juvenile justice facilities have experienced some type of trauma. These traumas can't just be swept from their psyche - they leave scars. Those invisible scars often show up in their behavior - certain "triggers" can set them off, causing severe overreactions that can be mistaken for disobedience by untrained staff in juvenile facilities. This leads to harsh and counterproductive responses, including the use of long seclusions in secure facilities, or being held in restraints - responses which often makes a kid's trauma worse.

This negative cycle of trauma-incarceration-trauma pushes youth deeper and deeper into the juvenile justice system, and farther and farther away from the behaviors that lead to the right path. In fact, research in Texas shows that a youth's past experience with trauma is the single largest predictor of how deeply involved that youth will become in the Texas juvenile justice system.

I want to help children avoid this cycle. That's why I introduced Senate Bill 1356 in the current legislative session. This bill, if it becomes law, will require the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and county juvenile departments to include "trauma-informed care" in their existing training programs for appropriate staff, including probation officers, detention officers, and court-supervised community-based program personnel. The training would provide specialized skill for working with juveniles who have experienced traumatic events.

This would allow staff to recognize when a child may be reacting to a trigger, and then deal with the crisis appropriately, rather than using punishments that may just send the youth crashing into a downward spiral. Rather than asking "what's wrong with you?" staff need to ask "what happened to you?" That's a crucial difference.

In a recent survey of girls incarcerated in the state secure juvenile facility, fifty percent said their time in county juvenile probation did not help them deal with their past trauma. That's too many young people who aren't getting the treatment and help they need.

I know this trauma-informed care can work - my inspiration for this bill came from seeing it in action right here in Bexar County. In recent years, Bexar's juvenile probation department took advantage of a trauma-informed care training program provided by the Hogg Foundation beginning in 2007. Since joining that effort, Bexar has reduced seclusions, restraints, suicide attempts, and injuries in juvenile facilities much more than the state average.

The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC), a nonprofit research organization devoted to creating a criminal justice system that is fair, efficient, and safe, endorses my bill.

"SB 1356 is an important step towards a stronger Texas juvenile justice system that heals traumatized youth," said Benet Magnuson, a policy attorney with TCJC. "Our current juvenile justice system sends the most traumatized youth deepest into the system. In the future, our juvenile justice system must give staff the skills they need to support traumatized youth, and our policies must stop practices, such as the use of long isolations to punish youth, that re-traumatize kids in trouble."

Ultimately, a justice system cannot simply be about punishment, it must also put people on the right course. And there's no better time to do that than when they're young. I believe this bill will aid that effort.

I'm grateful to my Senate colleagues who voted SB 1356 out of the Criminal Justice Committee. I look forward to it passing the entire Senate, the House, and eventually getting signed into law by Governor Perry. Our children deserve better treatment.

State Senator Leticia Van de Putte represents District 26 in Bexar County.

Texas Lunch Links: Education Requirements, Election Law Changes, and Cats and Dogs

Nick Hudson — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:00:00 GMT

We do our best, but we can't cover everything. To fill in the gaps, please enjoy Texas Lunch Links: a lunchtime buffet of links to Texas-related news and views.

EDUCATION: The Washington Post Editorial Board chides Texas lawmakers today for considering rolling back rigorous education standards. Writes the board, "If enacted, the measures promise to have a particularly pernicious effect on students from low-income families without college-educated parents."

ROADS: As Texas fails to provide a steady stream of funding for its road projects, some counties are asking local taxpayers to foot the bill for completion of state transportation infrastructure.

LON BURNAM: The Star-Telegram has a great profile of Texas Rep. Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth), who has a different, more effective approach in the 83rd Legislature than in sessions past.

ABORTION FIGHT: As anti-abortion bills begin receiving committee hearings and committee approvals, the culture war looms in Texas.

ELECTION LAWS: Lawmakers on Monday take up bills that would shrink the early voting period from 17 to 10 days.

LEGISLATIVE OVERVIEW: The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal has a good comparative overview of Texas' 83rd Regular Legislative Session 90 days in. Writes Chris Tomlinson, "there is still plenty of time for hot-button issues."

CATS AND DOGS: The Dallas Morning News provides readers a good overview of legislation in Texas that would impact the treatment of a range of animals, including cats, dogs, sheep and goats.

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte: Helping Dropouts Drop Back In

Senator Leticia Van de Putte — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:09:44 GMT

In recent weeks in the Texas Legislature, we've had extensive debates on whether college is right the right choice for all students.

But there is no debate on another point: A high school diploma is something to which all students should aspire and achieve. And it's crucially important that Texas not erect unnecessary obstacles to obtaining that diploma.

That's why I filed Senate Bill 1538, which will help both traditional and charter high schools that reach out to dropouts, getting them back into school and into that cap and gown.

Getting dropouts back into school isn't just a noble goal - it's an economic necessity.

I've said that education is the fuel for our economic engine, and there are accurate statistics to prove it: A 2009 study by Texas A&M found that, of Texans with a high school diploma (but not a college degree), the average yearly salary is $21,361. For those who drop out of high school, the average is only about two-thirds that: $14,592. That's lost income for individuals and families, as well as lost revenue for the state.

That can literally be the difference between being in poverty or not - the federal government's official threshold for poverty for a two-person household, under age 65, without children is $15,374.

It can also be the difference between incarceration or not: Two-thirds of inmates in Texas prison system are high school dropouts.

Read more below the jump.
Unfortunately, under current law, schools that serve a large population of students who have previously dropped out and are recovering credits to graduate are not accurately measured in the Texas accountability system. Many of the students served by these schools are simply removed from the accountability system altogether, and therefore their ultimate accomplishment of staying in school and graduating is never counted as a success for the school.

This flaw in our system puts these schools in danger of being labeled as unacceptable and potentially shut down merely because they serve the dropout population they intended to serve.

Under my bill, schools that have an enrollment of which at least 50 percent of the students are 17 or older as of the fall semester must be designated as a "dropout recovery school."

For these schools, the state Education Commissioner would be required to come up with a student achievement measurement different from other schools, accounting for students who otherwise would be considered dropouts - young adults who made mistakes and came back.

The bill, which I coauthored with Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, received a good reception from the Senate Education Committee last Tuesday. Emotional testimony from students whose lives have been transformed by dropout recovery schools brought committee members to tears. The bill earned a unanimous vote to send it to the full Senate. An identical version has been filed in the House by Rep. Marsha Farney, R-Georgetown.

The bipartisan support of this bill makes me confident that it will pass. Lawmakers of every party can agree: Turning dropouts into graduates is good not only for the dropouts, but for the state as a whole. I applaud the students who don't give up, and the schools that help them!

Texas Lunch Links: Payday Loans, Death Threats and High-Stakes Testing

Nick Hudson — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:59:40 GMT

We do our best, but we can't cover everything. To fill in the gaps, please enjoy Texas Lunch Links, a lunchtime buffet of links to Texas-related news and views.

PAYDAY LOANS: Rev. Gerald Green, Jr. of Dallas-based CitySquare proposes four specific changes to Republican State Senator John Carona's, "dramatically weakened payday lending bill."

GALLEGO CHALLENGED: San Antonio Express News is reporting that Representative Pete Gallego, the Democrat who was elected to Texas' 23rd congressional district in November, has an early Republican challenger for 2014.

EDUCATION: The Texas House voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to reduce the required number of high school end-of-course exams from 15 to five and to change high school graduation plans to emphasize career and vocational training.

GUNS: Texas would require its residents to acquire concealed handgun licences in Texas under a bill authored by State Senator Juan Hinojosa, Democrat of McAllen. Texas currently recognizes other states' handgun licenses.

RICK PERRY: Governor Goodhair called the Obama administration's decision to award a competitively bid grant directly to a Texas coalition of women's clinics, instead of Texas' Department of State Health Services, "a clear attempt to circumvent the will of the Texas taxpayers and impose their own values on the people of Texas." The coalition of clinics will serve more than 160,000 women.

WELFARE DRUG-TESTING: Texas' Health and Human Services Committee unanimously approved a bill that would strip welfare recipients of benefits for one year if they fail a drug test this week.

EAGLE FORD SHALE: South Texas' Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas drilling operation had an estimated $61 billion impact on South Texas last year, according to an ongoing University of Texas at San Antonio study released at the Capitol on Tuesday. The study is being paid for by America's Natural Gas Alliance.

WHITMIRE SAFE: A prison investigator says that a death threat against Texas Senator John Whitmire from the Mexican Mafia was an unusual scam by a confidential informant. The death threat, which the Houston Chronicle reported yesterday, was the bright idea of confidential informant who hoped that recruiting and then reporting the conspirators would earn him cash or a reduced prison sentence.

FLASHBACK ON DOMA: Not a single Texas Democrat voted against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.