We’ve looked at what’s needed in 2014-15 to cover student or client growth and cost increases in some key state services – public and higher education, health and human services,
Most of us know what poverty “looks like”—such as being homeless or hungry. But what we may not realize is that poverty is a specific income line defined by the
We wind down our series on the budget and state spending needs by looking at state employee/retiree benefits and prisons. The Employees Retirement System budget proposal for 2014-15 requires a
Almost 1.5 million students were enrolled in credit courses at a Texas college or university in Fall 2011—more than 9 out of 10 of them at a public institution. Public
The 2014-15 consolidated HHS proposal to provide CHIP and Medicaid-supported health care, Early Childhood Intervention programs, foster care/child protective services, state hospitals, and various public health and nutrition services includes
First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy organization that works to make children and families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions, has released a new report called Big Ideas: Children
Public education is important in the Texas budget not just because it’s the biggest piece (42 percent of General Revenue spending), but because of its key role in preparing roughly
Texas is arguably ground zero in the battle to rein in excessive fees and deceptive practices from payday and auto title lenders. Last week, the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner
By Marcus Denton The Texas Health Insurance Pool (THIP) insures more than 23,000 Texans with pre-existing health conditions. Beginning in 2014, THIP enrollees will be able to buy coverage in
With three weeks remaining before the 83rd Session starts, one major piece of the budget puzzle is missing–the total amount of money our state legislators will have as they tackle
You may have heard of the influential right-wing organization, the American Legislative Exchange Council, known as ALEC. The organization promotes policies to cut taxes and regulations in the guise of
Last week, our documentary “A Fighting Chance” aired on KLRU-Austin PBS, followed by a moving Civic Summit panel discussion about the struggles Texas families face just to meet their basic
