Want to play parlor games? Texas candidates who want to run in 2020 don’t have to declare their plans for another couple of months, leaving time for all sorts of crazy twists and turns before …
October, 2019
September, 2019
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30 September
Analysis: A one-subject election year for Texas (and everyone else)
If the political conversation one year from now is what it is today, every candidate on the ballot — from the people seeking the presidency to the people running for local school boards — is …
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27 September
Analysis: Property tax relief in Texas, perhaps — but not right away
While trying to limit the annual growth of property taxes in Texas, the Legislature gave local governments an incentive to raise taxes nearly 8% this year. Maybe it was unintentional, but the state gave the …
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25 September
Video – Cornyn: Impeachment Unpopular, Jeopardizes Bipartisan Agenda in Congress
WASHINGTON – Wednesday on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed House Democrats’ decision to begin impeachment proceedings. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s floor remarks are below, and video can be found above. “House Democrats began …
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20 September
Analysis: Texas gun laws might not change, but the conversation is evolving
It seems safe to say that neither the Texas Legislature nor the Republican Party is going to follow Beto O’Rourke’s call for a mandatory buyback of assault weapons. Actually, it seems safe to say lots of …
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17 September
Analysis: Texas redistricting is hard enough when politicians trust the mapmakers
The Texas Legislature’s once-every-decade* quest for new political maps will get a twist in 2021: The Texas House will have either a speaker whose trustworthiness is suspect or a brand-new speaker who’ll be riding in …
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9 September
Video: Cornyn – ‘El Paso, Odessa Shootings demand solutions, not political point-scoring’
WASHINGTON – Monday on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed his visits to El Paso and Odessa after last month’s shootings and urged his Senate colleagues to come together on solutions. Excerpts of Sen. …
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6 September
Analysis: The delicate balance of protecting Texans in a state that worships guns
Gov. Greg Abbott’s declaration that words are inadequate and must be met with action signals a turn from politics to policy. He’s better, historically speaking, at the former. What he’s proposing now will require some coalition-building …
August, 2019
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28 August
Op-Ed: Anti-Racism Work is for Everyone
On Monday evening, August 26th, we had our last session of our free Anti-Racism Training at Borderland Rainbow Center (BRC.) When Brenda first presented the idea to me of creating an anti-racist training, we had …
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19 August
Analysis: Texas presidential candidates and the strength of geography
The Texas politicians in the race for president — that’s a way of skipping around Marianne Williamson for a minute — are rebooting. Beto O’Rourke, who owes his prominence to an unconventional U.S. Senate race …
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18 August
Letter: A Few Words from New UTEP President Heather Wilson
When I was in first grade, I had a bank made out of a tin Crisco can with a slot cut in the top. It had pennies and nickels and a few quarters I had …
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13 August
Op-Ed: If Your Child Is Not Using Technology In School They Are Being Cheated.
Over the years, I have had my fair share of conversations with teachers and administrators that don’t want to incorporate technology into their lessons. They typically have excuses for ignoring edtech ranging from not having …
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4 August
Op-Ed: An open letter to El Pasoans and their beautiful town
One of the first serious conversations I remember having with my mother as a young child followed the question, “What country did we come from?” She provided a very brief explanation of the political situation …
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3 August
Op-Ed: The Home and the Heart in a Desensitized Country.
The year was 1999, a lifetime ago for some but a blink of an eye into the past many others. I remember vividly where I was when I heard about the Columbine High School shooting. …
July, 2019
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30 July
Op-Ed: Ten years of School shootings in the United States: 2008-2018
William Penn High School Dunbar Vocational Career Academy Cahokia High School Zebulon Middle School Central High School Westover High School Chimborazo Elementary School Leestown Middle School Aplington-Parkersburg High School Mattituck High School Wilson High School …