Capital Highlights
by ED STERLING
Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott on Sept. 3 submitted the state’s application for $830 million in federal funding to hire and keep school teachers.
Funding, if granted, would come through House Resolution 1586, a bill signed into law by President Obama on Aug. 10.
Congress passed H.R. 1586 with an amendment by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin that gives Texas little wiggle room in the way it spends the money and displeases Gov. Rick Perry.
On Sept. 9, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan rejected the application because it contained no assurance that if Texas were to receive the money, it would not – as it had before – decrease its education spending by a like amount.
In response to the rejection, Gov. Perry said the state constitution and state laws prevent him from entering into binding commitments about future budgets or funding levels.
The Department of Education asked the Texas Education Agency to revise and resubmit the application, and the Texas State Teachers Association called for Commissioner Scott to resubmit the application as requested.
Perry Issues Disaster proclamation
Tropical storm Hermine raged through Texas Sept. 6-8, leaving in its wake flooding and tornado damage.
Gov. Perry issued a disaster proclamation for 40 of the state’s hardest-hit counties after he took an aerial survey of areas in the storm’s path.
Perry ordered the Texas National Guard, Department of Public Safety, Parks & Wildlife and other agencies to support local disaster relief efforts.
Perry emphasized the common warning regarding flooded roads: “Turn around, don’t drown.”
No debate between Perry and White, yet
Right after the two won their party primaries last March, Texans have been imagining a debate between incumbent Republican Gov. Perry and Democratic challenger Bill White, the former mayor of Houston.
Not giving up on the idea of getting the two top candidates to face off in public, the Austin American-Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Houston Chronicle, the San Antonio Express-News and KLRU, the public television station in Austin, set a televised debate for Oct. 19.
The Perry campaign is standing back from the debate, demanding that White first must make public his tax returns from 1993-95, when he served as deputy secretary of energy under then-President Bill Clinton. The White campaign has called the Perry campaign’s demand a ploy to dodge the debate.
There’s time. The Nov. 2 election is still weeks away. And presently the race looks close: most polls show Perry slightly ahead or in a statistical dead heat with White.
Workforce agency warns of fraud
Filing for unemployment benefits is free of charge and there are “fee-for-filing” scams afoot.
On Sept. 7, the Texas Workforce Commission warned unemployment insurance claimants to be aware of unscrupulous business operators who try to charge a fee for filing unemployment claims.
Texas Workforce Commission unemployment staff do not perform home visits, do not ask for Personal Identification Numbers and do not use text messages to contact claimants. Call (800) 252-3642 to contact the agency’s Fraud and Program Abuse Hotline.
Election-related dates posted
Secretary of State Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, Texas’ chief elections officer, on Sept. 7 notified the public about these important dates:
Oct. 4: Last day to register to vote; Oct. 18-29: Early voting; Oct. 26: Deadline for early voting clerks to receive ballot by mail applications; Nov. 2: Election Day.
Revenue lower than expected
The Dallas Morning News interviewed Comptroller Susan Combs and reported that the state ended fiscal year 2010 on Aug. 31 with about $1.5 billion less than projected in tax collections.
Lower than expected revenue puts additional pressure on the executive and legislative branches to keep state government afloat with an already-enormous budget deficit estimated at $18 billion.
Chisum may file to run for speaker
State Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, said he may file to run for speaker of the Texas House.
Chisum can file on Nov. 1 or as late as Jan. 10, the day before the 82nd Texas Legislature convenes.
Other Republicans who have filed for the powerful office are incumbent Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio and Rep. Leo Berman of Tyler.
Ed Sterling works for the Texas Press Association and follows the Legislature for the association.
