Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

Amanda Ferguson grew up in a typical ranch-style house that her parents built in 1969. She loved the secluded Lewisville neighborhood, with its large trees and oversized lots.

Texas is one of several states that have set a low bar for determining whether their students are proficient in math and reading, according to a new study from the federal government’s National Center for Education Statistics.

The report, released this morning, found wide variations among the states in where they set “proficiency” standards for fourth and eighth graders in reading and math.

It is not the president’s fault, though, that the Europeans are so relieved at his style of leadership, in contrast to that of his predecessor, that they want to do all they can to validate and encourage it. I thought the president showed great grace in accepting the prize not for himself but “as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.”

A Republican senator's proposal to count only U.S. citizens when reapportioning Congress would cost California five seats and New York and Illinois one each, according to an analysis of census data released Tuesday. Texas, which is projected to gain three seats after the 2010 census, would get only one.

It’s obvious why Texas would benefit from healthcare reform: 1 in 4 residents is uninsured, a higher share than any state, and changes made in Washington will extend coverage to millions here.

The Houston Chronicle and Hearst Newspapers LLC are suing Gov. Rick Perry in an effort to force the release of a clemency report Perry received before denying a stay of execution to Cameron Todd Willingham.

Next year, Dallas County will lead the state in the percentage of uninsured children, a rate nearly triple the national average, according to a report Children's Medical Center Dallas is releasing today.

In recent months, the debate on national health care reform has brought certain insurance practices known as rescission and cancellation to the forefront. And although there has been considerable disagreement on how best to reform our ailing health care system, substantial bipartisan support exists for prohibiting insurers from rescinding policies.

“It’s mighty reckless to mess with Texas.” Many of us remember Johnny Dee & The Rocket 88’s singing those now-famous lyrics when the “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign launched in 1986.

Voters will be asked to consider changes to the Texas Constitution on the Nov. 3 ballot. Below is the ballot language for each of the 11 proposed constitutional amendments and a brief explanation of the effect of each.

The catfight between the campaigns of Texas Governor Rick Perry and Kay BaileyHutchison shows that Texas has a tremendous leadership void when it comes to state Republican officials doing anything to address the state’s transportation problems.

Federal regulators who ruled that Texas' often-criticized oversight of industrial air pollution is out of line with federal law are taking the first step to change the state's air-permit rules.

Did Texas execute an innocent man?

That question, and the controversy surrounding it, continues to dog Gov. Rick Perry. Critics say the governor has tried to squelch an investigation into the case. Now the issue has moved to the forefront of Perry's effort to win re-election.

A new proposal to build a transmission link to connect the nation's three major electricity grids -- Eastern, Western and Texas -- is generating interest among energy policy makers because of its potential to accelerate development of renewable energy.

The project, called the Tres Amigas "superstation," to be built at Clovis, N.M., would bring a major change to the U.S. electricity infrastructure by improving connectivity. For example, power produced in Phoenix at this point can't be shipped to Dallas.

State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, El Paso's tireless adovcate for the poor and underpriveleged, announced today that he will not be running for re-election in 2010.

"While other public service may lie ahead, I will not run for the Texas Senate in 2010," Shapleigh said in a statement. "In public life, especially in Texas during this decade, doing what's right, not what's expedient is what matters. I am grateful to the people who elected me for the opportunity to serve."

When Gov. Rick Perry said in Brownsville last week that President Obama’s health care legislation would “bankrupt Texas” three Democratic lawmakers from Cameron County sat stony-faced.

In earlier chapters,"I described Grover Norquist’s three-pronged attack on basic American values: tax cuts for the very wealthy; budget cuts that hurt hard-working American families; and starving government to the point where it is doomed to fail.

Have you ever wished you had more control over the state budget set by Texas' Legislature? Do you wish you had a direct role in ensuring that your vision of Texas' future becomes a reality? Well, on November 3, every voting Texan will have an opportunity to chart a path to a better state: increased investment in our children's future, more competitive institutions of higher education, and long-lasting gains in the state's ability to compete globally.

Throughout the years, the U.S. has become more and more dependant on foreign oil. Today, our country imports two-thirds of its oil from foreign sources, many of whom are governments overtly critical of the United States. We import 1.394 million barrels of oil per day from Saudi Arabia, 1.028 million barrels per day from Venezuela, and more than 500,000 barrels a day from Iraq. Every year, we literally send one trillion American dollars overseas to buy foreign oil. Incorporating more renewable sources into our nation's energy portfolio would both better ensure our security and boost our economy.

His destiny was all in a name.

"Judge Justice."

William Wayne Justice was a giant in Texas history, the foreman of an audacious legal assembly line that churned out bulging packages of civil rights, equal justice and opportunities for the least among us.

Justice, a soft-spoken federal judge who roared in his class action rulings on human rights over the past 41 years, died Tuesday in Austin.