You're really out in the weeds when you find yourself listening to arguments about reform provisions for unemployment insurance, but that's the first of what might be a series of firefights over the federal stimulus money available to the state.

State policy and budget folks are sorting through the stimulus, but know some things broadly: Somewhere in the $15 billion to $16 billion range will be available with big blocks of that directed at health and human services, education, infrastructure and other programs.

About $556 million — about 1/32nd of the stimulus money for Texas — would go to unemployment insurance, or UI, and it's available only to states that meet requirements set by the feds.

And before we get into those, we'll show you the strings: Those federal requirements outlive the federal funding — the changes the state makes in order to get the money have to remain in place when the federal money is gone.

One third of the UI stimulus money becomes available when the state changes the base period used to compute each unemployed worker's benefits. The rest would come in if the state adopted two things from a list of options, including UI benefits for part-timers, benefits for "trailing spouses" put out of work when their spouses moved for new jobs, added money for unemployed workers with dependents, and so on.

The trailing spouse and the part-timer provisions would be the cheapest on the list for Texas, adding about $81 million to the annual cost of the program and about 45,192 people to the number getting benefits, according to the National Employment Law Project.

Gov. Rick Perry, some lawmakers, and the Texas Association of Business have raised concerns about those provisions, arguing that the federal government is using the stimulus funds to start what will become unfunded mandates in the future. Tom Pauken, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission, says he's got agency lawyers trying to figure out whether and how the feds would enforce that. "They shouldn't be able to lock us into a permanent law," he says.

(The agency immediately implemented one stimulus-funded deal that had no strings attached, increasing benefit payments by $25 per week.)

Bill Hammond, a former Workforce Commissioner and lawmaker who now heads the Texas Association of Business, thinks the state should forego the money, even if it means higher taxes for business right now. "The costs will skyrocket over time," he says. "We believe the estimates are low." And he says he doubts state lawmakers would get rid of the added benefits in the future, even if the federal government allowed it. He doesn't think they'd take benefits away, once they were granted. "They're more focused on giving out checks than on getting people back to work," he says.

Hammond was more colorful in a press release, comparing the federal government to a drug dealer (and drawing blasts from the Texas Democratic Party, unions and some lawmakers): "The dealer gives you your first hit for free to get you hooked, and then you are addicted and are paying the consequences for a long, long time."

The head of the House Democrats — who also heads a special legislative committee charged with sorting through the stimulus funds — demanded an apology. "I do not believe that Texans thrown out of work because of our current economic crisis are likely to get addicted to losing their jobs," said Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco.

Labor's for the program, and has asked for similar changes in previous legislative sessions. The Texas AFL-CIO says Texas ranks 50th among the states for the percentage of unemployed workers who get benefits, and is also arguing that businesses can't afford to pay a high deficit tax during a recession. The Center for Public Policy Priorities is also lobbying for the changes, saying the unemployed workers need the money and that increases in UI benefits will decrease demands for other government benefits.

Several lawmakers — who have pushed for the changes in UI even before the stimulus money was offered up — want the governor to add the issue to the list of emergency legislation that can be considered during the first 60 days of the session. All four of those legislators — Sens. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, and Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont — have filed bills that would put UI in line with the various stimulus requirements.

And Now, a Puzzle

Texas employers pay a tax on wages, which fills an account with the Texas Workforce Commission, against which unemployment insurance is drawn.

The deficit in that financial machine is about $750 million at the moment, which, among other things, triggers an increase in the tax paid by the employers so as to refill the pool. The state also has the option of borrowing money from the feds, but still has to eventually pay it back by taxing those employers.

The economy is sliding, and the level of unemployment is rising and expected to worsen before it gets better. (Comptroller Susan Combs included this bit of gloom in her latest Biennial Revenue Estimate: She expects 111,000 Texans to lose their jobs by mid-summer.) That means the demands on Unemployment Insurance, or UI, will increase.

Not the greatest timing.

And it makes an interesting political problem out of the federal offer to bail out the program, and the strings that are attached to it, and to opposition to some of those strings.

A vote against the stimulus money is, in the short term, a vote for a higher deficit tax paid by businesses and/or more state debt (if the money to cover the fund is borrowed). A vote for it means higher benefits and a lower deficit tax, but adds just over $80 million a year to the annual cost of the program.

Place Your Bets

Casino developers are making a play for legislative favor, saying they offer a better deal than proposals limited to slot machines at horse tracks.

The pitch from the Texas Gaming Association is that a combination of "destination resort casinos," slots at horse and dog tracks, and approval of casinos operated by the state's three recognized Indian tribes would bring $3 billion or more into the state treasury every year.

Another group made up of track owners — Texans for Economic Development — is making a play for expanded gaming operations in places where gambling is already allowed, namely, at horse and dog tracks. They want to add video lottery terminals — slot machines — and say that change would make money for the state while boosting an ailing equine and racing industry in the state.

Each of the groups is proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow voters to decide whether Texas needs more gambling than the racing, bingo, and lottery, which are already legal.

Both groups have polls to bolster their claims. TGA's survey (Wilson Research Strategies, 1,000 likely voters, December 8-10, 2008, +/-3.1 percent) says 68 percent of Texans favor casino gaming in the state. And they say only 39 percent support a proposal that's limited to the addition of VLTs at tracks. And while they say they're not in competition with the other proposal, they've got a glossy four-color flyer comparing the proposals and saying theirs is the better one, providing more state money, more jobs, and more economic development.

TED's proposal for "racinos" and to allow slots at Indian gaming parlors has the support of 63 percent of the voters, according to their polling (Baselice & Associates, 1,006 registered voters, February 7-11, 2009, +/-3.1 percent). That rose to 75 percent when the respondents were told the proposal would keep $1 billion in Texas that is now gambled elsewhere, would create 53,000 jobs, would help race tracks, make the state's Indian tribes more prosperous and would increase state regulation of 8-liners and other illegal gaming.

TGA's proposal would allow slots at tracks, casinos operated by the Kickapoos, Tiguas, and Alabama Coushattas, and would allow the state to license up to a dozen casinos around the state. No more than three casinos would be allowed in one county, and nine of the licenses would be divided thusly: Dallas County, 2; Harris County, 2; barrier islands, 2; Tarrant County, 1; Bexar County, 1; and Travis County, 1.

TGA would earmark some of the new state revenue it produced. The sponsors of the legislation, Sens. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and John Carona, R-Dallas, and Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, said it would dedicate $1 billion TEXAS Grants to help Texas kids pay for college, and another $1 billion for transportation projects in the state. They'd do that with a 15 percent tax on casinos and a 35 percent tax on racinos. One percent would be cut out of that tax and given to local governments.

"We don't support a monopoly for track owners..." said Chris Shields, a lobbyist for TGA. "We want to work with them — that's why they're in this bill."

The folks from TED say they don't oppose casinos, but want a level playing field. "[TGA's proposal] creates a widely disparate tax rate between casinos and tracks, does not allow the tracks to have the same games as casinos to ensure a competitive playing field and will greatly expanding the footprint of gambling in the state," said Tommy Azopardi, executive director of TED. "Unfortunately, this approach also does nothing to bolster an important industry that has a rich tradition in Texas."

The two groups are trying to persuade lawmakers to submit the question to voters. That takes a two-thirds vote in each chamber of the Legislature, then a favorable vote from the public. And while both say the state needs the money, no gambling proposal has been approved by Texas lawmakers except in the face of a tax bill. There's not one this time, so there's no "either this or a tax" argument to be made. Without that, both sides point to early projections that the state could have budget problems two years from now; they argue that lawmakers should allow gaming now, so the state will be bringing in revenue from it when it needs the money two years from now.

A late add: Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, says there's no point in arguing over casinos and racinos until the constitution has been changed. In a press release, he points to the governor's opposition to gambling and says enabling legislation, which has to stop at Perry's desk, is probably dead. He says the gaming folks should concentrate on getting the expansion in the constitution; the rest, they can do in two years. "I think that working and debating the minutia and details is a waste of time until and unless you pass a constitutional amendment," he writes. "A constitutional amendment does not cross the Governor’s desk, so he can't veto it."

Call!

The cash-strapped Texas Racing Commission raised fees on some licensees and asked the folks in the Pink Building for $250,000 to cover immediate finance problems.

The agency wants that cash right away, either in the form of a grant from the governor's office (unlikely, they think, because those funds have been used for hurricane expenses), or a supplemental appropriation from the Legislature.

And they raised their fees on inactive licensees — tracks that have licenses to operate but that aren't holding races — by $25,000.

TRC is also making some cuts and looking for new and more stable funding sources — with air cover from the Sunset Advisory Commission. But they've got an immediate cash flow problem that's behind this request.

They're short $677,833 of what the $5.5 million budgeted this year and could start to choke on that in May.

The agency's woes mirror those of the industry it regulates and from which it draws its funding. Track owners and, separately, casino developers, are seeking legislation that would allow more gambling in the state. The tracks want to become "racinos," where slot machines are allowed. The casino folks want those and a dozen casinos sprinkled around the state.

One Year Out

A North Carolina polling firm puts U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison well ahead of Gov. Rick Perry at the beginning of the 2010 governor's race.

The challenger starts with a 56-31 advantage over the incumbent in the survey by Public Policy Polling, which used an automated phone poll to collect opinions from 787 Texans who have voted in recent Republican primaries.

Hutchison gets favorable marks from 76 percent of those GOP voters, against 60 percent for Perry. Unfavorable: Perry, 27 percent; Hutchison, 15 percent.

Perry's camp doesn't argue that he's starting ahead, but has said the numbers will change if and when the candidates engage each other. Right now, his stated focus is on the legislative session; hers, on not commenting while the Legislature is working. There's been some sniping and towel-snapping, but those are the stated intentions.

"The governor has a pretty good track record in the only poll that counts, and that's the one on Election Day," said Mark Miner, a spokesman.

Pollster Dean Debnam said the firm did the poll without pay, though the press releases about the results came from the Hutchison campaign. He said the firm is trying to drum up business and did this to promote itself. "I am not working for anyone in Texas," he said. The full results are posted here.

They're planning to release polls this week on potential replacements for Hutchison, if she leaves that spot, and on potential Democratic contenders in the governor's race and how they stack up against Perry and Hutchison. Fort Worth businessman, diplomat, and former state Rep. Tom Schieffer, a Democrat who's close to former President George W. Bush, has been looking at the race, and state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, says she'll decide after the session whether to run.

Known and Unknown

Either Republican candidate for governor would — as of today — beat Democrat Tom Schieffer, according to a new poll. But voters don't know the Democrat, and have already formed opinions about Republicans Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rick Perry.

Schieffer, a former state representative and U.S. Ambassador to Australia and Japan, is expected to announce his candidacy as early as next week. Gov. Perry has said he'll seek reelection next year. And U.S. Sen. Hutchison — who served in the Texas House with Schieffer back in the 1970s — has given every indication she'll run for governor.

Enter North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling, which has released a series (look here and here) of robo-call surveys this week. This new one, a poll of 1,409 likely voters, found Perry would beat Schieffer 45-35 and Hutchison would beat him 54-30.

Hutchison's the most popular of the three. Schieffer is the least well known. Voters punched in their impressions, choosing from favorable, unfavorable, or not sure. For Perry, the numbers were 41%-48%-11%, meaning fewer of the respondents like him than do. For Hutchison, the numbers were 58%-31%-11%; most voters have a favorable impression of her. And Schieffer, who has never been on a statewide ballot, came in with 25%-31%-43%. Most people don't have an impression. And the question might have had something to do with that answer, because it had another pol's name in it: "Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of possible Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Schieffer, who has served as a state legislator and ambassador to Australia and Japan under President Bush?"

Schieffer, who's from Fort Worth, was one of Bush's partners in the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and Bush later appointed him to those ambassadorships.

The pollsters didn't include state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, who says she's thinking about it and won't have anything definitive to say until after the legislative session is over.

The survey was conducted February 18-20 and has a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percent.

Signs of Democratic Life

The top Republicans (who might be) in the hunt for U.S. Senate start ahead of their Democratic rivals, but those races could be competitive, according to a new poll. It depends on who's running.

North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling took at stab at the race to replace U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, should she decide to resign before her term is up in 2012. Hutchison is "exploring" a run for governor but doesn't have to quit the federal job to apply for the state job. She can resign early, either to concentrate on her run or, if she wins, to take office. Otherwise, if she decides against the race for governor, or loses it, she'll still be in the Senate.

PPP's polling matchups:

42% — Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Republican 36% — Former Comptroller John Sharp, Democrat 42% — Dewhurst 37% — Houston Mayor Bill White, Democrat 44% — Attorney General Greg Abbott, Republican 36% — Sharp 42% — Abbott 36% — White 34% — State Sen. Florence Shapiro, Republican 37% — Sharp 37% — Shapiro 36% — White

The pollsters didn't run it as a special election, which is what would be used to replace Hutchison. There aren't any head-to-head numbers pitting Republicans against each other, or Democrats, or throwing all of the candidates into the bucket and asking voters/respondents to pick their favorites. And they also didn't include a number of other candidates — all Republicans — who've officially and unofficially expressed interest in the race, including Railroad Commissioners Elizabeth Ames Jones and Michael Williams, and former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams.

The poll was done with automated telephone calls to 1,409 likely Texas voters from February 18-20. The margin of error is +/- 2.6 percent, and you can look at the full results here. The same pollsters surveyed Republican voters on the governor's race earlier this week, and have a poll on Democratic gubernatorial candidates in the oven.

Flotsam & Jetsam

Texans want insurance to be simpler, cheaper, and would be happy to see rates set by an elected insurance commissioner, according to a survey done by Texas-based Hill Research Consultants (609 voters, February 4-7, MOE +/-4.0 percent) for Texas Watch, which bills itself as a consumer advocacy group. Most voters (75%) favor prior regulator approval before insurers can change rates. About that many (73%) favor an elected commissioner over an appointed one. They'd like to stop (68%) insurers from using credit ratings to set rates and deny customers. And they'd like policies in plain language for easier comparison (71%).

Pollster David Hill said he didn't find significant differences between Republicans and Democrats who took the poll. He said Texans dramatically underestimate what they pay for insurance compared with other Americans, and that they didn't register much change from the Legislature's latest attempts to reform insurance in 2003.

• That's not the only thing Texans don't know about. A two-year study of sex education classes in Texas public schools — done for the Texas Freedom Network — found all sorts of bogus, incomplete, and silly information being presented to Texas kids. The researchers say most sex ed in schools is confined to abstinence promotion, that the teaching materials "regularly contain factual errors and perpetuate lies about condoms and STDs," that shaming, fear, stereotypes based on gender and sexual orientation are common, and that some public schools mix in religious instruction and Bible study.

While that study was being publicized, Sen. Kirk Watson and Rep. Mark Strama — both Austin Democrats — introduced legislation that would require schools to give parents more information about what sort of sex education materials their kids are seeing in class. They're promoting a curriculum called Prevention Works. (Next week, Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, will role out their Education Works legislation, which has a similar aim.)

And Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and Sen. Dan Patrick were promoting legislation that would require doctors to do ultrasounds on women seeking abortions and to let those patients hear their fetus' heartbeats before the abortions.

Media Woes

The Hearst Corp.'s San Antonio Express-News laid off 75 newsroom employees. That chain owns several Texas papers, including the Houston Chronicle, which has told its employees to expect cuts soon. San Antonio's Austin bureau loses Lisa Sandberg, shrinking a combined Chronicle/Express-News bureau that's also losing the Chronicle's Janet Elliott.

In San Antonio, pink slips went to former Austin-based UPI reporter Mark Langford, who was also a spokesman for then-Speaker Pete Laney, and Patrick Driscoll, who wrote about transportation issues. The paper issued a memo before telling employees who'd been cut.

Meanwhile, Matt Stiles, one of the Chronicle's writers, did a story on the shrinking press corps covering state government.

Political People and Their Moves

Debra Medina, a Ron Paul supporter and head of the Wharton County GOP, filed papers to run for governor in 2010 in the Republican primary. Her supporters are trying to gin up support with an email campaign.

Hans Klingler is leaving the state GOP to become spokesman for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's press secretary in mid-March. He's been a political consultant for years, and is a veteran of Gov. Rick Perry's 1998 campaign for lieutenant governor. Awkward, that, with Hutchison challenging Perry in the 2010 primary.

Leslie Lemon, who did budget and policy analysis for former Speaker Pete Laney, signs on as director of the House Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding, which is chaired by Jim Dunnam, D-Waco. Dunnam announced other hires: Zac Evans, formerly his chief of staff, will be deputy director of the committee; Jenny Casey moves from legislative director to chief of staff.

Lisa Mayes is back on the public side of the wall, leaving Lennox, where she'd been a lobbyist, to be legislative director to Rep. Tommy Merritt, R-Longview.

Travis Richmond left the Washington, D.C. office of the Loeffler Group for Austin — he'll be working on the House Elections Committee staff next week.

Move some legislative chairs around at the Department of Public Safety: Michael Kelley becomes chief of government relations; Janie Smith is legislative liaison, and Rachel Miller and Sarah Hendricks move in from criminal law and highway patrol divisions as policy wonks.

U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent — facing sexual harassment charges that could have forced him off the court — decided to plead guilty to an obstruction of justice charge and retire from the bench instead of going to trial. He still faces up to 20 years in prison on that guilty plea.

Chris Britton and Jason Johnson have formed Caddo Associates to consult people on politics, public policy, business and investments. Johnson's J2 Strategies, a political consulting firm, will be a subsidiary of the new outfit. Britton has worked in health and human services from both the public and private sectors.

There's a new publication in town: The Texas Republic News, started by James Bernsen and Travis Fell. They aim to combine original reporting, blogs, opinion and multimedia content.

Gov. Rick Perry reappointed Ted Houghton of El Paso and Fred Underwood of Lubbock to the Texas Transportation Commission for terms expiring in six years. Houghton works in financial services, estate and benefit planning; Underwood is president and CEO of the Trinity Co.

The Guv also reappointed Judge John Ovard of Dallas to preside over the First Administrative Judicial District. Ovard has served as a district and appellate judge.

And he appointed Hays County Justice of the Peace Andrew Cable of Wimberley to the State Pension Review Board.

Quotes of the Week

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, on ABC's This Week, on a proposal to merge the party primaries in his state: "And remember one thing: It's always great when the Democratic Party and the Republican Party is against something, because that means it's good for the people. That is the bottom line."

Dale Craymer, chief economist for the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, talking about Texas' share of federal stimulus money, in the Austin American-Statesman: "We no longer have a hole. We have a mound of dirt, and we're trying to figure out how to spread it around."

Houston Mayor Bill White, quoted in the Houston Chronicle on a quickly dropped proposal to help first-time homebuyers with marginal credit ratings by using public funds to pay off up to $3,000 of their personal debts: "I didn't know it involved a grant, and I thought it was a grant to the bank. But, I'm not absolving myself of the responsibility."

Gov. Rick Perry, in The Dallas Morning News: "People living in Texas are a heck of a lot better off than the vast majority of the other ones. My instinct is they'd whole lot rather have a good-paying job than they would unemployment insurance."

Texas Eagle Forum President Cathie Adams, telling the Houston Chronicle what she thinks about the job growth projected if casinos are legalized: "Why in the world would we want our children to grow up to be card dealers and waitresses?"

Democratic political consultant Matt Angle, talking about House Speaker Joe Straus with the Associated Press: "He had a shorter honeymoon than Britney Spears."

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Texas Weekly: Volume 26, Issue 8, 2 March 2009. Ross Ramsey, Editor. Copyright 2009 by Printing Production Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. One-year online subscription: $250. For information about your subscription, call (512) 302-5703 or email biz@texasweekly.com. For news, email ramsey@texasweekly.com, or call (512) 288-6598.

Legislators who want to run for governor don't have to resign to do so, and don't have to resign if they're "exploring" such a run, either.

Attorney General Greg Abbott says neither the law nor the constitution prohibits it, so it must be legal.

The question in this case originated with Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, who has said on several occasions that he'll run for governor if the Legislature doesn't crack down on undocumented aliens living and working in Texas. But it could affect others; Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, says she'll take a look at a run for governor once the session ends in three months.

Berman had asked if a resignation was required if a House member declared for Guv in the first year of his or her two-year term. It doesn't matter when they run or explore or declare, according to Abbott: They're not required to quit the Legislature.

If you want a serious discussion about bipartisanship, you could do worse than to start with former Cox White House reporter Ken Herman: "I think many Washington politicians would rather try bisexuality than bipartisanship — not that there's anything wrong with that."

So began "Bipartisanship in an Era of Polarization" during the Barbara Jordan National Forum on Public Policy. Extracurricular activities aside, partisanship in politics isn't going away anytime soon, according to the panel of former legislators and political reporters assembled in Austin at the forum sponsored by the University of Texas LBJ School's Center for Politics and Governance.

While lamenting legislators who vote based on the next election rather than the good of the state, panel members said true political harmony has never been a reality, and that political hegemony isn't the ideal, either.

Texas Monthly'sPatricia Kilday Hart arrived at the Dallas Times-Herald's Austin bureau in the middle Republican Gov. Bill Clements' first term. Clements, she said, replaced awful Democratic appointees with fresh blood from his own party.

Hart said, "It was like half of the state's talent wasn't being used... so having competition among the parties is a good thing. It's not a wonderful thing when there's just one party in control."

Former U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards, R-Oklahoma, agreed that having parties with conflicting viewpoints is better than having no conflict at all.

"Having people in the legislative branch who disagree with each other is not a bad thing. The Soviet Union didn't have that problem. We're a democracy," he said. "What's been missing is civility."

Former House Speaker Pete Laney said members used to approach him, saying they wished they could side with him on controversial issues, but that voters in their districts wouldn't allow it.

"I always found it the most disturbing thing that I ran into was the fact that people were so afraid to lose this $600-a-month job," Laney said. "'Course, if you look at the retirement, it ain't bad."

Hart said the legislators were probably more afraid of offending big campaign donors than constituents. She called money a "pernicious influence" in politics.

Concurring somewhat, Laney cited the Senate Republicans' recent steamrolling of the Democrats to circumvent that body's two-thirds rule in order to consider voter photo identification legislation.

"The voter ID issue has created a real good forum for raising a lot of money over an issue that is very inconsequential in Texas," Laney said.

Panel members cited multiple causes for party polarization, including negative campaigning, the primary process and the general populace.

Laney singled out campaign managers, saying they create an atmosphere antithetical to independent-minded politicians.

"You're making a lot of money off the people of Texas from political campaigns, and you're not doing it in a positive way," said Laney, addressing any political consultants in earshot. "You're doing it in a negative way."

Former Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff said he had the luxury of being Republican in a Democratic district, thus being encouraged to cross party lines without fear of retribution in the next primary, normally decided by a relative handful of dedicated party-liners.

"It is the extremists on each side that control the primaries. More so in my party, but frankly I think both," Ratliff said.

Increasing voter participation might not be a panacea for partisanship, warned Sean Theriault, associate professor of government at UT.

"What's interesting with respect to the American public is we know that the more engaged they get in the process, the more polarized they become," he said.

States with a single congressional seat have followed the trend toward greater partisanship, along with bigger states, Theriault said, belying the idea that redistricting battles are the major cause of inter-party rancor.

The co-evolution of traditional media and the Internet might cause problems, too, panelists said, especially as users display "confirmation bias" by only paying attention to and believing information they already think to be true.

"I'm not sure it's the best place for the marketplace of ideas," Herman said.

Don't look to the next generation of voters to usher in a golden era of bipartisanship either, said Edwards, a lecturer at Princeton University.

"I have not found young people to be more idealistic than older people," he said. "I haven't found them to be smarter. I haven't found them to be less polarized."

An East Texas Republican is the butt of the blogosphere after inviting an attorney to buss his rear end. Also making news on the blogs this week: federal government spending, constituents with special interests and percolating legislation. Wrapping things up are posts of a different order.

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You Can't Go Home Again

After a heated discussion over his immigration-oriented legislation, Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, told attorney Harry Joe (who happens to be of Chinese descent) to "go home" and "kiss my ass." (Joe wasn't an innocent party — he called Berman "despicable" and "an evil man.") Joe later apologized; Berman didn't, the Dallas Morning News's Trail Blazers says.

In response, progressive bloggers joined forces against Berman to form a movement they call CensureLeo.com, Capitol Annex reports. In an interview with the Houston FOX TV affiliate, Bay Area Houston calls Berman "anti-Mexican," but Berman says he's just anti-Dallas-immigration-lawyers.

"On examining the balance of Leo Berman's actions in the legislature, his public statements, and the testimony of those present, I can only conclude that his comments were most likely racist in nature," says WhosPlayin? Meanwhile, The Texas Cloverleaf says Berman "is old school. And by old school, we mean a racist." But Berman is taking the opposition in stride, calling it "a badge of honor" to be criticized by liberal bloggers, says Annex.

In all fairness, Berman knows at least one word of Spanish, reports Vaqueros & Wonkeros, the El Paso Times's blog. And Blue Dot Blues says Berman is "THE guy" (in a well-intentioned way), promoting a Berman support group on Facebook.com.

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Federal Pork, Texas Tea

Conservatives held a nationwide Chicago Tea Party on Friday to protest escalating federal government spending. Blue Dot Bluesposts a list of the Texas get-togethers, followed by photos and reports from people who attended. PoliTex, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's blog, has pictures of protest signs in Fort Worth and links to more info on other places. Meanwhile, Pondering Penguin has some background on the origin of the event.

Saying there's so much money to spend, and so little time, federal stimulus chair Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, tells reporters that the budget might be held up by the influx of federal funds, but he's not anticipating a special session, yet, according to Postcards, the Austin American-Statesman's blog.

Here is a link to a clearinghouse for posts on the federal budget by Texas on the Potomac, the Houston Chronicle's blog, who also takes a look at Houston-area earmarkers and has an extended story on Texans' pork-barrel spending.

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Visitors' Passes

KVUE's Political Junkie took pictures of a rally by college students demanding tuition relief. Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, was there and posts a photo of himself on his El Wiri Wiri Blog. Fellow legislator/blogger Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, also was there, and posts photos on his A Capitol Blog.

Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, snaps shots of animals brought by the Texas State Aquarium to the Capitol, including a python, alligator, turtle, terrapin and boa, then uploads them to his Pollabear blog. The Texas Cloverleaf attended the first biennial Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus in Austin. A lot of political-types showed, including U.S. Senate hopeful Bill White.

Postcards was on the scene for a Capitol demonstration by folks demanding massive changes to Texas state schools. And TFN Insider is calling on readers to attend its Legislative Lobby Day on March 10, starting off with a training session for lobby teams.

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Billy Club

House Bill 1653 by Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, creates a voluntary "Licensed Builders" certification that Bay Area Houston says is similar to the Texas Star Builders program that already exists (but ideally homebuilders would actually participate in Veasey's new program). The same blog also looks at HB 1635 by Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, that would outright abolish the Texas Residential Construction Commission.

HB 1986 by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, "would amend the protective order law to include safeguards for third parties," says Texas Politics, the Houston Chronicle's blog. Texas Politics also writes about Senate Bill 1164 by Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, allowing concealed handgun license holders to pack heat on college campuses.

The Statesman's Public Capital blog analyzes a bill by Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, that would give the Texas AG say-so over the hiring of all outside legal advisers to the Teacher Retirement System. Meanwhile, Annex looks at legislation dealing with veterinarians' loans, 17-year-old voters, prison condom distribution, bodily fluids and young legislative advisors.

The Austin Chronicle's Newsdesk goes over a journalist shield law, needle-exchange program and drug cartel bust-up attempt. A Keyboard and a .45 is tracking a pair of house resolutions affirming individual states' rights. (Since those kinds of things tend go over well.) Composite Heap

Burnt Orange Report has established a physical headquarters in "the coolest place to office in Austin," according to the building's website. More importantly, "We've formalized paperwork to turn BOR into a business entity," say the bloggers.

BurkaBlog has a two-parter on the "dire" state of the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, here and here. Meanwhile, Junkie has a new feature called "Impact Players" where she'll interview behind-the-scenes movers-and-shakers at the Capitol. First up is lobbyist Jay Propes, who claims journos are more feared than lobsters. And Tex Parte Blog spotted former Texas lawyer Sarah Davis critiquing designer handbags on the red carpet at the Oscars.

Brazosport News gives a heads up that Hearst newspapers (including the Chron and the SAEN) are going to institute pay-to-read policies for some online news content. Poli-Tex brought his camera along with him on a tour of a San Antonio Water System facility, including a taste-test of treated sewer water. And former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk will be vetted publicly as Obama's next U.S. Trade Representative on March 5, according to Tex Parte.

Potomac has reactions to Obama's big speech Wednesday night from blog contributor Helen Thomas and from the Texas delegation here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Capitol Blog took photos during his walk to work through downtown Austin. And Brazosport News reminds readers that some things and people remain constant, even in the turbulent times.

Texas Observer Blog is all over an announcement by Perry in support of building 16 water reservoirs (total cost $260 million), potentially renewing a contentious eminent domain/property rights debate from last session. Via Eye on Williamson, a new blog dedicated to the Republican U.S. Rep. from Round Rock, called John Carter Watch.

George W. Bush supped with U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in Dallas Friday night, reports Trail Blazers. The Oval Office alumnus has pledged to stay out of the GOP race to occupy the Governor's Mansion (or some really expensive rent home near Austin). In other news, Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, says he will contend for U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee's Congressional seat if and when she leaves for Washington, D.C., according to ABC13's Political Blog.

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This edition of Out There was compiled and written by Patrick Brendel, who hails from Victoria but is semi-settled in Austin. We cherry-pick the state's political blogs each week, looking for news, info, gossip, and new jokes. The opinions here belong (mostly) to the bloggers, and we're including their links so you can hunt them down if you wish. Our blogroll — the list of Texas blogs we watch — is on our links page, and if you know of a Texas political blog that ought to be on it, just shoot us a note. Please send comments, suggestions, gripes or retorts to Texas Weekly editor Ross Ramsey.

Former U.S. Ambassador and Texas Rep. Tom Schieffer says he's formed a committee for an exploratory run for governor.The Fort Worth businessman says he's been encouraged in early conversations with friends and fellow pols and wants to extend the inquiry to voters. If they're amenable, he'll drop the "exploratory" and run a full campaign for the Democratic nomination. Schieffer was a Democrat in the Texas House, but says he voted for George W. Bush for governor and for president because "he is my friend and business partner." The two were in a partnership that bought the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. And Bush appointed Schieffer as U.S. Ambassador to Australia and, later, to Japan. Bush ran against Democrats Ann Richards, Garry Mauro, Al Gore, and John Kerry; Schieffer said he voted for Bush each time. He also said, however, that he's given more money to Democrats than to Bush, and that he voted for Barack Obama both in last year's primary and in the general election. His announcement speech:

Tom Schieffer Announcement Of Exploratory Committee March 2, 2009 Today is March the 2nd, Texas Independence Day. It is the day when a group of patriots who were born in Mexico, the United States, Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, Denmark and a host of other nations declared their independence from a government that had betrayed its promises and been seized by a military dictator. March the 2nd was also the day when Texas’ greatest hero was born. Sam Houston, who is still remembered by Texans for his personal courage, sense of honor and duty as well as his grand vision for Texas, was a man who lived his life by a simple motto – do right and risk the consequences. Today, as we celebrate the one hundred and seventy third anniversary of our independence, Texans are worried about their future. They worry that they will lose their present jobs to the current recession or their future jobs to the effects of globalization. They worry about the education their children are getting. They worry about the health care they, their parents and their children are receiving. They worry about the effects of a state government that has become more ideological, more narrow and more partisan than it needs to be. At the very time when Texas desperately needs leadership, people worry that we are experiencing a crisis of leadership. Our politics have become less substantive, less thoughtful, less creative and less innovative when our problems have become more serious, more complex and more challenging. We need to change that. For the last eight years I have been serving my country abroad as an Ambassador of the United States and while I returned to Texas dozens of times during that time it pains me to say that the perception of Texas abroad is not what we in Texas want it to be. Texas to foreigners is often a place where J. R. Ewing and the fictional characters of the old TV Series Dallas are thought to be real. We need to change that. We need to be sure that the world of tomorrow looks to Texas and not past Texas for its solutions. Texas needs leadership that reminds our citizens that we are no longer competing just against our fellow Americans. When you travel the globe as I have you know that Texas is competing against the best and the brightest in the world and they are hungry for success. We need to know that a child entering the first grade in Texas will be able to compete in twenty or thirty years with a child entering the first grade in China or India. If they cannot, then Texas will find itself slipping into the status of a third world country. We live in a time when the world economy is increasingly based on knowledge. To participate in that economy we must do more in education. If we do not restore to the teaching profession the dignity and respect that it deserves, if we continue to starve education in Texas and act as if it is a burden rather than a blessing, if we ignore the fact that hundreds of thousands of young Texans are dropping out of school, if we continue to raise college tuition to make it harder and not easier for young people to get their education, then the Texas we leave to our children will be a Texas less than was given to us. We cannot in good conscience allow that to happen. We must prepare Texas for the future and not the past. When I began my remarks, I talked about the significance of March the 2nd to the people of Texas. I failed to mention one other important event that occurred on March 2, 1861. That was the day that Texas voted to secede from the Union. The Governor at that time was Sam Houston. He told Texans that withdrawing from the Union would be disastrous for America and disastrous for Texas. He pleaded. He cajoled. He argued passionately for reconciliation and understanding, but it was all to no avail. Those who appealed to fear and prejudice had won the day. They demanded that Governor Houston take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. Houston refused saying in a letter to the people of Texas that the governor’s “… office holds no charm for me if it must be bought at the price of my principles.” We need the spirit of Sam Houston to be with us again in Texas. We need leadership that will call forth the best that is in us, not the worst. I believe it is time for those of us who love Texas to do right and risk the consequences. I have therefore decided to file the necessary papers to create an exploratory committee that will allow me to seek the Democratic Nomination for Governor of Texas. Over the next few months I will be traveling the state asking people if they believe as I do that we need new leadership. I have no illusions about the difficulty of the task ahead. I know that the road will be hard. But I also know that if someone does not travel that road, Texas will suffer. It is time for all of us to follow Sam Houston’s lead and do our duty for Texas.

Former legislator Toby Goodman didn't break the law by using campaign funds to rent an Austin residence owned by his wife, a court rules.State ethics officials accused Goodman of breaking laws that are supposed to prevent elected officials from enriching themselves with campaign funds. Goodman, relying on an official opinion from the Texas Ethics Commission, paid market-rate rent to his wife for a property that she owned separately from him. And now state district Judge Randy Catterton of Fort Worth says Goodman was following the law because he relied on the TEC opinion, because there was no argument that he owned a share of the property himself, because the rent wasn't at an above-market rate, and because state officials didn't show that any of the rent money actually went to pay the mortgage on the property (a mortgage that included Mr. Goodman's name). The judge issued a summary judgment — attached here — last week.

A group of legislative Democrats called on Gov. Rick Perry to drop his objections to $556 million in federal unemployment insurance money, prompting his office to say the Guv hasn't made up his mind.

Perry is among the critics of federal stimulus money that comes with strings attached. In the case of unemployment insurance, the state would have to change the requirements it puts on out-of-work Texans seeking the help. If it does, more than a half-billion dollars would flow into a fund that's already $750 million in the red, but the changes would add an estimated $80 million to the program's annual cost. It's not clear that the state would be able to drop those requirements (and costs) when the federal money runs out.

The alternative isn't that hot: Either raise the unemployment insurance taxes paid by employers, or borrow the money to keep the fund in the black (debts that would be paid by employer contributions later). The taxes would have to rise even if the federal money is accepted by the state, but they'd be cut by the amount of federal aid: $556 million.

The Democratic lineup in favor of the federal aid included Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco and Sens. Rodney Ellis of Houston, Eddie Lucio of Brownsville, Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso, Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio, and Kirk Watson of Austin.

"Well, you heard six of us say it: Number one, take all of the money. Number two, spend the money wisely," Ellis said. "This money is to be used to stimulate the Texas economy — not to supplant projects we were already going to do anyway."

Perry has expressed his reservations about the federal money on several occasions, but a spokeswoman said he hasn't made up his mind about the unemployment insurance funds. "It's unfortunate that today some legislators decided to inject politics into the stimulus discussion," said Allison Castle. "Despite the tone of today’s press conference and the fact that the governor has yet to make a decision, he looks forward to working with all lawmakers on this important issue to Texas families."

While the U.S. Supreme Court mulls the link between campaign contributions and judicial decisions, a new study posted by the Center for Public Integrity tracks the phenomenon in several states (including Texas) and concludes that there is sometimes a correlation between contributions to a judge's campaign and how the judge decides cases. Wallace Jefferson, chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, has joined the ranks of Texas judges who want to unlink campaigning and judging and any appearances of conflicts; lawmakers are making a fresh attempt at judicial selection reform.

In the meantime, this new study includes this zinger in its abstract: "While we do not find any evidence of a relationship between contributions and the votes of judges in Nevada, it does appear that there is a quid pro quo relationship between contributors and votes in Michigan and Texas." And this one: "While we only examine three states and one year here, the results suggest that there may be circumstances where the appearance of impropriety surrounding campaign contributions and judicial decision-making may be an empirical reality."

They didn't cite particular opinions where the state's high court rewarded contributors. Instead, they're relying on statistical analysis based on the outcomes of cases and the contributions from the lawyers and parties involved.

What they didn't find: Whether decisions follow dollars (corruption) or dollars follow decisions (political philosophy). That, according to the authors (Chris Bonneau at the University of Pittsburg and Damon Cann of Utah State University), needs more study.

The state's unemployment rate rose to 6.4 percent of the workforce in January, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. That's up from 4.4 percent in the same month of 2008, and up from 5.6 percent in December.

The U.S. rate is higher still, at 7.6 percent.

"The national economic crisis is beginning to have a serious, negative impact on our Texas economy," said TWC Chairman Tom Pauken in a press release on the new numbers.

TWC counted 797,000 unemployed Texans in January, as against 542,300 in January 2008 (those are not seasonally adjusted numbers). The December 2008 number: 667,900. The highest unemployment rates in the state were in border areas — Brownsville-Harlingen, at 9.5 percent, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission at 10.1 percent. In the biggest urban areas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio were all below the state average — doing better than the state as a whole — while Dallas-Fort Worth and El Paso had higher than average unemployment rates.

There's more economic trouble outlined in the Federal Reserve Bank's latest Dallas Beige Book, which starts with this assessment: "Outlooks remain pessimistic, and many contacts expect little improvement through year-end."

Solar and wind energy proposals are stealing the show this Legislative session. Meanwhile, off the main stage, deals are in motion to make a former power source of the future — nuclear — an even more significant part of Texas' energy portfolio. But those plans could change amid environmental concerns and showdowns between corporate giants.

Nuclear power is the third-leading source of electricity in Texas, after natural gas and coal. In November 2008, natural gas and coal plants each produced about 40 percent of the state's electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nuclear was next with 13 percent; about five percent came from wind and solar. Proponents of nuclear power argue that reactors are reliable, proven sources of electricity that are free from carbon pollution.

Texas now has two nuclear plants — the 2,725-megawatt South Texas Project near Houston, and the 2,300 MW Comanche Peak facility near Dallas. (By comparison, the City of Austin recently decided to build the world's largest solar panel array, at 30 MW, for about $250 million.)

Sen. Glenn Hegar, D-Katy, represents an area encompassing STP and a proposed Victoria County nuclear plant. Texas legislators are limited in what they can do to advance nuclear energy, compared to wind or solar, he says.

Nuclear power "is more of a federal issue than state. The most important thing the Legislature can do is continue to provide regulatory certainty in the restructured wholesale market," Hegar says.

Nuclear power "isn't a big part of my own personal agenda," said Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, chair of House Technology, Economic Development and Workforce. It's not that Strama's against nuclear power, he says — it's just that solar energy is more relevant to his district.

Perhaps the reason for state legislators' silence on nuclear power (no bills have been filed so far this session directly addressing the topic) is they consider their mission already accomplished.

"Didn't we do that last session with the decommissioning bill?" said an incredulous Janice McCoy, chief of staff for Senate Business & Commerce chair Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay. That legislation set up a funding mechanism for decommissioning nuclear plants in Texas' deregulated electricity market, effectively enabling the building of new reactors in the state.

Since that bill became law, applications for three projects in Texas have been submitted for federal approval. If all are okayed, the state's nuclear power production would triple in the next decade or so (A rule of thumb is that it takes about 10 years to go from application to functioning nuclear facility):

• Two new towers at STP would add an extra 2,700 MW of capacity. NRG (44 percent), CPS Energy (40 percent) and Austin Energy (16 percent) own the two existing towers. The new towers would be owned by CPS and Nuclear Innovation North America, a joint venture between NRG and Toshiba Corporation.

• Two new towers at Comanche Peak would add an extra 3,400 MW of capacity. The plant is owned by Luminant, formerly part of TXU Corp. Luminant (88 percent) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (12 percent) would own the two new towers.

• Exelon might build a brand-new plant in Victoria, consisting of two towers with a combined capacity of about 3,000 MW. Exelon will soon announce details on technology and capacity of the towers, said Bill Harris, a company exec. In 2010, Exelon will announce if it will pursue the project, Harris said.

Also, Amarillo Power and UniStar Nuclear Energy are pondering a two-reactor plant "at an undisclosed location near Amarillo," according to the Amarillo Globe-News.

None of those projects is a done deal, as corporations contend with a nationwide dearth of capital funding and opposition from grassroots groups. Texans for a Sound Energy Policy Alliance, formed by a wealthy land-owning family in Victoria to fight the proposed Exelon plant, contends that the Guadalupe River isn't an adequate source of water for a nuclear facility.

"The group is not anti-nuclear," executive Director John Figer says. "We're more site-specific about the proposed nuclear plant in Victoria County."

Echoing Figer's water worries is Karen Hadden, executive director of the statewide Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition. She also cited radioactive waste, radioactive leaks, security concerns and monetary cost as major problems with nuclear plants.

"Texas has such a wealth of wind and solar potential that it makes no sense to pursue nuclear, which is a really an energy form of the past," Hadden said.

Activists aside, the energy companies themselves might stand in the way of new nuclear production. Exelon has been attempting to take over NRG, which recently announced it will acquire Reliant's retail electric provider business. It's not clear that Exelon would pursue its Victoria plant if it successfully buys NRG (along with NRG's stake in STP).

After the NRG-Reliant announcement, Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, sent out a letter saying the transaction thwarts the intent of electricity deregulation legislation. Turner is calling for a Public Utilities Commission of Texas review of the deal.

Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, filed a bill that would make it illegal to "publish through the Internet, or cause to publish through the Internet, an image capable of zooming into greater detail than that of an aerial photograph taken without a magnifying lens 300 feet or higher of private property not visible from the public right-of-way." No closer, for instance, than this.

• The company that runs Lone Star Park — that's the horse track in Grand Prairie — filed for bankruptcy, but the actual owners of the track told The Dallas Morning News they'll open for racing next month, as planned. Magna Entertainment Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

• Ted Cruz, the state's former solicitor general, now has a website where he can collect names of supporters and giving them information and all that. He hopes to seek the Republican nomination for attorney general if his former boss, AG Greg Abbott, leaves that post to run for U.S. Senate or something else.

• The National Journal's rankings of congress from most conservative to most liberal is out (and on the free part of their website, too). Some highlights: U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas, came out in a three-way tie for most conservative member of the House. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, was the most liberal member of the Texas delegation and ranked 13th overall in the 435-member House. On the Senate side, Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison is 20th most conservative, and John Cornyn ranks 17th.

• The Houston Chronicle asked the state what it paid employees in 2008 and made a must-see searchable database of it. We typed "executive director" into the blank for job titles, and found two agency heads making over $200,000, a couple more making less than $200,000 but more than $150,000, and another 22 making between $100,000 and $150,000. Same game, with the "commissioner" title: One over $200k, seven under $200k and over $150k, and 19 more between $100k and $150k. And if you just search for the highest salaries, you'll find 16 people making more than $250,000 on the state payroll, led by Thomas Harris, chief investment officer at the Teacher Retirement System, at $434,680; 11 of the 16 are doctors and psychiatrists who work for the state.

• Gov. Rick Perry will have Tony Garza's support in his race next year against Kay Bailey Hutchison. Garza told Texas Monthly he'll stick with the incumbent.

• By the Census Bureau's reckoning, one in five adult Texans didn't finish high school — roughly 3 million people. About half of those didn't make it to ninth grade. And the Texas Education Agency reports that 55,306 students dropped out in 2006-07 — the most recent numbers available. That's got lawmakers talking about career and technical education programs (what were until recently called vocational education) in and after high school. The idea is that some folks just don't want or need to go through traditional college classes or college prep. Several pieces of legislation from Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, and others would reward high schools that offer CTE courses that sync with college and the job market. Other legislation would set up college and junior college training for adults who need technical and/or remedial classes.

The two lawmakers — who chair the public education committees in each house of the Lege — also want to replace high-stakes standardized tests in elementary and high school with a series of end-of-course and other tests that measure progress along the way. They've got support from the Texas Association of Business and some other groups. Teacher groups are more skeptical. The Texas Federation of Teachers say there's still too much reliance on standardized tests.

The economy stinks and unemployment is rising, but it's a good time to be a trained auditor. Lookit:

The House's special committee on the federal spending package opened a "Texas Stimulus Fund" website to track the money that comes through the state government. That's actually only a fraction of the Texas-bound funds. The numbers have been a little squishy, but the latest estimates are that $16.7 billion in aid will go through the state government while a like amount comes into the state in the form of tax cuts for individuals and businesses. Almost $11 billion will be available to state and local governments through grants for programs like transportation, utility and water infrastructure, environmental and medical programs, and weatherization.

State Comptroller Susan Combs opened a spot on her website to make the stimulus spending transparent. It's detailed, too. As this was written, the site had a 23-page spreadsheet on the federal money and the state breakdowns, where available. She's promising to update that as things develop.

Texas will be one of 16 states targeted for bimonthly reports on stimulus spending by the federal Government Accountability Office. That agency got $25 million to watch the money, and they've worked up a list of states — California and Florida are among the others — that they'll keep an eye. The first report on that front is due in April.

And the State Auditor's Office is putting on its watchdog suit so it'll be ready to count the pennies that have gone through Texas to make sure they're going to the right places. SAO thinks the feds will want quarterly reports — this is apparently in addition to the GAO stuff, above — and that Texas lawmakers might expect the same. And they think the feds will want separate accounting for all of the state's ARRA funds (the official name of this thing is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act).

The battle over transportation money in that package raged this week, with the Texas Department of Transportation basically making its own decisions about how to spend the money and the Legislature railing about the amount that's going to projects that support toll roads. The approval of TXDOT's plans appears to belong not to state lawmakers, but to the federal transportation folks who have to sign off on the Texas plan before they'll cut a check. Some of the objections from Texas lawmakers made it into the TXDOT package, notably, an acknowledgement that economically distressed areas are targeted by the spending.

Kay Bailey Hutchison isn't officially in (ahem), but is asking voters for money and support for her race against Gov. Rick Perry.

Sex education is in the headlines again. In a recent interview on Fox News, Bristol Palin, the pregnant, teen-aged daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, said abstinence-only education is "not realistic at all." Miss Palin makes a good point — but the biggest flaw with the federal abstinence-only-until-marriage agenda isn't just that it is unrealistic — it is that it is ineffective and puts teens' health at risk.

Texas has been a leader of the abstinence-only agenda, receiving more than $18 million last year in federal funding — significantly more than any other state. Yet, Texas has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates, and the highest repeat teen birth rate in the United States. Every 10 minutes in Texas, a teen becomes pregnant. The rates are even higher among African-American teens and are significantly higher among Hispanic teens.

I filed HB 1371 instructing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to reject federal funding for these failed programs. By passing this bill, Texas would join 25 other states (including Virginia, Montana, Arizona, and New Mexico) that have rejected federal dollars requiring them to stick with a failed agenda that puts our teens at risk.

Abstinence is the number-one most important message that teens can receive, but they also need medically accurate health information that teaches abstinence AND facts about contraception and responsible decision-making. Teens are taught to wear seat belts when they learn to drive — not to encourage them to drive recklessly, but as a realistic precaution. Sex "education" programs that fail to provide young people with the information they need to avoid unwanted pregnancies, to guard against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and avoid sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, are those that clearly endanger teens' safety and health.

Texas parents understand the risks and overwhelmingly support providing STD-prevention information to young people. In a 2004 Scripps Howard Poll, 90 percent of Texans surveyed statewide supported teaching students about contraception and the prevention of STDs, in addition to advocating abstinence as a primary choice.

One question remains: Can Texas afford to reject federal funds in this tight economy? This answer lies in the alternative: If we add the cost of teen pregnancies each year in Texas (more than $15 billion over the past 13 years) to the incalculable price paid by each teen who contracts an incurable sexually transmitted infection or faces the uncertainty of living with HIV, we know that Texas can't afford not to reject this failed federal agenda.

To continue to deny health- and life-saving information to Texas teens is neither "realistic" nor responsible. I hope my colleagues in the Texas Legislature will support my effort to help make Texas the 26th state to put its teens' health first.

Eddie Rodriguez, a Democrat, represents House District 51 in Austin.

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Texas Weekly's Soapbox is a venue for opinions, spins, alternate takes, and other interesting stuff sent in by readers and others. We moderate submissions to keep crazy people out, and anonymous commentary is ineligible. Readers can respond (through the moderator) to things posted here. Got something to submit? We're interested in everything from full-blown opinion pieces to short bits to observations or tidbits that have escaped us and the mass media. One rule: Your name goes on your words. Call or send an email: Ross Ramsey, Editor, Texas Weekly, 512/288-6598, ramsey@texasweekly.com.

Former Rep. and utility lobbyist Curt Seidlits is starting a new public affairs firm he says will combine traditional lobbying and consulting with the Internet and new media tools. The firm — Focused Advocacy — will be based in Austin. Seidlits was at the former TXU for more than a decade.

Becky Moeller was elected president of the Southern Region of the AFL-CIO and keeps her gig as president of the Texas AFL-CIO. The new duties include serving on the union's general board.

Robert Peeler joins the Austin office of the El Paso-based Kemp Smith law firm, where he'll work on legislative and regulatory issues. The former UT football player was chief of staff to Sen. Mike Jackson and has had his own law practice for the last couple of years.

Getting hitched, no date set: Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Patricia "Trish" Bivins, the ex-wife of former Sen. Teel Bivins of Amarillo.

Recovering: Former First Lady Barbara Bush, after heart surgery in Houston. Doctors replaced her aortic valve and expect to let her out of the hospital in a week or so.

Deaths: Jamie Hager Clements, billed as the youngest pol ever elected to the Texas House (at age 20), and a former mayor of Temple, and the top attorney for Scott & White, at age 78.