Texas Democratic Party: Moving Texas Forward

Below is a statement from TDP chairman Boyd Richie on Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s announcement today:

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Below is a statement from Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie regarding the U.S. Department of Justice ruling, granting Dallas County pre-clearance on its voting machines.

“We turned to the Department of Justice out of frustration over the Texas Secretary of State’s unwillingness to correct a glitch in voting machines that are programmed to count votes differently than the way they are counted on paper and absentee ballots. We believe this programming defect disproportionately impacts minority voters.

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When Texas Gov. Rick Perry scored a convincing win earlier this month over U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, his rival for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, talk of a possible 2012 Perry presidential push began. But before Perry can stride into the national arena he must win re-election this fall in what some say will be his toughest face-off with a Democrat yet — against former Houston mayor Bill White. Indeed, political analyst Charlie Cook has moved the Texas governor’s race from “leaning Republican” to “toss-up” status. (more…)

When Texas Gov. Rick Perry scored a convincing win earlier this month over U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, his rival for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, talk of a possible 2012 Perry presidential push began. But before Perry can stride into the national arena he must win re-election this fall in what some say will be his toughest face-off with a Democrat yet — against former Houston mayor Bill White. Indeed, political analyst Charlie Cook has moved the Texas governor’s race from “leaning Republican” to “toss-up” status. (more…)

AUSTIN – A divided State Board of Education decided Friday that history students must remember the Alamo but not the names of Hispanics who fought for Texas’ independence.

In a decision split along party and ethnic lines, Republicans rejected a move by the panel’s five Democrats – all minorities – to require that history standards include by name the Tejanos who died in the fall of the Alamo, 174 years ago this month.

The skirmish came as the board wrapped up three fractious days of work on new curriculum standards that put a more conservative slant on U.S. history, government and other social studies subjects taught in Texas schools. (more…)

At least one Texan has benefited from Rick Perry’s Enterprise Fund.

For the past six years, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has lorded over a controversial stash of taxpayer money known as the Texas Enterprise Fund, dispensing huge sums—$345 million and counting—to large corporations, ostensibly to spur job growth. Critics call it the governor’s slush fund. “He takes from us so that he can play with his corporate slush fund and award his friends’ businesses,” said Debra Medina, one of Perry’s two challengers for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, at a recent candidate’s debate.

Perry defends the fund as a much-needed economic-incentive program. He credits the disbursements with creating 55,000 jobs in Texas and helping keep the state’s economy out of recession. Whether the program has boosted the state’s economy depends on your point of view. But at least one Texan has greatly benefited from Enterprise Fund outlays—Rick Perry. (more…)

State board members both charmed, alarmed by Fox News, other national coverage of curriculum debate.

The actual debate over social studies curriculum standards at the State Board of Education on Wednesday could not compete with the sideshow. (more…)

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White won’t rule out using a tax increase to fix the looming state deficit, and Gov. Rick Perry’s team can hardly contain its glee.

Perry’s campaign staff and his vast web of former staffers and advisers love to work themselves into a lather whenever an opponent gives them an opening for criticism. They hit the phones, call their favorite reporters and ask some variation of, “Can you believe he (or, in the primary, she) would say that? At a time like this?” (more…)

But White has to define himself, control the issues

Attorneys general, former lawmakers and a slew of lawyers have ascended to the Texas Governor’s Mansion, as have a flour manufacturer, a housewife and a couple of oilmen. Bill White, if he beats Gov. Rick Perry in November, would be the first mayor to make that triumphant trek to Austin.

“Local politics is designed to piss everybody off, so it’s never been a very good entrée for career building,” said James Riddlesperger, a political scientist at Texas Christian University. (more…)

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie issued the following statement in response to a motion granted by state District Judge Kevin Fine yesterday involving the death penalty (see article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6897252.html): (more…)