Texas Matters

Texas Matters: After reviewing school district safety audits, the attorney general's office found that 78 Texas school districts were not compliant with the law. The Newtown tragedy is also having an effect in San Antonio school districts, where two students who were making jokes about bomb threats and shootings on their own campuses were arrested. Texas Monthly crowns its 2012 Bum Steer of the Year: Lance Armstrong.

Gov. Perry's announcement this week of the "fetal pain" bill is the latest in his attempts at restricting abortion in Texas; pro-life groups applaud the announcement and pro-choice groups are kicking their opposition into high gear. The governor made his announcement at a pregnancy crisis center, but what exactly is a pregnancy crisis center, and where do they get their funding? Freelance reporter Carolyn Jones investigates. Finally, problems with state-funded CPRIT continue to surface, the latest being an $11 million grant that was not reviewed before it was handed out.

The number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. has been declining since 2007; however, there has been an increase in migrants from other Central American countries, most of whom are teenagers. Being poor in Texas: Government assistance documentary, and a firsthand payday loan experience. Renewable energy continues to push forward as the Texas Renewable Energy Conference hits Austin next week.

Big expectations for new Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. The story of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Alamo continues to play itself out with the latest revelations by the Texas Attorney General's report. Finally, the Texas Supreme Court issues an order for fast tracking divorce paperwork in Texas.

Can Mexico's new president end the drug war and spark economic growth?

Re-broadcast from June 22, 2012: In a state as big as Texas, there are some serious questions about how to provide this vital resource to the over 25 million people who live here. Our state thinks of itself as strong and independent, often distancing itself (with the help of state lawmakers) from the federal government, but how much of Texas has crept into national politics?

Texas is to drought as...

Texas Republicans propose a bill to drug test welfare recipients - should we drug test politicians as well? Laws legalizing the possession and use of marijuana passed in Colorado and Washington, is this the beginning of a new era in American drug policy? Mexico has a new president and many are hoping this will mark the beginning of a real solution to the war against the drug cartels. Finally, we just can't let this week go without continuing the discussion on Texas secession.

During the last two weeks of the 2012 campaign, candidates make their final sell to voters, but in close races like that between Francisco Canseco and Pete Gallego there is a different kind of urgency. The Quorum Report's Harvey Kronberg talks about some of the interesting storylines he is watching as we approach Nov. 6, and we take a look at some other election issues from across the American Southwest.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is threatening an international democracy observer group with criminal charges if they interfere with Texas election locations. The education system in Texas is on trial this week to answer the question: Is the present system violating the state’s constitution? 150 years ago there was a hanging in Gainesville that claimed the lives of 40 men.

The Texas Legislature will be back in a few months facing a budget deficit. Will the next round of state budget cuts clip Texas high school football? Or could expanded gambling in the state help solve education funding shortfalls? Nate Silver writes the New York Times political blog about polls and political probability, Five Thirty Eight, and talks about how useful (and reliable) pre-election opinion polls can be.