Rick Perry

Simmering tensions between University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers and the UT Board of Regents keep rising: An article in the Houston Chronicle claims Gov. Rick Perry – who appoints the regents – “has communicated through emissaries that Powers should resign to avoid an embarrassing regents vote to fire him.”

Chronicle reporter Patricia Kilday Hart spoke with Texas Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo. Sen. Zaffirini argues that recent several actions by the Board of Regents – a special-called meeting to discuss a sexual encounter between assistant football coach Major Applewhite and an adult student, a sweeping open records request, and the controversial decision to re-investigate financial arrangements at the UT Law School foundation – are designed to “make life miserable” for Powers and lead to his resignation.

One of the possible solutions for solving issues with school finance is consolidating school districts; HB 2542 would study possible Bexar County school district consolidation. Even though Gov. Perry is not swaying on Medicaid expansion, there is still hope that Texas will do something to get people care and the federal money that goes with it.

Texas Governor Rick Perry reiterated his stance on Medicaid expansion during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington D.C. this week:

“I say Medicaid doesn’t need to expanded it needs to be saved and reformed.  We care about our poorest Texans. We want them to have the best care possible and that cannot happen with a program that is on its way to bankruptcy.”

There’s a mounting effort at the Capitol in Austin to try to find a way to do something about Medicaid, the joint state and federal health program for children, the disabled and the very low income.

Early in the week there were rumors that the House GOP caucus was going to vote in favor of expanding Medicaid in line with the Affordable Care Act.

Bexar County Commissioners adopted a resolution Tuesday supporting Medicaid expansion for Texas residents, but commissioners know they have some convincing to do in Austin.

Local leaders are sending a message to lawmakers -- and the governor.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has been spending time in the state capital this year trying to convince lawmakers to stop referring to Medicaid expansion as "optional."

On Saturday, thousands of Texas school teachers and supporters of public education are expected to gather at the steps of the Capitol in Austin, and busloads of supporters are coming from San Antonio. The rally is called Save Texas Schools, and the goal is to convince the legislature and Governor Rick Perry to put back the billions of dollars that were cut from the public schools.

San Antonio State Representative Mike Villarreal is one of the rally’s organizers and speakers.

Texas education funding is ruled unconstitutional, and Attorney General Greg Abbott is expected to appeal the case to the Texas Supreme Court. There are opposing views in the legislature on whether to immediately act to address the issue, or wait until the court forces it. Gov. Perry is causing a stir with his radio ads in California that try to lure companies to the Lone Star State, and one columnist from San Francisco says this is generating some interesting conversation.

There is still speculation that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will run for President in 2016, but if she does decide to pursue the White House, a new poll finds that she would win in Texas.

No Democrat has been able to claim the electoral votes of Texas since Jimmy Carter squeaked out a victory over Gerald Ford in 1976, but according to the data gathered by Public Policy Polling, Hillary Clinton would win in Texas if that election was held today.

Governor Rick Perry addressed the State Board of Education on Friday, urging the education leaders to expand technical classes and charter schools.

During his State-of-the-State address earlier in the week, Perry trumpeted evidence of improvements in public education and did so again when speaking to the State Board of Education.