Rick Perry

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.

Texas Matters: Gov. Rick Perry uses the State-of-the-State address to propose giving tax breaks, but should the state use the extra money to restore education funding instead? A new poll shows that a majority of Texans disapprove of the job he is doing and 62 percent think he should not run for re-election. Since he is a primary torch-bearer for the conservatives in the state, what will he do next?

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro is frequently mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for governor or other statewide elected office, but a new poll shows that Texas voters still aren’t ready to vote for Castro. 

Texas Matters: Governor Perry continues to say he will not expand Medicaid in Texas with federal funds as several Republican governors now say they will. A new study looks at the reality of job creators. A Beaumont attorney files a class-action lawsuit against pornography sites that host "revenge porn"; explicit photos and videos of women posted by ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands. Finally, what will it take to turn Texas Democrat blue?