File this under most outrageous claim made by a city councilor this year. Arlington city council member Gene Patrick was quoted in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram as follows:

At-large Councilman Gene Patrick defended the lobbyist expense, saying that it helps protect Arlington taxpayers from unfunded mandates and new taxes. "I am a staunch believer in the principle of home rule. I don't like them telling us what we can and can not charge our own citizens," Patrick said.

You have got to be kidding me. Everyone knows taxpayer funded lobbying is about raising taxes, not lowering them.

The Young Conservatives of Texas expressed relief that no one other than the shooter was hurt on the University of Texas campus today, but stated that today's incident is another reason why the Legislature should pass the concealed carry on campus bill. “The event today proves that so-called ‘gun free zones’ don’t protect people,” said Tony McDonald, YCT’s Senior Vice Chairman. “Crazed gunmen don’t follow firearms regulations; victims do. Students should not be stripped of their rights and forced to rely on the protection of police or the mercy of a killer."

Sunday, the El Paso Times published a poll showing Republican Dee Margo leading Rep. Joe Moody (D-El Paso) 42.5 percent to 37.4 percent with a surprising 20.1 percent undecided. The margin of error for the poll is 4.4 percent, meaning that there is a 95 percent probability that the actual number is within 4.4 percent of that measured in the poll.

What this poll tells us is this race is clearly in play. (The district used to be represented by Republican Pat Haggerty.) The high undecided total makes it clear, however, that either candidate can win. In any case, this race is worth watching.

One more caveat: most people who know me realize I am very hesitant to write "poll stories." Here's why I made an exception here:

A few items of note this afternoon:

* The two main candidates for Railroad Commission, Democrat Jeff Weems and Republican David Porter traded barbs Sept. 20. Weems called on Porter to debate. When asked, a Porter camapign spokesman told LSR that Porter has accepted all editorial board invitations and has appeared at multiple forms with Weems. Porter responded by blasting Weems for statements in the Nacogdoches newspaper praising the Railroad Commission’s authority to shut down or jail oil and gas well producers who violate environmental laws. Weems responded by noting that the provisions allowing the Railroad Commission to shut down wells and jail bad producers are current law. ...

Click here to read my entire opinion piece.

Thank you Fred Hill! The former Republican state representative from Richardson helped organize other GOP legislators to kill a 2005 bill that would have given greater rights to taxpayers to roll back excessive property tax increases at the ballot box. Many of the Republicans who opposed expanded taxpayer protections came from North Texas legislative districts.

Rep. Larry Taylor (R-League City) sent a formal request to the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) today. Click here to read a copy of Taylor's clarified request.

Taylor had sent an earlier request to TWIA -- a state-created company that provides windstorm insurance in coastal counties -- for information about a recent lawsuit settlement regarding Hurricane Ike. One of the attorneys for the plaintiffs -- Texas Trial Lawyers Association President-elect Steve Mostyn -- objected to release of the information on the grounds that some of it is confidential. Taylor clarified his request today to make it crystal clear he is not seeking personal information about policy holders.

While many of us were on vacation, LSR Managing Editor William Lutz made an appearence on WFAA's Inside Texas Politics Sept. 5. Lutz slammed seven of the 15 Dallas City Council members for trying to renew on a no-bid basis concession contracts at Love Field Airport. He also praised the mayor and council majority for insisting on competitive bidding. These contracts are currently held by an ownership group that includes several prominent South Dallas camapign donors and politicians. Basically, the point he made is that any time someone proposes clean government for Dallas, out comes the race card. But civil rights groups used to support competitive bidding because it proves everyone got fair treatment.

We post the entire program below. Lutz's commentary begins with about 7:30 remining in the program.

First, in this week’s issue we publish a story about the state being denied $830 million in federal education funds because Gov. Rick Perry wouldn’t violate the state constitution just to make Congressman Lloyd Doggett feel warm and fuzzy and won’t commit the state to unsustainable spending increases for public school districts.

We have one question for the Back to the Basics PAC's funder and plaintiff's lawyer Steve Mostyn: what took you so long?

Today the Back to the Basics PAC released a new television ad taking aim at the plaintiffs' bar's favorite target -- the insurance industry. The ad blames Gov. Rick Perry for insurance rate increases. It notes that the insurance bill passed in 2003 allows insurance carriers to raise rates without first receiving approval of the Texas Department of Insurance.

Long-time Capitol reporter and PR consultant Rich Parsons is leaving the lieutenant governor's press office. He is moving to Hahn Texas where he will be a vice president for public affairs. Parsons worked at Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's press secretary. Prior to working for Dewhurst, Parsons was an Austin television reporter focusing on public affairs journalism.

Former McLennan County Democratic Chairman John Cullar has withdrawn his candidacy for the Texas Senate in the wake of a Fifth Court of Appeals ruling that refused to kick his opponent Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) off the ballot. The result of Cullar's action is that Birdwell is almost certain to win a full two-year term in the Texas Senate. The Waco Tribune-Herald has more details on Cullar's decision.

Some interpreted Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's committee reshuffle as the death-knell for the Texas Local Option Transportation Act -- a bill that allows local governments to raise taxes with over approval for commuter rail and other transportation projects. That's a fair interpretation of the new order in the Texas Senate.

But this week's activity in the governor's race virtually guarantees that TLOTA will not see the light of day in 2011. Democratic candidate Bill White gave an interview to the Associated Press where he said he wouldn't rule out higher debt, or local tax hikes, to finance additional roads. Within hours of the White interview getting published, I was deluged with statements from just about every conservative group out there and the Perry campaign condemning White for endorsing a "tax hike."

In the previous entry on this blog, we highlighted a Dallas Morning News story about a study on college administrative costs. That study was a product of the Goldwater Institute and theGeorge W. Bush Institute. The study's primary author is Jay P. Greene, head of the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas. His coauthors are Brian Kisida and Jonathan Mills. Click here to read an executive summary or download the full study.

The study concludes that -- despite increasing subsidies from government -- college administrative costs have exploded. It also states that the solutions advocated by college administrators (and their taxpayer-funded lobbyists and government relations professionals) won't solve the problem. Click here to read the study.

This morning's Dallas Morning News contains an article chronicling a study by Arkansas professor Jay Greene showing that administrative employment has grown faster than instructional employment at state universities -- especially in Texas. Click here to read the article in full. In 2003, the Legislature surrendered tuition-setting authority to appointed boards of regents. At the time, critics predicted that both tuition and administrative spending would go through the roof. Both critiques have now been borne out.

This Sunday, LSR Managing Editor William Lutz blasted Texas's school accountability ratings on WFAA's Inside Texas Politics. Lutz's objections include low passing standards for the test and the fact that students can score a zero on the test and still be credited with passing for accountability purposes. He suggests ignoring state accountability ratings and using college entrance exams and national exams instead. Lutz's commentary follows a lively discussion between Farmers Branch Mayor Tim O'Hare and Domingo Garcia on illegal immigration. Lutz's commentary starts 9 minutes into the program (about 8 minutes left in the program). Inside Texas Politics airs every Sunday at 9 am on Channel 8 in North Texas. We post a clip of the program below:

In writing up the reaction of state officials to passage of the Doggett amendment last night, we accidentally neglected to post the statement of Commissioner of Education Robert Scott. His statement is posted below:

 “Congress has crafted legislation that will exclusively harm Texas public schools and our teachers.  Every member of the Texas congressional delegation who supported this measure owes Texas voters an explanation as to why they are in favor of imposing punitive measures on our schools.”

The Back-To-Basics PAC, funded by plaintiff's attorney Steve Mostyn, has released another attack ad blasting Gov. Rick Perry for his veto of a property rights bill in 2007 and for his advocacy for the privatized Trans-Texas Corridor. The group has also set up a website Hands Off Our Land, to highlight problems with Perry's property rights record. We post the ad below:

House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) blasted Congressional Democrats for trying to hamstring the state budget by singling out Texas in education jobs bill.

“I am very concerned about the flawed legislation passed in the United States Senate that unfairly targets Texas, punishes our kids and teachers, and attempts to micro-manage Texas schools from Washington, D.C.," Straus said. "I call on members of the Texas congressional delegation to work to protect Texas, and especially our school children, by removing this provision and refraining from imposing Washington mandates on Texas schools.”

Sen. Brian Birdwell's (R-Granbury) campaign office got back to us a few minutes ago with a statement on the lawsuit filed by the Texas Democratic Party questioning his eligibility to serve in the Texas Senate. Birdwell's statement reads as follows:

Lone Star Report Managing Editor William Lutz will appear on WFAA's Inside Texas Politics Sunday morning at 9 am. Inside Texas Politics airs at 9 am on Sundays on Channel 8 in North Texas. Lutz will be discussing his concerns about low standards in the Texas public school accountability system.

There's a lot of spin going back and forth on exactly what the Doggett amendment to the federal stimulus bill does. Democratic political consultant Philip Martin -- as usual -- posted partisan talking points to the Burnt Orange Report that, at best, constitutes political spin and, at worst, misrepresents the Republican objections to the Doggett amendment.

The Doggett amendment does not merely require the state to spend the same dollar amount that it currently spends on education. It requires the state to spend the same percentage of state general revenue on education than what it current spends. (Here is the exact text of the amendment from the Congressional Record -- section 11 is the Doggett amendment).

The Texas Democratic Party and its nominee in Senate District 22, John Cullar, are challenging Sen. Brian Birdwell's (R-Granbury) eligibility to serve in the Texas Senate. The Texas Constitution requires Senators to be residents of the state for five years prior to their election, and Birdwell voted in Virginia 2004-2006. The Democrats' filed their request for a writ of mandamus in the Fort Worth Court of Appeals.

Texas Democrats have nominated John Cullar for the Texas Senate in District 22. The seat was formerly held by Kip Averitt (R-Waco) and is currently held by the recently-sworn-in Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury). The nomination was made by Democratic county chairmen in the district. Cullar is former chairman of the McLennan County Democratic Party.

The Waco Tribune-Herald reported today that Cullar opposes Republican efforts to fight voter fraud by requiring voters to present photo id prior to voting.

Below is a bio of Cullar distributed by the Texas Democratic Party:

Gov. Rick Perry Aug. 5 received the American Legislative Council’s (ALEC) Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award at the group’s 37th annual meeting in San Diego, Calif.

ALEC is a conservative non-partisan membership association for state lawmakers, which espouses belief in limited government, free markets, federalism and individual liberty.

The award is ALEC’s highest honor, given annually to a current or former public official for advancing the Jeffersonian principles ALEC espouses. Reagan received the inaugural award in 1990. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour are also past recipients.

Democrat Bill White unveiled a new positive TV ad yesterday.

For the past month, the candidates for governor have bickered over each other's business dealings, with each side questioning the integrity of the others' business deals. The latest in that skirmish involves an Associated Press story raising questions about whether Democrat Bill White interceded to resolve a dispute involving a company he later invested in.

Several Texas Congressional Democrats have filed a resolution attacking the conservative State Board of Education’s new patriotic social studies standards.

In May, the State Board of Education adopted new social studies standards that focus on teaching patriotism to children and the fact that America is unique, and while not perfect, positive. The standards also comply with Texas state laws that require instruction with “emphasis on the free enterprise system and its benefits.” The standards require that Celebrate Freedom Week be taught in every grade.

Dr. Steven Hotze, president of the Conservative Republicans of Texas, announced an online matching program for competitive house races statewide.

“This morning, CRT sent individualized emails into 18 House Districts, nearly 60,000 in all. We are encouraging voters to visit their candidate’s website and make an on-line contribution with the additional incentive that their on-line contribution will be matched.  We are sending a strong signal to the Conservative grassroots movement in Texas. We believe in these candidates.  These races are winnable, and CRT will work towards Republic victory in Texas by doubling the contributions of voters.” Hotze said.

Attorney General Greg Abbott has promoted Daniel Hodge to First Assistant Attorney General. Hodge replaces Andrew Weber who returns to private practice. Also, promoted was David Morales, who will now become Deputy First Assistant Attorney General. Morales previously served as Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation.

“Having spent their entire legal careers at the Attorney General’s Office, Daniel Hodge and David Morales have a combined 22 years of service dedicated to the State of Texas—so they are uniquely prepared to help oversee and administer the agency,” Abbott said.

Attorney General's full list of promotions and bios of the promoted attorneys.

Texas Association of Business President Bill Hammond issued the following statement on release of the accountability ratings Friday:

"Texas students, families and employers all benefit from an honest accountability system of the academic performance of public schools.  It has the ability to shine a light on the challenges we face, both now and in the future.  Unfortunately, the system we currently have in places falls woefully short of that standard."

 

LAS VEGAS – Sometimes it’s amazing the power of words. Today’s Americans for Prosperity Right OnLine conference is occurring at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. At the conference’s general session today, delegates heard from Andrew Abboud, vice president of government relations and community development for Las Vegas Sands Corp, the parent company of the Venetian.

Abboud told delegates that when President Barack Obama told the American people last year that businesses taking stimulus funds should not go to Las Vegas, the impact on the hotel was immediate. Abboud told delegates that the Venetian lost $6 million in hotel room revenue due to cancellations occurring in the immediate aftermath of Obama’s speech. He said the lost food and beverage tab came to about $5 million. And that’s just one hotel. Imagine the impact on the whole city of Las Vegas, which is currently experiencing 15 percent unemployment.

We now post the final interview in our series of interviews conducted at the RightOnLine booth at the Republican State Convention June 10-12 in Dallas. The RightOnLine booth was cosponsored by Americans for Prosperity and the Lone Star Report. Rep. Wayne Christian (R-Center) is currently chairman of the Texas Conservative Coalition, and he was interviewed by Americans for Prosperity's Texas Chairman Ben Streusand. Christian talks about the upcoming Texas Legislative session, the Texas Conservative Coalition, and his work as chairman of the platform committee for the Republican Party of Texas.

The interview is in two parts. Click below to view part one:

Click below to view part two:

LSR Managing Editor William Lutz appeared on WFAA's Inside Texas Politics Sunday. In his "rant," Lutz slams the Environmental Protection Agency for its decision to reject the state's flexible permitting program. Lutz's commentary appears just after the interview with Rep. Phil King, approximately 7 and a half minutes into the program (about 10:30 left to go in the program). Inside Texas Politics airs every Sunday at 9 am. Click here to view:

“Openness in government is a First Amendment virtue, not a First Amendment violation,” the brief states. “The fundamental purpose of the First Amendment is to enable and empower people to engage in free, robust discourse about their government, its officials, and the policies they adopt on their behalf. Open meetings laws thus further, rather than frustrate, fundamental First Amendment values, by educating the public about the conduct and content of public business. Indeed, courts have frequently invoked the First Amendment itself to require public access to certain government proceedings.”

 

LSR Managing Editor William Lutz will appear on WFAA's Inside Texas Politics Sunday morning. The program airs at 9 am on Channel 8 in North Texas. Lutz will be expressing his concerns about the federal Environmental Protection Agency's recent decision to reject the Texas Council on Environmental Quality's flexible permit program.

Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Austin) stopped by the RightOnline Booth at the Republican State Convention June 10-12. He was interviewed by LSR Managing Editor William Lutz. McCaul discusses national security, border security, earmarks, and current events in the U.S. Congress. Click here to view part one of the McCaul interview:

Click here to view part two of the McCaul interview:

LSR just received a joint statement from Curtis Seidlits of Focused Advocacy and Neil T. "Buddy" Jones of the HillCo Partners on the resolution of their lawsuit mentioned in this week's issue over the departure of lobbyists Brandon Aghamalian and Snapper Carr from Hillco to Focused Advocacy. The statement was sent to us by one of the attorneys in the case, Justin Townsend, and reads as follows:

Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken stopped by the RightOnline booth at the Republican State Convention June 10-12. The RightOnline booth is a joint project of the Lone Star Foundation and Americans for Prosperity. Pauken discussed the Texas Job Market and his new book, Bringing America Home. Pauken was interviewed by Lone Star Report Contributing Editor William Murchison. Click below to view part one of the Pauken interview:

Part Two of Pauken interview:

The Texas Democratic Party has acquiesced to the prospect that the Green Party will appear on the November ballot. Democrats succeeded in convincing Travis County District Judge John Dietz to enjoin the Green Party from filing its list of candidates with the Secretary of State. But the Green Party then sought mandamus relief from the Texas Supreme Court. The court issued a stay on the lower court’s order while it considered the matter. That stay allowed the Green Party to file its candidates with the Secretary of State and appear on the Texas ballot.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn blasted the administration of President Barack Obama, at an interview conducted June 11 at the RightOnline booth. Cornyn was interviewed by Americans for Prosperity Texas Chairman Ben Streusand. Cornyn said the Obama administration often uses administrative actions to pass items of his agenda that cannot get the votes to pass Congress. Click here to view the full interview: