http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/ Governor's Press Releases en Copyright 2013 2013-05-13T15:16:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/18508/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/18508/#When:15:16:00Z Like many families and employers, President Obama has heard about the Texas success story, where we free job creators to grow their businesses and give families and hardworking taxpayers unlimited opportunity to keep more of their hard-earned money and a live a better life. Public Education, Economic Development, Jobs 2013-05-13T15:16:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/18507/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/18507/#When:15:12:00Z Of all the bad ideas related to Obamacare, depending upon Medicaid to do the heavy lifting to 'insure' Americans is about the worst of the bunch. 10th Amendment, Federal Health Care (as in Obamacare), Economy, Healthcare 2013-03-29T15:12:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/18506/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/18506/#When:15:09:00Z It’s really far past time for us to call Obamacare what it truly is: an unprecedented government overreach into every American's life, forcing higher costs onto individuals, practitioners, employers and state governments in lieu of actually fixing our healthcare system. 10th Amendment, Federal Health Care (as in Obamacare), Healthcare 2012-11-23T15:09:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/18505/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/18505/#When:14:59:00Z Growing replacement organs. Spinal regeneration. Repairing cardiac tissue in the aftermath of a heart attack. These ideas have belonged to the realm of science fiction for generations, but all are now realistic goals, thanks to groundbreaking research in the field of adult stem cells. Cancer, Healthcare, Cancer Research Initiative, Biotechnology (biofuels, health sciences, medical devices, environmental health, bio-pharmaceutical) 2012-11-01T14:59:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17721/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17721/#When:15:11:00Z As interest in pursuing a college degree is increasing, state officials have to do everything we can to remove the roadblocks and enable students to pursue their dreams. That's why I'm calling for a four-year tuition freeze for incoming freshmen, so that the amount students pay when they first arrive on campus will be locked in through what should be their senior year. Not only will this help students and their families predict and plan for the cost of their college careers, it will also provide a powerful incentive to complete degrees on time. Education, Higher Education 2012-10-08T15:11:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17551/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17551/#When:18:39:00Z Expecting to extend quality health care access to millions of Americans by pressing them into the existing Medicaid system is a little like expecting to win the Indy 500 in a 1965 Chevy Corvair. It's just not the right tool for the job. A fundamental flaw in the Obama Administration's government health care plan is that Medicaid is already on the brink of failure. Dumping millions more individuals into the Medicaid mix will not save it, will not cut any costs, and will not improve overall access to quality care. 10th Amendment, Federal Health Care (as in Obamacare), Healthcare 2012-07-11T18:39:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17550/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17550/#When:18:29:00Z In Texas, Medicaid already accounts for more than 20 percent of our general revenue spending, with that number threatening to skyrocket further in the next budgetary cycle. The president's plan promises to pay the state share of expansion for a few years. However, that "federal" money is still taxpayer financed, whether it's collected or borrowed. That flow of money will, necessarily, come to an end, and states will be left with a massive bill that can't even be estimated yet. 10th Amendment, Federal Health Care (as in Obamacare), Healthcare 2012-07-11T18:29:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17549/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17549/#When:18:25:00Z In 2003, Texas was facing a very real crisis, one that we met with a very specific solution. The crisis involved a dramatic drop in the number of doctors practicing medicine in our state, as we fell all the way to 44th overall in a national ranking of physicians per capita. The prime culprit behind this crisis was skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates that reflected Texas' then-status as a lawsuit haven. To remedy this, we took the bold step of instituting tort reforms to limit lawsuit abuse and bring malpractice insurance rates down to a manageable level. Healthcare, Medical Liability Reform, Tort Reform (Loser Pays) 2012-07-02T18:25:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17489/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17489/#When:08:07:00Z Instead of sending much-needed help to border states, the federal government is sending lawyers. Instead of boots on the ground, they're delivering subpoenas. The Supreme Court's recent ruling on Arizona v. United States may mark the point when our nation truly went through the looking glass in terms of border policy. The federal government, long unwilling to adequately secure the border, has now become actively contentious in its efforts to prevent states from taking steps to secure it themselves. Border Security, Border, Immigration 2012-06-28T08:07:00-06:00 http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17298/ http://governor.state.tx.us/news/editorial/17298/#When:20:31:00Z As a long-time Austin attorney who is currently serving as chief of staff for the Texas governor's office, I have long been a great admirer of both Travis County District Judge Scott Jenkins and Texas Governor Rick Perry, because both are men of integrity who have dedicated themselves to doing what they believe is right, within the roles to which the people of Texas have elected them. Yet in their public roles, that could be the only thing they have in common, as they are members of opposing political parties and hold contrasting personal views on many important policy issues. That's why it was somewhat surprising to see the editorial board of the San Antonio Express-News essentially accuse the two of working together on an issue of importance to the people of Texas. But even more than surprising, the editorial (see “Court ruling is a blow to transparency,” Express-News 5/20/12) was revealing, as it provided a perfect example of the desperate and self-serving mindset of most of today's major media outlets. Government Transparency, Governor's Office, Law Enforcement, Public Safety 2012-05-27T20:31:00-06:00