Author Archives: Bill Hobby

For very understandable reasons, Texas’ public schools have been getting most of the attention in Austin for the past few months. But the crisis in our public schools is not the only educational crisis Texas faces. In the last few … Continue reading →

Last Sunday my friend and fellow columnist, Tom Luce, made several suggestions about changes he thinks ought to be made in state government before any tax bills are considered. Some of them are very good ideas–so good in fact that … Continue reading →

Almost 30 years ago the federal courts first set foot on the path through the partisan thicket of redistricting, a course against which Justice Felix Frankfurter warned for years. But the population differences among Congressional and state legislative had grown … Continue reading →

Since the mid-1960’s, the Constitution has said that if the Legislature fails to redistrict itself in the first regular session after a federal census, the job will be done by the Legislative Redistricting Board (LRB). In fact, almost all legislative … Continue reading →

Do our laws really mean that somebody who tries, anonymously, to defame another person get a reward of $700,000? The United States Supreme Court will decide soon. Late last year, the Court decided to hear an appeal from the Minnesota … Continue reading →

Texas’ new legislature has its plate more than full of the usual problems: schools, prisons, human services, and how to pay for them. In addition to the usual menu, this year there is the once-a-decade biggie: redistricting. Quality of education, … Continue reading →

What if the Governor of Texas proposed to close the public schools next month because she disapproved of the way we paid for them? What if your legislator said that your children could not go to school next month because … Continue reading →

When I first became Lieutenant Governor in January, 1973, one of the major issues facing the Legislature was how to equalize funding for public education. This past spring, during my final year in office, the Legislature spent four special sessions … Continue reading →

One of the more cynical ideas to be floated around the country is the now much-talked about idea of limiting the number of terms state and federal legislators can serve. The idea is largely a Republican one, born of the … Continue reading →

We approach a historic moment. This week I am confident the legislature will pass a school finance bill that will move public education a giant step forward. Senate Bill 1 will bring equity, accountability and adequacy to our system of … Continue reading →