Hutchison Guessing Game Spawns Unprecedented Fallback Planning for Aspirants Who've Been Waiting for Domino Fall

October 12, 2009

By Mike Hailey

Capitol Inside Editor

With U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison keeping everybody guessing on whether she's really going to resign early like she said she would do two months ago, 2010 is starting to have the potential to be the year of the political fallback plan in Texas like never before.

More than a dozen aspiring Republicans and a couple of big-name Democrats who all have their eyes on key prizes from the top of the ticket on down to legislative races are being forced essentially to put Plan B's in place while waiting on the edge of their chairs to see if Hutchison goes forward with her plan to step down from the U.S. Senate before this year ends and effectively clear the way for them to proceed with their Plan A's. It's hard to remember any point in the state's modern-day past when so many established politicians with higher ambitions

October 12, 2009

Cindy V. Culp

Few Waco-area residents have gotten a ticket for breaking a new law that bans cell phone use in school zones.

But don't take that as a license to gab. Several local law enforcement agencies, including the Waco Police Department, have only recently begun enforcing the law and soon will start citing drivers who don't hang up.

The law, which went into effect Sept. 1, makes it illegal for drivers to use a cell phone in a school zone during school-zone hours. Exceptions

10/12/2009

By Jerome Weeks

Several hundred people — and rows of dignitaries — courageously defied some low-hanging overcast to witness the official, secular dedication of the $354 million AT&T Performing Arts Center this morning. The religious dedication was Sunday, and it featured prayers by a rabbi, an imam, a Catholic bishop and a Methodist pastor. (Insert joke here.) On an elaborately built stage in Sammons Park — and with the speaker system bouncing echoes off the Winspear Opera House behind the audience — various city officials and arts administrators thanked and praised and extolled. Dallas stage artist Ellen Locy (Echo Theatre) was the graceful emcee, introducing AT&T Performing Arts Center CEO Mark Nerenhausen, Mayor Tom Leppert and the other speakers, right down to AT&T senior executive VP Cathy Coughlin. It all ended

October 15, 2009

Ken Herman

Once again, it's time to ponder everybody's favorite political question:

"Qué pasa, Kay Bailey?"

In July, Sen. Hutchison said she'd resign by December to focus on her GOP gubernatorial primary battle against Gov. Rick Perry. Now, who knows? She says she doesn't.

"I don't know," Hutchison said Tuesday on D-FW radio station WBAP. "Every day in Washington some new bad thing is coming up."

October 16, 2009

Press Release

The benefits of a high-quality preschool education are being studied with increasing detail, courtesy of a $100,000 gift from an anonymous fund of The Dallas Foundation to the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS). The philanthropic organization provided the funding to expand a previous study showing that an accredited preschool education can benefit low-income students well into their elementary years.

The research began in 2006 when Educational First Steps (EFS), a nonprofit Dallas organization, approached Dr. Richard K. Scotch and asked him to study how students with low-income backgrounds fared in school after attending accredited EFS preschools and learning centers. Scotch, a professor of sociology and political economy, used data exclusively from the Dallas Independent School District.

October 18, 2009

Enrique Rangel

AUSTIN - Of the 11 propositions on this fall's ballot, there's one that may be of keen interest to West Texas.

For Amarillo, Lubbock and most of West Texas, Proposition 4 may be the most important because it would help Texas Tech and six other emerging universities get national research institution status, more commonly known as Tier One or flagship.

So call Proposition 4 the Tier One amendment.

October 18, 2009

Enrique Rangel

AUSTIN - Texans statewide may consider all 11 proposed constitutional amendments on this year's ballot equally important.

But for Lubbock, West Texas and a half-dozen other communities throughout the state, Proposition 4 may be the priority.

The amendment would help Texas Tech and six other emerging universities get national research institution status, more commonly known as Tier One or flagship.

October 19, 2009

Press Release

The Greater Houston Partnership, in collaboration with Texans for Tier One, hosted a press conference today discussing the business community's support for Proposition 4 and its role in elevating the University of Houston to Tier One status. If passed, the referendum item will establish a national research university fund (NRUF) to help emerging research universities achieve national prominence as major research universities.

Jeff Moseley, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, was joined by Former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby and Welcome Wilson, Chair of the Board of Regents for the University of Houston System, in encouraging the region's voters to support Proposition 4 at

October 20, 2009

Rodger Jones

Opinion Blog

This newspaper's annual Texan of the Year feature will roll out in mid-December with nine finalist profiles followed by the full feature treatment for the 2009 Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year.

Readers have sent their ideas over the months for who should be in contention. I'll begin the list today and keep it up in the weeks to come. Please add your ideas in a comment to this post, email to me or to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Posted on October 20, 2009

Gene Trainor

The presidents of the state’s three Tier One universities and leaders of area chambers of commerce added their names Tuesday to the list of education and business officials touting the benefits of Proposition 4, the proposed constitutional amendment to create more major research schools.

Rice University President David Leebron, Texas A&M University interim President R. Bowen Loftin and University of Texas at Austin President William Powers Jr. sent a letter to voters urging them to consider Proposition 4 on the Nov. 3 ballot. The letter released Tuesday coincided with a news conference at the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce where area business leaders announced their support for the measure. The Fort Worth and Arlington chambers were among the groups present.