Volume 1, Issue 50 March 31st, 2014 DENISE PRATT RESIGNS OFFICE Embattled judge also quits re-election bid–Kiah Collier, Chronicle

Under investigation by Harris County prosecutors for dismissing hundreds of cases without notice, embattled family court judge Denise Pratt resigned Friday, abruptly ending her re-election bid. The freshman Republican jurist campaigned as a conservative advocate for children and families, touting her unique policy of keeping boyfriends, girlfriends and lovers of recently divorced litigants away from children. PLEASE SEE THE REST OF THE STORY! ------BILL WHITE MAKES A NAME ON QUESTIONS CONTINUE OVER THE ISSUE OF FEDERAL DEBT JUVENILE JUSTICE IN Recently penned book on matter– Maggie Galehouse, Houston Chronicle Age should be higher?– Marty Schladen, El Paso Times

In 1992, Ross Perot compared federal debt to a "crazy aunt" that "nobody wants There was broad agreement last week among policy makers and corrections to talk about." But that's not quite true. Bill White, former three-term mayor of officials that age at which the criminal courts consider Texans to be adults Houston, wants to talk about federal debt. should be raised to 18. But during a legislative hearing, there was universal agreement that doing so would have a profound impact on county budgets and His new book, "America's Fiscal Constitution: Its Triumph and Collapse," staffing charts. Juvenile justice officials urged lawmakers to work slowly and plucks practical lessons from the nation's five previous spikes in debt - the years phase in the changes over years. following the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I and World War II. After each war, he explains, the country climbed out of its At the same time, members of a separate legislative committee said that after financial hole thanks to Republicans and Democrats committed to balancing the years of reforms, state facilities for the most serious juvenile offenders continue nation's books. to be plagued with problems.

PLEASE SEE THE REST OF THE STORY! PLEASE SEE THE REST OF THE STORY! RAY HUTCHISON, WIFE OF KAY KESHA ROGERS IS DOUBLING BAILEY, DIES AT THR AGE OF 81 DOWN ON IMPEACHING OBAMA Former State Legislator as well–Ross Ramsey, The Texas Tribune Not receiving much traction, though–Ben Kamisar, The Morning News

Dallas attorney Ray Hutchison, a former legislator, gubernatorial candidate and Democratic Senate hopeful Kesha Rogers doubled down on her calls to impeach husband of former U.S. Sen. , died Sunday afternoon, President Barack Obama in an interview taped Friday, as the party establishment friends of the family said Monday morning. He was 81. continues to pull away from her candidacy. Rogers refuted the suggestion that her stance might be unpopular with Democratic voters, whose votes Rogers Elton Ray Hutchison was a state representative from Dallas from 1973 to 1977, needs in the party’s May runoff with Dallas dentist David Alameel. a time when Republicans were rare birds in that body. He became chairman of the Republican Party of Texas in 1976, a job he left to run for governor in 1978. “It is popular with Democrats who recognize that this president is continuing the Bush-Cheney policy, and recognize you have a Wall Street control in the The Republicans elected a governor that year, but it was , who had Democratic Party that must be removed now. Rogers received 22 percent of the defeated Hutchison in the primary. Hutchison met his second wife, then known March primary vote, but forced Alameel into a runoff. The interview was taped as Kay Bailey, in the House, where both were Republican legislators. for the television show Lone Star Politics, a joint program between NBC5 and the Dallas Morning News. PLEASE SEE THE REST OF THE STORY! PLEASE SEE THE REST OF THE STORY! ------GREG ABBOTT UNVEILS HIS HOW THE TEXAS TESTING NEW EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM BUBBLE ENDED UP POPPING Wants to reform Pre-K– Alexa Ura, The Texas Tribune A feature-length story–Jeffrey Weiss, The Dallas Morning News

Announcing the first of his education policy proposals Monday, Republican When Texas public school students start their STAAR tests this week, they’ll gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott called for reforming pre-kindergarten face a far different testing and accountability system than was set at the programs before expanding access, saying that additional funding should be tied beginning of the prior school year. to academic outcomes. Abbott’s plan, which was unveiled in Weslaco, proposes providing an additional $1,500 per student on top of the funding the state For 13 legislative sessions across 34 years, every time Texas passed laws about already provides for half-day pre-K programs if the program meets performance school testing, the numbers and stakes had grown. That ended in 2013, when a requirements set by the state. series of laws passed that not only demanded changes in testing, but also challenged the legitimacy of the test-based accountability system. All without a “Expanding the population of students served by existing state-funded programs single dissenting vote. That enormous shift in attitude is still raising echoes without addressing the quality of existing prekindergarten instruction or how it nationally. And as legislators prepare for the next session, they’re discussing is being delivered would be an act of negligence and waste,” Abbott said. ways to further reduce the number and influence of tests. PLEASE SEE THE REST OF THE STORY! PLEASE SEE THE REST OF THE STORY! THE DAMNED THIRD PAGE GREG ABBOTT IS NOT GOING CENTRIST He is still on the far-right fringe––Noah M. Horwitz, The Daily Texan

The Houston New Post is an exclusive service of Prevailing wisdom on political campaigns dictates that candidates should run to the fringes of their political Texpatriate (www.texpate.com). We strive to bring party in order to appease their base in the primary election. Then, candidates should sway back toward the you the biggest news, from around the State, every middle of the road for the general election in an attempt to court independents and undecided voters. Mitt business day. Articles are property of the individualRomney, the 2012 Republican nominee for President, most notably used this strategy, admittedly to an author and publication, not of the Post. Any opinionsabsurd extreme. expressed are similarly those of only the author. While Texpatriate will offer editorials andHowever, most candidates vying in a competitive election, be it a presidential or state contest, employ this endorsements, the Post will never take sides in anmethod. One notable exception is Greg Abbott, the Texas attorney general and Republican candidate for ongoing dispute or take political positions. governor this November. Abbott does not look to be realigning toward the center in preparation for the general election, in a high-stakes gamble that could either prove disastrous for him or devastating for Presented by: Sophia Arena, Olivia Arena, George Democrats. Bailey, Luis Fayad, Noah M. Horwitz and Andrew Scott Romo PLEASE SEE THE REST OF THE STORY! ------BEST OF THE BLOGS!

BIG JOLLY POLITICS DOS CENTAVOS RHYMES WITH RIGHT “Dewhurst at Pachyderm club” “Luis Lopez for HD132” “The Pratt resignation”

BRAINS & EGGS EYE ON WILLIAMSON TEXPATRIATE “Lone Star roundup” “TPA Roundup” “Horwitz on Dog Laws”

BURNT ORANGE REPORT OFF THE KUFF TEXAS LEFTIST “Perry is OK with Prison Rape” “Ledbetter bill was bipartisan” “Zipcar zooms into Houston” FUTURE AD SPACE THE EDITOR’S RANT ~~~ Noah M. Horwitz Please contact The Houston New Post at (617) 807-0830 for more information about this opportunity. Ads will be generously priced during this introductory period. N/A

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