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Just When I Thought Texas Politics Couldn’t Get Any Dumber
Posted by Nick Anthis on March 23, 2009 What can I even say about this? From the Austin American-Statesman: At a hearing Thursday of the House Committee on Human Services, [Texas State Representative Gary] Elkins and other members of the panel considered more than two dozen bills related to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Three hours into the hearing, Elkins asked:…
Science Education Is Under Attack in the State of Texas (Again)
Posted by Nick Anthis on March 9, 2009 What else is new? Via Greg Laden comes news that creationists are once again mucking about with Texas’ education standards. The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) explains just what’s at stake: A number of amendments to the science TEKS were passed at the January 2009 meeting. Here is a brief analysis of these amendments,…
An Evolution Fight Brewing in Texas
Posted by Nick Anthis on July 7, 2008 I guess this just goes to show how out of touch I am with things going on in Texas after being gone for almost three years. I didn’t know until I saw it on a ScienceBlogs homepage buzz that Chris Comer–who was forced out of her job as the Texas Education Agency’s director of science…
A VP Candidate From the Heart of Texas?
Posted by Nick Anthis on June 26, 2008 When my girlfriend told me that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had suggested that Barack Obama choose Chet Edwards–my former (and George W. Bush’s current) congressman–as his running mate, I thought she was pulling my leg. But, she was serious, and–as usual–she was right. Here’s the video from Newsweek (although you can watch commercial-free…
Yes, the Voting Rights Act Is Still Relevant
Posted by Nick Anthis on May 31, 2008 From today’s New York Times: WASHINGTON — A special three-judge court ruled Friday that Congress acted constitutionally when it extended the law requiring sections of the country with a history of racial discrimination to get federal approval for any changes in voting procedures. The unanimous decision upheld a central provision of the Voting Rights Act,…
Texas Republicans Suppress Black Student Voters
Posted by Nick Anthis on May 28, 2008 When I was a student at Texas A&M University and active in politics there, I spent a lot of time on voter registration. Much of this effort was devoted to the community outside of the university, but my primary focus was on students at the university. And, although some people would contend that college students…
Barack Obama Receives Key Endorsement from the Heart of Texas
Posted by Nick Anthis on February 22, 2008 Two weeks before what could be a decisive Texas primary, Barack Obama picked up the endorsement Monday of Congressman Chet Edwards, whose district includes Texas A&M University, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, and George W. Bush’s Crawford ranch. I’m not going to go so far as to say that I called this one, but…
String of Obama Victories Portends a Strong Performance in the General Election
Posted by Nick Anthis on February 13, 2008 Yesterday, Barack Obama won all three contests (Maryland, Virginia, and DC) in the “Potomac Primary”, all by sizable margins. This means that he has won all eight contests that have occurred since Super Tuesday. He now leads the delegate race–even when superdelegates are included–and he maintains an incredible amount of momentum going into the February…
Elsa Murano to Become New President of Texas A&M University
Posted by Nick Anthis on December 9, 2007 Almost a year after Robert Gates left his post as President of Texas A&M University to become Secretary of Defense, the A&M Board of Regents has announced a successor: Elsa Murano, who since 2005 has served as Vice Chancellor of Agriculture for the Texas A&M System and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life…
An Open Letter to Texas Regarding the Forced Resignation of Chris Comer
Posted by Nick Anthis on November 29, 2007 Dear Texas, Let me first of all say that despite our differences, I still consider you my home, even if I only get to visit a couple of times a year these days. Friends, family, football: you have it all for me. And, as I watched it get dark here in Oxford around 4 pm…