Members of the Texas Legislature enjoyed just a short break between when the busy 81st Legislative Session wrapped up in June and when House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst released the list of interim committee charges for the House in November and for the Senate in January.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 61 No. 1 | Winter 2010
81st Texas Legislature: The PostmortumAfter five months, many long hours, some crafty maneuvering and an end-of-session meltdown, family medicine has emerged from the 81st Legislature with high marks.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 60 No. 3 | Summer 2009
Under the domeA mid-session progress report on the 81st Legislature.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 60 No. 1 | Spring 2009
Favorable political climate during the interim good indication for next sessionThe interim between sessions provides time to strategize.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 59 No. 4 | Fall 2008
Texas Sunset Advisory Commission hears testimony on inadequacy of state oversight of health insuranceTexans need a healthy insurance marketplace that balances the needs of consumers and industry.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 59 No. 3 | Summer 2008
TAFP takes advocacy to a new level with webcastsBuilding on the innovation and popularity of the Capitol Report news webcast, which brought news from the 80th Legislative Session straight to TAFP members and other audiences, TAFP unveiled two new webvideo projects—a new advocacy series in November, Academy in Action, and a set of candidate endorsement videos in January.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 59 No. 1 | Winter 2008
According to the settlement of Frew v. Hawkins, the state must fulfill its obligations under a consent decree and a set of corrective orders. What will these changes mean for your practice and your patients?
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 58 No. 4 | Fall 2007
80th Lege ends in tumult, just like it beganMemorial Day marked the close of the 80th Texas Legislature, and a raucous end it was. Just as the session began with a hotly contested Speaker’s race, so it ended with Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, struggling to maintain his leadership position.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 58 No. 3 | Summer 2007
GET SMART: Simplifying patient eligibility and benefits info with HB 522A bill passed during the 80th Legislative Session aims to simplify the process for physicians to access patients’ insurance coverage information.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 58 No. 3 | Summer 2007
Family medicine under the dome: Report from the 80th LegislatureAs the opening of the 80th Legislature approached, the fact that this would be a particularly strange session became ever more apparent. A struggle erupted in the House as Republicans and Democrats jockeyed for position in a hotly contested race for Speaker, a rarity in state history.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 58 No. 2 | Spring 2007
Honey, I shrunk the budget surplusShortly before the 80th Texas Legislature convened in January, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs announced that legislators would face the largest budget surplus in Texas history—$14.3 billion in new revenue and $82.5 billion in overall available general revenue—to spend over the next two years.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 58 No. 1 | Winter 2007
Taxes, budget cuts and Texas’ biennial mud-slinging contestAfter five special sessions in two years, the Texas Legislature finally approved Gov. Rick Perry’s plan to revamp Texas’ antiquated school finance system by reducing local school property taxes and replacing them with a new business tax and a $1 increase in the cigarette tax.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 57 No. 3 | Summer 2006
The Taxman ComethNot only is April the month when federal income taxes come due, but April 17 marked the date the Legislature re-convened for yet another special session on public school finance.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 57 No. 2 | Spring 2006
It's Back to School for the LegeNow that the Texas Supreme Court set a deadline for the creation of a new funding scheme for the state’s public schools, it’s just a matter of time before the Texas Legislature will be back in Special Session and physicians will find themselves arguing against a slew of tax proposals.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 57 No. 1 | Winter 2006
The Good, the Bad and the UglyThis time around, legislators chose to first, do no harm — or much of anything else for that matter.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 56 No. 3 | Summer 2005
Race to the FinishMost seasoned political observers describe Texas’ 140-day biennial legislative session as a marathon — starting with a slow, steady, measured pace and building to a frantic sprint in May as lawmakers try to push their legislation across the finish line to become law. This, however, is not a typical legislative session.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 56 No. 2 | Spring 2005
A Taxing ProblemIt’s back to school for the Texas Legislature. Lawmakers have until October to come up with a new method for financing elementary and secondary education, and proposals for new taxes on business are being collected at the front of the classroom. And that’s just one challenge in store for family medicine this session.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 56 No. 1 | Winter 2005
Looking AheadAcademy sets priorities for next Texas Legislature
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 55 No. 4 | Fall 2004
If at First you Don't Suceed, Try, Try AgainOn April 20, Gov. Rick Perry summoned the Texas Legislature to Austin to try and fix the state’s troubled school funding system, but despite their best efforts, the legislators were unable to come up with a
viable plan.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 55 No. 3 | Summer 2004
March Madness in AustinSo what does college basketball have to do with Texas politics?
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 55 No. 2 | Spring 2004
In the Interim...So that’s what they do when they’re not in session
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 55 No. 1 | Winter 2004
The Thrill of Victory, The Agony of KnowingWhat's Left to Do
Heavily outspent by the trial lawyers, Prop 12 was pounded on the airwaves across Texas with an aggressive misinformation campaign designed to confuse voters on the amendment’s purpose.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 54 No. 4 | Fall 2003
The Budget BluesClear skies over Austin? For health care issues at the Capitol, the forecast is stormy.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 54 No. 2 | Spring 2003
Gearing up for number 78Tort reform is top concern as TAFP prepares for legislative session
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 53 No. 4 | Fall 2002
Stormy WeatherMedicine could be in for a rough ride when the Texas Legislature reconvenes in January
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 53 No. 3 | Summer 2002
Prescription for ChangeNew prescribing rules, liability insurance plus other interim issues
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 53 No. 2 | Spring 2002
The Year that was and the Year to ComeThe passing of the holidays always gives us an opportunity to reflect on the past year and focus on the challenges facing us in the next.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 53 No. 1 | Winter 2002
The Making of a Perfect StormLegislative turnover and a host of interim studies means trouble could be brewing at the Capitol
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 52 No. 4 | Fall 2001
77th Texas Legislature Comes to a CloseSeveral TAFP-backed health initiatives pass with bipartisan support
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 52 No. 3 | Summer 2001
Anatomy of a Train WreckMusical Chairs, Medicaid Mishaps, Redistricting Keep Legislature Busy
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 52 No. 2 | Spring 2001
Session BeginsWith redistricting on the agenda and razor-thin margins in both the House and the Senate, this session promises to be one of the most partisan in recent memory.
posted in Texas Family Physician Online Vol. 52 No. 1 | Winter 2001
TAFP and its partners in the Primary Care Coalition released a report containing recommendations for an efficient, high-quality health care system.