Texas Tribune 6/28/12

Texans Reacts to Health Care Ruling

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State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston: "I am extremely thankful that the U.S. Supreme Court did the right thing and upheld the Affordable Care Act. While not perfect, this law was passed overwhelmingly by both chambers of Congress after months of deliberation and was supported by virtually every major health organization in the nation. It is the greatest step toward universal access to affordable health care since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid, and it will help millions of uninsured Americans receive the care they need and deserve. People may disagree on the law, but one fact is indisputable - many people have and will benefit from the Affordable Care Act."

State Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston: “I am extremely proud that the PPACA has been given the go ahead by the Justices. This legislation is not only long overdue, but Republicans need to realize now that this is a critical step to ensure Americans can continue working, continue goingto school, and continue making America and Texas prosperous. Without basic healthcare, the livelihood of many is in jeopardy.”

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Lance Armstrong Foundation President and CEO Doug Ulman: “Today, cancer survivors throughout the U.S. are celebrating. The Supreme Court ruling means they will retain protection from insurance discrimination for pre-existing conditions. Parents of young cancer survivors will continue covering their kids on their insurance until they are 26. Life-saving preventive services, like breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings, will be covered with no co-pays or deductibles. The Affordable Care Act’s life-saving measures, so critical to cancer survivors and their families, will be preserved and we are enormously relieved that justice has prevailed.”

Texas Democratic Party spokeswoman Rebecca Acuña: “Today’s Supreme Court decision is a victory for Texans. The health care law is the only lifeline for many Texans and Americans who had nowhere to turn when they got sick. Women can celebrate that their gender is no longer considered a pre-existing condition. Texans can have the peace of mind that they won’t be shoved off their policies when they need it most. Republicans like Rick Perry railed against the health care law but never offered a plan that would help save lives. Instead Texas Republicans put government between a woman and her doctor and ended preventive care for thousands of Texas women."

Texas Tribune 6/13/12
Interactive: Early Vote vs. Election Day Primary Turnout

The state's big urban counties were split between early and election day voters. But there were wide differences across the state. These interactive maps show where Texas voters tended to show up early and where they waited until May 29. Overall, Democrats were more likely to vote early; 51.6 percent cast their ballots during early voting. Most Republicans — 52 percent — waited until election day to vote.

Bexar, El Paso, Collin, Hidalgo, Fort Bend and Denton were the biggest counties where early voters made up more than half of the combined primary electorate. But in some of the biggest counties in the state — Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Travis — the majority of voters waited for May 29 to cast their votes.

San Antonio News Express 6/10/12
Texas prepares for court over voter ID law


WASHINGTON — Texas is preparing for a legal showdown next month in federal court over a new voter photo ID law passed by the Legislature.

The law was blocked by the Justice Department over claims that it discriminates against minority voters.

“We objected to a photo ID requirement in Texas because it would have had a disproportionate impact on Hispanic voters,” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder explained to a conference of black clergy in a speech about the continued need of protections under the Voting Rights Act.

Despite legal maneuvering by Texas and Justice Department lawyers, a three-judge U.S. District Court panel has cleared the docket for a July 9 trial. And it remains questionable whether the new law can be implemented in Texas by the November general election.

Houston Chronicle 6/4/12

Watch out for voter registration cancellations


Walter Pinkston, a Friendswood retiree and faithful Harris County voter, got a letter in late March asking his family to confirm that he was dead - which he was not - and warning that he was about to be purged from Texas voter rolls.

Retired Houston Baptist University Professor Trilla Pando received a similar notice of her death from voter registration officials in 2010.

Even Sylvia Garcia, a former Harris County commissioner, got suspended - not because anyone thought she was dead - but because county officials questioned the validity of a P.O. Box the Houston native had used on her voting card for years.

More than 300,000 valid voters were notified they could be removed from Texas rolls from November 2008 to November 2010 - often because they were mistaken for someone else or failed to receive or respond to generic form letters, according to Houston Chronicle interviews and analysis of voter registration data.

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"How can you suspend someone without notice? To me we should be actively engaging people - we should not be adding any barrier to vote," said Garcia, who works to boost voter participation of Hispanics nationwide as president of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

The Burnet Bulletin 5/31/12

GOP’s Rogers faces felony assault charge

Johnnie B. Rogers, a member of the Texas Republican party’s executive committee from Burnet County, has been charged with third degree felony assault following an election night altercation with a reporter for the Burnet Bulletin.

Rogers turned himself in Friday morning at the Burnet County jail, where he was booked on the third degree felony and release on a $5,000 cash bond, set by Marble Falls Municipal Judge Cheryl Pounds.

Burnet Police Chief Paul Nelson explained that state law automatically classifies cases of assault involving a victim 65-years-old or more as felony crimes, punishable by 2-10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. James Walker, the newspaper’s community editor, is 65.