Prison Budget Cuts Raise Concerns

Trimming the TDCJ, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, budget is raising concerns over the prison condition, going from good to bad. According a Dallas Morning News article, Texas prisons have been relatively calm in recent years, but riots or brawls have occurred in federal and local facilities over seemingly mundane items such as food, health care or television access.

“Criminal justice experts, inmate advocates and correctional officer representatives say good prison conditions help keep order in the system, and programs that may seem wasteful to some are helpful in inmate rehabilitation.” (Dallas Morning News)

In the long run there will be collateral consequences. The small changes in the meal plans are money savers for the state of Texas according to the Senate, however these changes could be dangerous to correctional officers. Not only is there concern over the conditions of the prison, but also the turnover rate. Some believe the turnover rate for these positions will increase while others see the weak economy making the turnover rate nonexistent.

Education programs are also being slashed in the TDCJ budget. There are concerns over the well being of the inmates diminishing after taking away something that keeps their insanity while in prison. Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said she understands the need for educating inmates, but she wants a more effective school system than the one currently in place. And she can’t justify paying for college for inmates who rarely reimburse the state after release (Dallas Morning News).

All these changes are concerns about the condition of the prison, inmates and staffers. The Senate is adamant about these changes. The correctional system will be tested when these changes come into action. 

-Caroline Cardenas-

Big Cuts for Public Education Across the Board

When it comes to public education in Texas, the two bills to watch out for in the legislature are HB 400 and SB 12. 

The bills would give school districts more control over their budgets, allowing them to increase class sizes, cut employee pay and offer more unpaid furlough days for teachers. Legislators feel that these two bills provide the best compromise between administrators and teachers according to an article from Bloomberg Businessweek.

Others aren’t convinced these methods are the best way to address the situation. Lonnie Hollingsworth, an attorney with the Texas Classroom Teachers Association told the Associated Press that eliminating the state mandated minimum salary for teachers “is the equivalent of swatting a fly with a sledgehammer.”

But Texas isn’t the only state faced with huge budget cuts forcing school districts to layoff teachers and increase class sizes. Other states such as California, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina are also struggling to deal with large budget cuts. 

According to an article from the Florida Courier, legislators in Florida are looking at a $1 billion cut to K-12 funding in the state, one of the largest cuts in its history. Virtual classes, teacher furloughs, layoffs, fewer buses and four day school weeks are just a few of the options Florida lawmakers are considering in order to manage the budget shortfall. 

Students from Tallahassee-area schools wait outside Gov. Rick Scott's office to protests cuts in education.
Photo courtesy of Michael Peltier/News Service of Florida.

In North Carolina, the budget proposed by the GOP calls for double-digit percentage spending cuts for public education according to an article from Bloomberg Businessweek.

The fact is that everyone is experiencing budget cuts this session and education will be taking a big hit. Now the only question that remains is whether the legislatures will use the fly swatter or the sledgehammer to do it.

-Kaitlyn Van Gorkom

Anti-bullying legislation: A personal perspective

My posts to this point have been objective, reporting the issue of anti-bullying legislation from both viewpoints. Now, however, I would like to give my personal perspective on the issue. It is my belief that strict anti-bullying legislation is essential to schools in Texas and around the country. I understand many parents feel it is their right to guide their children morally and ethically. But no one agrees with bullying, and I believe schools adopting stricter anti-bullying policies will help educate and prevent bullying from happening or going too far. When Joel Burns visited our class, he told us 19 suicides happen a day on average. Eleven of those are college age or younger. Four or five are within the LGBT community. The Texas School Safety Center reported four bully-related suicides of Texas students since the 2009 Texas Legislative Session. As a LGBT advocate, it is a shame so many LGBT youth commit suicide, and most because of bullying. And it is the teacher and school’s responsibility to stop this behavior in schools.

Texas Legislation Tracker

Equality Texas reported recently the progression of HB 1942 by Rep. Diane Patrick, which has been placed on the House General State Calendar for Monday, May 2nd. This is not a bill I began tracking in January, but it has made progress in the Texas Legislature. Equality Texas is urging people to contact their representatives to push for this bill’s passage, claiming that time is running out. There has not been any progress on the bills I am tracking since my last post, except for SB 205. It passed the Senate on April 26, 2011, with a vote of 29 yeas and 2 nays.

 

 

Rep. Diane Patrick, District 94 

Picture from:  http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/?district=94

-Michael Dabbs

People ask, “Is Secondhand smoke really that risky?”

Dr. Otis Brawley, the chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, answers the question that many people ask: “Is secondhand smoke really that risky?” In the CNNHealth expert doctor report, Dr. Brawley says, “Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, heart and lung disease in non-smokers” (CNNHealth Expert Report). He explains that tobacco smoke is filled with chemicals such as benzene, nicotine, and carbon monoxide. Benzene is known to cause leukemia. He says that secondhand smoke is responsible for an estimated 5,000-10,000 lung cancer deaths and 40,000 heart disease deaths in the US each year. He also points out an analysis of 25 studies that showed that non-smokers who work in a smoke-environment were 20% more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers who worked in smoke free environments. That statistic should be enough to pass a smoking ban through legislation (CNNHealth Expert Report). Read the entire report

The Bills are still pending in the House and the Senate, but the co-chariman of the Texas Smoke Free coalition remains optimistic saying, “We are already six weeks ahead of schedule” on April 8, 2011 (Austin Business Journal).

A week ago Lance Armstrong of Livestrong was interview by Texas Tribute about Smoke Free in the Texas Legislature. They discuss the issues and arguments against the smoke free bills, which seem to be a slim category with little rational opposition to the bills.




-Jennifer Neel

SB 18 Unanimously Passes the House, Sent to Senate Floor

The Texas House of Representatives unanimously passed Senate bill 18, a.k.a. the eminent domain bill, that would limit the state's power to take or condemn private property for public use.

The Senate previously passed legislation in March, but the House made changes to tweak the bill.

Most notably, the House changed the provision drafted by the Senate that stated that landowners could buy back land after 10 years if the property was not being used for the planned purpose, taking out an allotted time period.  Also, the land may be repurchased at original value or market value based on whichever price is less.

While SB 18 would greatly improve property owner rights, but some believe that there are still far too many exemptions that would allow government to claim private property.

"Powerful special interests such as oil pipeline operators ensured that the bill did not apply to them . . . I do find it fascinating that the Republican majority's commitment to individual rights stops cold when it conflicts with the wish list of a favored industry," said Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, who voted for the bill despite some disagreement.

The bill will now be sent back to the Senate to ponder and vote on the proposed amendments.

SB 18 seems to be on the fast track to being passed through the legislature.  Gov. Perry has been trying to get such an eminent domain bill since 2007, and based on him declaring eminent domain as an emergency issue for the 2011 Legislative Session, it is inevitable that SB 18 will be signed into law.

Source:

www.statesman.com - Tim Eaton

- Michael Levy 

Commercial Breeding: Life in a cage

H.B. 1251

Large scale breeding facilities are a major problem in Texas, and the problem is only getting worse. Hundreds of commercial breeders operating in Texas, run their facilities entirely overlooked by the state, creating a devastating atmosphere for the thousands of dogs and cats bred each season. With other states such as Missouri and Oklahoma passing legislation for the protection of animals within these facilities, Texas could quickly become a magnet for some of the worst operators who will choose to move to a less-regulated and restrictive state to continue operating their sub-standard facilities without fear of being penalized.

The passing of the Large Scale Commercial Breeder Bill will ensure the humane care and treatment of dogs and cats in the custody of large scale commercial breeders.

This bill will:

o Require Commercial breeders to obtain a license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation(TDLR)
o Will allow TDLR to conduct annual inspections on all facilities
o Require adequate wholesome food and clean water for dogs and cats in the facilities.
o Will provide confined dogs and cats enough space to sit, stand, and turn around in a normal, easy manner.
o It will require proper ventilation and lighting for animals confined indoors.
o Will ensure adequate sanitary conditions within the living spaces
o Require proper handling, treatment and veterinary care for all animals living in the facility.

The bill will only apply to those categorized as “commercial breeders”, which is defined as persons or entities which have possession of 11 or more adult female dogs or cats and are engaged in the business of breeding those animals and selling their offspring. Pet stores selling dogs and cats, as well as small breeders (those having 10 or less female dogs or cats) will not be affected by the passing of this bill.

The bill is supported by a large group of animal protection organizations and is supported by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA). The TVMA was in opposition of a bill very similar to this one last session; however they feel as though this bill is fair and necessary. In addition to these contributors, both the Democratic and Republican parties have endorsed this legislation.

Courtney Collings


Sources:

http://thln.org/

http://www.aspca.org/

Anti-bullying efforts: A global perspective

As anti-bullying bills move through the current legislative process in Texas, it would be beneficial to investigate the issue from a global perspective. Other countries have called for change to their anti-bullying legislation, particularly Great Britain.  According to this September 2009 BBC article, many lawyers and charities claim teachers are not being held accountable for bullying in their classrooms and anti-bullying guidelines should be strengthened.  The Anti-Bullying Alliance is an advocacy organization in Great Britain working with schools to create anti-bullying action plans and educational programs. 

Relevant to the issue of school bullying in the broadest sense is the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted by the UN in 1989.  Though conventions are only binding to Member States that sign and ratify them, this convention entered force more quickly and received more ratifying votes than any UN human rights treaty.  The United States was heavily involved in passing this treaty and has signed it, but has not currently ratified it.  Article 29 of the treaty states, “Education should develop each child’s personality and traits to the full.  It should encourage children to respect their parents, and their own and other cultures.”  And Comment No. 1 to the CRC states, “A school which allows bullying or other violent and exclusionary practices to occur is not one which meets the requirements of Article 29 (1)."

Texas Legislation Tracker

There has not been much progress on the bills I am tracking except for SB 205, authored by Whitmore and co-authored by Davis.  It is out of committee and placed on the intent calendar.  There has been no recent movement on SB 245 by Davis.  All of the bills along with their progress are listed below:

• 82(R) HB 224-read first time, referred to the Public Education Committee, testimony taken, and left pending in committee.

• 82(R) SB 245-read first time and referred to the Education Committee.

• 82(R) HB 24-read first time, referred to the Public Education Committee, testimony taken, and left pending in committee.

• 82(R) HB 130-read first time, referred to the Human Services Committee, testimony taken, and left pending in committee.

• 82(R) HB 170-read first time, referred to the Public Education Committee, testimony taken, and left pending in committee.

• 82(R) SB 42-read first time, referred to the Education Committee, testimony taken, and left pending in committee.

• 82(R) SB 205-read first time, referred to the Education Committee, testimony taken, considered in public hearing, reported favorably as substituted (7 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent), co-author authorized (Davis), and placed on the intent calendar. 

• 82(R) SB 242-read first time and referred to the Education Committee, testimony taken, and left pending in committee.

-Michael Dabbs