Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Speaker Joe Straus have named Ursula Parks acting director of the Legislative Budget Board and asked her for an immediate review of the agency’s efficiency and the budget process’ transparency. Parks has been with the LBB since 1994 and recently served as deputy director of the agency.
If you are looking for easy to find facts and figures on public education in Texas, your search just became a little tougher. As a result of last session’s budget cuts, the Texas Education Agency has stopped producing the Pocket Edition, an annual pocket-sized pamphlet containing facts about public school finance, state enrollment figures and other demographics. Snapshot, which provided district-level details, has also been eliminated by the agency.
On your next visit to the Texas Capitol grounds, stop by the south lawn and take a look at the newest addition – the Tejano Monument. The new sculpture by artist Armando Hinojosa of Laredo is a tribute to Texas’ early Spanish and Mexican explorers, settlers and their descendants.
Here is an interesting tidbit to share with your friends and family. According to the Gallup polling organization, Texas is the 11th most religious state in the country. Mississippi took the number one spot.