State school board hikes graduation requirements
Capital Highlights A summary of the week's significant events in Austin
Ed Sterling

A USTIN - The requirements for high school students entering two upgraded graduation programs

next fall just got a little bit harder. The State Board of Education increased the number of math and science credits and the total number of course credits students must earn under the recommended high school program and the distinguished achievement program. Students now will need 26 credits, up from the current 24.

The new stricter requirements were spelled out in HB 1 but neither the legislation nor the new board rule affect the minimum graduation program, which requires 22 credits. Under that plan, students must earn at least three credits in math and two in science.

Appraisal group wraps up

The Texas Appraisal Tax Reform Commission held its final public hearing Nov. 21 in Austin to address "sky rocketing" appraisal values and concerns with the current appraisal tax system, chairman Tom Pauken said.

Pauken said the commission's goal is a system that provides oversight with responsibility while lowering the dependency on property tax.

Representatives from builder groups, Realtors and other businesses, as well as taxpayers, spoke at the final hearing.

Bill Hammond of the Texas Association of Business said the business community was providing its fair share of taxes, and opposed gross receipt taxes.

Bill Allaway with Texas Taxpayers and Research Association voiced the need to focus on market value for property tax, truthfulness in taxation, a percentage-based system and a long-term study.

The commission, appointed by Gov. Rick Perry, hopes to make a recommendation to the Legislature by the end of the year.

State to privatize IT services

The Department of Information Resources signed a nearly $1 billion contract with IBM Corp. to take over the information technology departments in at least 27 state agencies.

The Texas State Employees Union earlier had asked lawmakers to delay the contract after expressing concerns over two other IT contracts at the Health and Human Services Commission.

The consolidation is part of HB 1516, which calls for a massive restructuring of the state's information technology system.

IBM already holds a state contract awarded last March to design, develop, operate and manage the state e-mail system.

Lawmakers seek coal plant delay

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is asking state officials to halt the fast-track approval of seven of 18 proposed coal-fired power plants across the state.

The group wants more research done on the plants' impact on local communities and air quality.

The letter was circulated by Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, and signed by 25 other legislators.

CD-23 election set Dec. 12

Perry set Dec. 12 as the special election runoff date for Congressional District 23. In the general election Nov. 7, U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla received 48.6 percent and Ciro D. Rodriguez earned 19.87 percent of the vote. The district stretches from San Antonio to El Paso.

Two Latino groups opposed the date, the earliest date that could be called, saying it was an attempt to dilute Hispanic voting rights because Dec. 12 is the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and Latin America.

But the secretary of state's office said any later date would run into the Christmas holidays.

Former SA legislator dies in fire Former Sen. Frank Madla died in a fire at his San Antonio home Nov. 24.

Madla, 69, served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1973-92 and in the Texas Senate from 1993 until May when he resigned after being defeated in the March Democratic primary for his District 13 seat.

Madla's mother-in-law Mary Cruz also died in the fire and his 5-year-old granddaughter, Aleena Jimenez, later died at a local hospital, according to the San Antonio Express-News. His wife, Helen, was still hospitalized in stable condition as of Monday.

Ed Sterling is director of member services for the Texas Press Association in Austin.