When the 83rd session of the Texas legislature opens in Austin on Jan. 8, there will be a stark contrast between the ethnic/racial profiles of the Republican and Democratic delegations in the 150-member Texas House of Representatives. The 95-member GOP… Continue Reading
As the Jan. 1, 2013, “fiscal cliff” approaches, one of the most divisive issues in Congress is whether to extend tax credits for wind power that are scheduled to expire at the end of 2012. The political battle lines among… Continue Reading
In the short-term, these initiatives will probably not have a large impact, though over the long-term the effects could significantly weaken Mexico’s cartels. Colorado’s initiative will not go into effect for more than a year because the regulatory framework must be adopted by the state by July 1, 2013, and only in October 2013 can licenses to sell be distributed. On the other hand, Washington’s law goes into effect in January 2013, but it is a more geographically isolated state; it would be easier to drive from Colorado to many other states to distribute Colorado marijuana. This process, which is likely and assumed in IMCO’s report, is the market mechanism that could reduce Mexican cartel profits. Continue Reading
How confident are we that the votes we cast in this year’s presidential election will be counted accurately? This is a standard question researchers ask voters to assess the many different ways we cast and count ballots. We all don’t… Continue Reading
Natural gas seems poised to make dramatic inroads into the transportation sector for long-haul trucks, given a powerful combination of high diesel prices, a company making large investments in building a nationwide network of stations, and major manufacturers eagerly producing the trucks. A widespread shift to natural gas would have a substantial impact on America’s oil consumption; long-haul trucks, i.e., “big rigs” or “18-wheelers,” transport goods all around the country, and they consumed about 1.9 million barrels a day b/d of oil in 2010. Continue Reading
In a highly polarized election season it is surprising and maybe heartening to see that voters of both parties in Harris County have shed some partisan loyalties to vote for candidates of another party than their own. A recent KUHF/KHOU… Continue Reading
The Texas Green Party is running a record number of candidates in 2012. These include statewide candidates for president (Jill Stein), U.S. Senate (David Collins), the Supreme Court of Texas (Charles Waterbury for Place 4 and Jim Chisholm for Place… Continue Reading