News

A Texas lawmaker his filed a bill that would completely revamp the structure of the State Board of Education.

Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said she filed House Bill 906 in order to change how the State Board of Education members are elected because of what she calls some "glaring defects."

San Antonio business leaders have returned home optimistic after a week-long lobbying trip to Washington.

Business leaders, along with officials from the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, target certain projects and issues every year as Congress starts looking at new legislation.

Each week on World Music (Saturday nights from 8-10 on KSTX 89.1 FM), I take a look at festivals happening around the world along with the music of the cultures they represent. This week, we’re ridding the land of evil spirits in Japan, and celebrating St. Joseph in Spain.  

LAS FALLAS

Unemployment figures released Friday had bad news and good news for Texas. 

The good news is that over the past year, unemployment in the state has declined almost a full percentage point and remains below the national rate of 7.9 percent for January.

The bad news is that unemployment rose slightly in Texas for the month of January to 6.3 percent; prior to January, the jobless rate had been declining for six months.

Last year San Antonio Police reported that dozens of people were struck and killed crossing busy roadways. As a result, Police Chief William McManus instituted stricter jaywalking policies.

However, people continued illegally crossing the street, and one area where it kept happening was on Fredericksburg Road, which sees more than 16,000 cars each day.

There’s a mounting effort at the Capitol in Austin to try to find a way to do something about Medicaid, the joint state and federal health program for children, the disabled and the very low income.

Early in the week there were rumors that the House GOP caucus was going to vote in favor of expanding Medicaid in line with the Affordable Care Act.

State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, is hoping to changing the way the Lower Colorado River Authority does business.  She has authored a set of bills -- HB 585 and HB 635 -- which would submit the LCRA's operations and its board members before the Sunset Advisory Commission.