David Martin Davies

Texas lawmakers are looking to save Texas state parks from closing down by making sure that taxpayer funds intended for state parks get there. 

When you go to a sporting goods store and buy a canoe there is a little tax that supports the Texas park system, since a person would be likely to enjoy paddling that canoe on Texas state waterways.

Over the years the state diverted that park tax money and held it in order to balance the state budget on paper.

In the current state budget, $184 million pegged for parks was diverted to help balance the overall budget.

There is still speculation that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will run for President in 2016, but if she does decide to pursue the White House, a new poll finds that she would win in Texas.

No Democrat has been able to claim the electoral votes of Texas since Jimmy Carter squeaked out a victory over Gerald Ford in 1976, but according to the data gathered by Public Policy Polling, Hillary Clinton would win in Texas if that election was held today.

The organizers of the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon had thought they fixed their hot weather issues when they moved the race date from November to December.

Now they are racing to return date back to November after a contract dispute with the Dallas Marathon which would have been run on the same date. This is the second time the footrace organizers have moved the date of the popular running event.

The Rock and Roll Marathon has been running the streets of San Antonio for the last five years and has been transformational for the city’s get-fit efforts.

Governor Rick Perry addressed the State Board of Education on Friday, urging the education leaders to expand technical classes and charter schools.

During his State-of-the-State address earlier in the week, Perry trumpeted evidence of improvements in public education and did so again when speaking to the State Board of Education.

Texas Matters: Gov. Rick Perry uses the State-of-the-State address to propose giving tax breaks, but should the state use the extra money to restore education funding instead? A new poll shows that a majority of Texans disapprove of the job he is doing and 62 percent think he should not run for re-election. Since he is a primary torch-bearer for the conservatives in the state, what will he do next?

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro is frequently mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for governor or other statewide elected office, but a new poll shows that Texas voters still aren’t ready to vote for Castro. 

The Source: The incredible story of St. Philips College is now documented in a new book, and believe it or not, pool season is just around the corner and the parks department is already recruiting lifeguards.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking for public comment about granting federal protection for new salamander species in Central Texas.

Protecting these little guys it’s going to cost about $29 million in economic impact over the next 23 years.

Texas Matters: Governor Perry continues to say he will not expand Medicaid in Texas with federal funds as several Republican governors now say they will. A new study looks at the reality of job creators. A Beaumont attorney files a class-action lawsuit against pornography sites that host "revenge porn"; explicit photos and videos of women posted by ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands. Finally, what will it take to turn Texas Democrat blue?