Texas
State Government
Governor
Greg Abbott (R)
State Senate
12
Democrats,
19
Republicans
State House
64
Democrats,
86
Republicans
Economic well-being - Texas
Extreme poverty rate
0.08
Food insecurity
0.176
Minimum wage
7.25
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.313
Poverty rate
13.4%
Unemployment rate
4.1
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
16.7
Poverty by demographic - Texas
Child poverty rate
0.18
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
79000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
463000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
1915000
Senior poverty rate
12.3 %
Women in poverty
15,455,699
The New York Times, April 10, 2013: Texas Considers Backtracking on Testing
"What we all know is when you leave it up to kids and schools, the poor kids and kids of color will be disproportionately not in the curriculum that could make the most difference for them,' said Kati Haycock, president of the Education Trust, a nonprofit group that advocates for racial minorities and low-income children."
The Washington Post, April 07, 2013: (Editorial) Texas's graduation requirements miss the mark
"If enacted, the measures promise to have a particularly pernicious effect on students from low-income families without college-educated parents. The National Council of La Raza and the Education Trust, advocates for poor and minority students, have labeled the proposed changes a retreat from progress' that would take Texas back to the bad old days of pervasive tracking.'"
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 30, 2013: (Op-Ed) Texas poised to go backward on education standards
"Low-income and minority students are thriving in the current system, making bigger gains than any other groups in graduating career- and college-ready. Can we do better? Yes, but we should not replace a system that is moving us in the direction we want to go with a system that will throw us in the wrong direction."
Austin American-Statesman, March 25, 2013: Low-income senior housing proposed for Pflugerville
"Houston developer J. Steve Ford wants to build the Hills of Pflugerville on six acres in the Falcon Pointe subdivision, which is under construction. The 117-unit development would be available for people 55 years old or older who earn up to 60 percent of the area's median family income."
The New York Times, March 21, 2013: Special-Education Programs Steel Themselves as Cuts Loom
"The Texas Education Agency estimates that for next fiscal year, up to $51 million in federal money could be slashed from special-education programs and $65.4 million from Title I, a federal initiative that aids low-income students, along with cuts to teacher professional development, career-technical programs and English language acquisition classes."
Austin American-Statesman, March 10, 2013: Career education plan stirs fear of minority 'tracking'
"Not so long ago, some Texas public schools had a bad habit of channeling minority high school students into bricklaying and cosmetology rather than preparing them for college. Lingering memories of those days are fresh on the minds of the many Latino and African-American state leaders who are uneasy with current legislative efforts to loosen Texas' high school graduation standards so that students can pursue more career training."