This Week in Texas: February 29, 2012

Posted February 29, 2012 in The Mignon Memo

Redistricting update: We have maps for Texas.  Yesterday afternoon, the federal court in San Antonio released interim redistricting maps for the Texas House, Texas Senate and Texas Congressional districts.  If there are no successful appeals to a
higher court, these maps will be used for this election cycle, allowing the Texas primary to take place May 29th.  The court did not issue a specific primary date in its orders yesterday but the May date was discussed during the last court hearing. Watch for more analysis of the partisan breakdown of the maps in next week’s memo. The maps themselves can be accessed through the Texas
Legislative Council’s website http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/redist/redist.htm

Dr. James Hallmark has been named acting vice chancellor for academic affairs of the Texas A&M University System. Hallmark was recommended to the chancellor by a 10-member search committee comprised of faculty and administrators from throughout the A&M System to fill the vacant position.  Hallmark currently serves as provost/vice president for academic affairs at West Texas A&M University, a position he has held since 2008.

There are now five school finance lawsuits against the state.  Last week, Texans for Real Efficiency and Equity in Education, a group of concerned parents, challenged the state’s method of financing from the standpoint of how state funds are being spent.  It does not allege that the state needs to increase funding.  Instead it focuses on the efficiency of the spending of current funds.