Tag: Paul Bettencourt

Houston Matters

Houston Matters Highlights Conversations About Solving the City’s Pension Problems

Posted on · During this fundraising week, Houston Matters is highlighting coverage of a number of important issues and developments that we've felt compelled to revisit a number of times over the course of the last year, like campus carry, the state of the oil and gas industry and efforts to mitigate traffic. Today, though, we turn our […]

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Pension Conversations & the Evolution of the Passing Game in Football: Friday’s Show (October 14, 2016)

Posted on · During this fundraising week, Houston Matters is highlighting coverage of a number of important issues and developments that we’ve felt compelled to revisit a number of times over the course of the last year, like campus carry, the state of the oil and gas industry and efforts to mitigate traffic. Today, though, we turn our […]

Houston Matters

New Rules Regarding Fetal Remains — Are They About Dignity or Discouraging Women from Getting Abortions?

Posted on · New rules proposed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state's Health and Human Services Commission would change the way fetal tissue is disposed of after medical procedures like abortions, requiring burials or cremation instead of long-standing procedures allowing disposal in sanitary landfills. But it would also apply to miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies terminated in […]

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Fetal Disposal, Oil and Gas Layoffs, and Blended Families: Thursday’s Show (August 18, 2016)

Posted on · New rules proposed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state’s Health and Human Services Commission would change the way fetal tissue is disposed of after medical procedures like abortions, requiring burials or cremation instead of long-standing procedures allowing disposal in sanitary landfills. But it would also apply to miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies terminated in […]

Houston Matters

Dueling Visions On How to Solve Houston’s Pension Problems

Posted on · Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has thus far insisted that however the city's pension woes are resolved won't include changing from a defined benefits to a defined compensation system. We explore the differences between the two structures. We also consider what each means for city employees and why the mayor and the city's three pension boards […]

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Dueling Visions for Houston’s Pensions: Tuesday’s Show (June 28, 2016)

Posted on · Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has thus far insisted that however the city's pension woes are resolved won't include changing from a defined benefits to a defined compensation system. On this edition of Houston Matters, we explore the differences between the two structures. We also consider what each means for city employees and why the mayor […]

Houston Matters

What Do Your Property Taxes Pay for and What Reforms Might Be on the Way?

Posted on · You've probably received your property tax estimate, and perhaps you’ve disputed the amount. We talk with Scott Hochberg, a former state representative who served on the public education committee, about what your taxes pay for when it comes to schools. And we also speak with State Sen. Paul Bettencourt about the recent legislative changes to […]

Houston Matters

Flush with Revenue, Should Texas Cut Property Taxes or Pay for Long-Overdue Projects?

Posted on · Tyler Republican State Sen. Kevin Eltife is working to build support for a combination of bills he believes will provide both a property tax cut and set a path to spend money on deferred road maintenance and paying off some pension liabilities, among other state needs. Eltife argues that while the state is unusually flush […]

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Property Tax Cuts, Parks, and ‘Once’ on Stage: Tuesday’s Show (March 10, 2015)

Posted on ·   Tyler Republican State Sen. Kevin Eltife is working to build support for a combination of bills he believes will provide both a property tax cut and set a path to spend money on deferred road maintenance and paying off some pension liabilities, among other state needs. Eltife argues that while the state is unusually […]