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Week of Oct. 5-11, 2015

Governor requests border help from Washington

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Sept. 30 wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, requesting immediate action to address “the significant increase of illegal border crossings.”

Nearly 10,000 immigrant families and unaccompanied children were detained after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in August, an increase of more than 50 percent over August 2014, Abbott said, quoting official reports.

Abbott mentioned the strain on state coffers and urged the immediate input of federal assistance to:

• Assign 250 more U.S. Border Patrol agents to Texas;

• Provide five more tethered surveillance blimps to watch for cross-border smuggling activity;

• Provide a list of conditions under which individuals would be released to relatives or to private organizations in Texas communities; and

• Continue supporting the working relationship of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Justice and the State of Texas in maintaining the capabilities of two detention centers in Texas.

Medicaid cuts explained

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, cosigned a letter dated Sept. 30 to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to emphasize the Texas Legislature’s decision to cut Medicaid therapy costs from the current budget.

Patrick and Nelson followed up their letter with a clarifying statement, saying: “Anyone claiming the Legislature arbitrarily instructed HHSC to save taxpayers $100 million by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse without consideration of the potential impact on Texas’ most vulnerable citizens — is just flat wrong.

“The 84th Legislature overwhelmingly passed a budget with bipartisan support that included Rider 50. Rider 50 charged HHSC with saving Medicaid dollars by addressing waste, fraud and abuse for therapy services, while preserving access to those in need,” they stated.

Patrick and Nelson, suggesting the Legislature’s action was in line with the federal government’s, noted: “In our nation’s Capitol, the Health and Human Services Inspector General is also calling for a crackdown on excessive Medicare therapy services.”

Officials give opinion on oil

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Houston, and Christi Craddick, a member of the Texas Railroad Commission, co-wrote an opinion piece published Sept. 25 by the Houston Chronicle. McCaul and Craddick voiced their opposition to the federal ban that prevents the exportation of crude oil.

They called on President Obama to lift the ban. Doing that, they said, would “allow energy powerhouse states like Texas, for whom oil and gas contributes to more than 40 percent of its total economy, to fully drive the U.S. toward reaching its true oil-producing potential.

“Around the world, our friends and allies are looking for the same thing we are here at home: a stable and reliable supply of American energy,” they added.

Texas gets schools waiver

The U.S. Department of Education on Sept. 29 notified Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams that the state’s request for renewal of flexibility from specific provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or “No Child Left Behind Act” has been granted through the end of the 2015-2016 school year.

Williams welcomed the approval, but said the state is not changing its position on allowing local school districts to make decisions on using teacher and principal evaluation systems of their choosing.

"Our state believes strongly in local control of our schools. As a result, we will continue discussing this specific point with the U.S. Department of Education,” Williams said, “but they should not expect any shift in Texas’ position."

Flu vaccinations encouraged

The Texas Department of State Health Services on Sept. 30 posted a reminder that influenza vaccine is widely available now and it’s a good idea to get vaccinated.

“Everyone 6 months old and older should get vaccinated. People age 65 and older, pregnant women, young children and those with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease or kidney and liver disorders are more susceptible to serious influenza complications, so flu vaccine is especially important for them,” the agency recommended.

Hegar hails high ratings

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Oct. 1 said the nation’s major credit rating agencies have confirmed the state of Texas’ long-term general obligation credit ratings, once again earning it the highest possible marks from Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch.

Maintaining the highest credit ratings translates into lower borrowing rates for state-issued obligations and lower costs to taxpayers, Hegar said.

Voter registration ends

Oct. 5 was the final day for Texans to register to vote in the Nov. 3 constitutional amendment election.

Early voting begins on Oct. 19 and ends on Oct. 30. Texans will vote on seven proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution.