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
San Angelo Standard-Times, December 08, 2012: Medicaid funding fight awaits legislators
"If the Texas Legislature is in session, there must be a fight about Medicaid going on. The health care program for the disabled, the elderly poor and the impoverished raises hackles every two years, mostly because the number in need keeps rising alongside health care costs."
The Houston Chronicle, November 16, 2012: (Editorial) Program seeks to groom students left behind
"After all, with an education from HISD's best public schools and the polish from a Texas university, these middle-class kids will meet, learn from and influence non-Texans throughout their business and private lives. It's the brilliant, low-income students who are the great loss. If they aren't exposed to global ideas and opportunities through college, they may never encounter them at all."
San Antonio-Express News, November 07, 2012: Childhood education expert testifies pre-K a no-brainer
"An early childhood education expert testified Tuesday that Texas is not doing a good job preparing low-income youngsters for school. High-quality pre-K programs help close the achievement gap and put low-income students in the game. You give them a shot,' W. Steven Barnett testified in the school funding lawsuit against Texas."
The Dallas Morning News, October 27, 2012: West Dallas partnership investing in families to help students succeed
"The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is bringing interest and attention to West Dallas. Investors and developers have been buying land, betting on opportunity and beginning to change the look of an aging industrial area only minutes from downtown. For those who live there, the challenges continue - education, persistent poverty and limited opportunities. Many parents work low-wage jobs. As happens elsewhere, they often don't participate in their children's education. Of the students who graduate from the only high school in West Dallas, Pinkston, few are prepared for college."
San Antonio Express-News, October 24, 2012: Poverty's high cost to schools cited at state trial
"Poverty has a way of taking things away from you,' a superintendent from a desperately poor South Texas school district said Wednesday, during Day 3 of the state's school funding trial. Early testimony has highlighted challenges facing school districts trying to meet tougher academic standards with insufficient funding, they say."
The Dallas Morning News, October 23, 2012: Texas public schools require more funding to serve Hispanics, expert testifies in finance trial
"A rapidly growing Hispanic enrollment will require the state and school districts to spend more money because so many of the students come from poor families, a population expert testified Tuesday."