Policy Issues in Texas



Policy Issues in Texas

Introduction

Texas is one of the economically competitive states of United States of America. This has made it over populated state and businesses and people move here I search of opportunities. The Texas Demographer estimates that the population of Texas will increase to 56 million in 2050. It is quite evident that growth and economic prosperity invite challenges of public issues. The current challenges Texas is confronting with are education, environment, Voter ID law, clean water, healthcare, transportation, and electric utility capacity.

These are some of the major problems that demand immediate attention of the concerned authorities. With this, it is not only the responsibility of the state government; individuals must contribute their efforts towards the overall welfare of the community. Instead depending on government, people can take out solutions on individual level and meet the challenges successfully. The following paper highlights the three main problems in Texas along with their importance. Moreover, the study encompasses the solution of the problem on individual level as well government level.

Voter ID law

Texas voter-identification law has been blocked by a federal court. The three-judge panel announced that it is meant to needlessly lumber minorities and poor citizens from using their right to vote. The court quoted that many Texans have to travel more than 200 miles to get their election-ID certificate. It will cost them $24 to get the ID if they do not have birth certificate. Judges made their point of view that a law asks poorer citizens to choose between their franchise and their wages. This indisputably rebuffs or abbreviates their right to vote. Many Hispanics and African Americans who participated in the last election will not be able to vote in the next election.

The Texas law is one of the voter-ID laws that were proposed nationwide two years back. The forthcoming presidential election will be the first time that these laws will take effect and many voters will lose the opportunity to use the right to participate in the election. The Voter-ID laws were passed in the context that corruption in voting is a major problem and it was increasing with the passage of time. However, these laws cannot prevent the corruption in the voting. With this, they do not provide any legal justification for prosecuting fraudulent voters.

Despite this, the law has the potential to disenfranchise a number of voters from the voting list. An Associated Press study surveyed and discovered that more than 1,200 legitimate votes in Indiana and Georgia were not included in the 2008 presidential election. Moreover, hundreds of ballots were also blocked in the same states and Tennessee. It is estimated that in our current political climate, women are more concerned about these laws.

School Finance

The other prominent problem in Texas is school funding. Texas is believed to invest less per pupil on education as compared to the other states in America. The amount spent on every pupil in the U.S. in the year 1996 was more than ...