Texas on the Brink

The Texas Legislative Study Group, a HouseDemocratic caucus, has released the 2011 version of Texas on the Brink.

The report compares Texas to the rest of the country based on various functions of government, including public education, healthcare, taxation, and air quality. The numbers suggest the Lone Star State is not doing well in most categories, including percentage of adults with a high-school diploma, healthcare spending per capita, and uninsured children.

“We've earned a reputation as first in jails and last in school,” said Elliott Naishtat (D-Austin). “Given that we lead the nation in the number of people we execute and the fact that we're last in high school graduation rates, I'd say that we've lived up to our reputation.”