The Texas Legislative Study Group this week released the latest edition of "Texas on the Brink: How Texas Ranks Among the 50 States" and the news isn't good.
The study group is an official caucus of the Texas House. The report was inaugurated in 2003 by former State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso. State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, chairman of the study group, said the report continues to be published partly as an honor to Shapleigh.
But in the preamble to the report, Coleman wishes he had a better story to tell:
?"In Texas today, the American dream is distant. Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured adults in the nation. Texas is dead last in percentage of high school graduates. Our state generates more hazardous waste and carbon dioxide emissions than any other state in our nation. If we do not change course, for the first time in our history, the Texas generation of tomorrow will be less prosperous than the generation of today.
"Without the courage to invest in the minds of our children and steadfast support for great schools, we face a daunting prospect. Those who value tax cuts over children and budget cuts over college have put Texas at risk in her ability to compete and succeed.
"Let us not forget that the business of Texas is Texans. Improving the health and well being of our citizens will allow Texas to thrive for years to come. If we invest in our greatest resource ? our children ? Texas will be the state of the future. If we do not, Texas will only fall further behind.
"Texas is on the brink, but Texas can do better. The choice is ours."
The rankings follow:
State Taxes
(51st=Lowest, 1st=Highest)
? Tax Revenue Collections per Capita - Tied 45th
? Total State Expenditures per Capita - 48th
? Sales Tax Collections per Capita - 18th
Education
? Elementary and Secondary Public School Enrollment - 2nd
? Average Salary of Public School Teachers - 31st
? Current Expenditures for Public K-12 Schools per Student in Average Daily Attendance - 43rd
? Percentage of Revenue for Public K-12 Schools from State Government - 35th
? Average Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Combined Scores - 47th
? Estimated Public High School Graduation Rate - 44th
? Percentage of Population with at Least a Bachelor?s Degree - 30th
? Percentage Enrollment in Public Higher Education - 8th
? Per Capita State Spending on State Arts Agencies - 48th
? Pupil-Teacher Ratio in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools - 26th
? Percentage of Population Graduated from High School - 50th
State of the Child
? Number of Births - 2nd
? Percent of Babies Born at Low Birth Weight - Tied 19th
? Percent of Population Under 18 - Tied 2nd
? Percent of Uninsured Children - 2nd
? Percent of Children Living in Poverty -? Tied 7th
? Percent of Children (19-35 months), Fully Immunized - Tied 23rd
Health Care
? Percent of Population Uninsured - 1st
? Percent of Non-Elderly Uninsured - 1st
? Percent of Low Income Population Covered by Medicaid - tied 48th? Percent of Population with Employer-Based Health Insurance - tied 43rd
? Health Care Expenditures per Capita- 46th? Per Capita State Spending on Mental Health - 50th
? Medicaid Payments per Enrollee - 41st
? Percent of Adults Physically Active - 37th
? Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population - tied 29th
Health Care Professionals:
? Physicians - 41st
? Dentists - 44th
? Registered Nurses - 46th
Health and Well-Being
? Percent Living Below Federal Poverty Level - 8th
? Percent of Population with Food Insecurity - 3rd
? Average Monthly (WIC) Benefits per Person - 51st
? Percent of Adults who are Overweight or Obese - 8th
? Rate of Death due to Heart Disease - 2nd
? Prevalence of Diagnosed Diabetes - 15th
? Diabetes Death Rate - 17th
? Percent of Adults Who Visit the Dentist -46th
Women?s Issues
? Overall Birth Rate - 3rd
? Teenage Birth Rate - 4th
? Births to Unmarried Mothers - 17th
? Percent of Women with Pre-Term Birth - 11th
? Percent of Non-Elderly Women with Health Insurance - 51st
? Percent of Women Who have had a Dental Visit within the Past Year - 47th
? Rate of Women Aged 40+ Who Received Mammograms - 42nd
? Rate of Women Aged 18+ Who Received Pap Smears - 41st
? Cervical Cancer Rate - 8th
? Percent of Women with High Blood Pressure - 17th
? Percent of Needs Met for Women Seeking Contraceptives - 36th
? Percent of Pregnant Women Receiving Prenatal Care in First Trimester - 50th
? Women?s Voter Registration - 47th
? Women?s Voter Turnout - 51st
? Percentage of Women Living in Poverty - 4th
? Percentage of Women with a Bachelor?s Degree or Higher- 32nd
? Percentage of Businesses Owned by Women - 18th
? Median Income for Full Time Work -27th
Access to Capital
? Consumers with Subprime Credit - 3rd
? Housing Cost Burden for Homeowners - Tied 36th
? Foreclosure Rates - 44th
? Private Loans to Small Businesses - 40th
? Median Net Worth of Households - 44th
? Retirement Plan Participation (Age 21-64) - 46th
? Average Credit Card Debt - 46th
Environment
? Amount of Carbon Dioxide Emissions - 1st
? Total Amount of Toxic Releases into Water - 4th
? Amount of Recognized Cancer-Causing Carcinogens Released into Air - 4th
? Amount of hazardous waste generated - 1st
? Industrial Toxic Air Pollution - 10th
? Amount of Recognized Cancer-Causing Carcinogens Released into Water- 5th
? Number of Hazardous Waste Sites on National Priority List- 7th
? Total Energy Consumption Per Capita - 6th
? Energy Efficiency- 32nd
Workforce
? Average Hourly Earnings of Production Workers on Manufacturing Payroll- 17th
? Percent of Workforce that are Members of a Union - 43rd
? Workers? Compensation Premium Rate - 38th
? Earnings Ratio Between Full-time Year-Round Workers by Gender- 12th
? Unemployment Rate - 36th
? Median Household Income - 29th
Median Household Income in Texas:
? 3 year average: $49,195; 1 year average: $48,295
?Median Household Income for African Americans in Texas: $35,438
?Median Household Income for Asians in Texas: $63,692
? Median Household Income for Hispanics/Latinos in Texas: $35,628
? Median Household Income for Whites in Texas: $59,836
Quality of Life
? Income Inequality Between the Rich and the Poor- 43rd
? Income Inequality Between the Rich and the Middle Class - 43rd
? Home Ownership Rate - 42nd
? Affordability of Homes - 6th
? Auto Insurance Cost - 12th
? Personal Bankruptcy Filings Rate, Per Capita - 46th
? Percent of Households with Internet Access - 34th
Public Safety
? Number of Executions - 1st
? Rate of Incarceration - 4th
? Violent Crime Rate - 16th
? Murder Rate - Tied 22nd
? Percentage of Murders Involving Firearms - 24th
? Reported Rape Cases Per Capita - 27th
? Property Crime Rate - 2nd
? Larceny and Theft Rate - 3rd
? Deaths Due to Motor Vehicle Accidents - 19th
Democracy
? Percent of Voting-Age Population Registered to Vote- 47th
? Percent of Voting-Age Population that Votes - 51st
Key Facts and Figures
Children and Families:
? In fiscal year 2012, there were 74,258 confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect and 64,366 confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect.
? 246 children died due to abuse or neglect in 2011.
? The rate of immunization in the 4:3:1 series (most basic vaccination series) for Texas children, ages 19-35 months, was 81.6 percent in 2011, below the national average of 82.6 percent.
? 48 percent of children in Texas live in low-income families ? families whose household income is up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level ? compared to 44 percent nationwide.
? 86 percent of children whose parents do not have a high school diploma live in low-income families, compared to 33 percent of children whose parents have some college education.
? In Texas, 65 percent of Hispanic children and 58 percent of black children live in low-income families, compared to 25 percent of white children.
? 47 percent of children in urban areas and 55 percent of children in rural areas live in low-income families.
? The maximum Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grant for a single-parent family of three is $263 per month.
? In FY 2012, the average monthly benefits, per person, for Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) recipients in Texas were $29.30, the lowest in the nation.
? 23 percent of children in poverty in Texas are uninsured, compared to 15 percent nationwide.?
Source: http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/capitol/2013/04/not-walking-away-from-the-brink.html
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