Facing a $25 billion deficit for their next two-year budget cycle, Texas lawmakers are considering closing the gap by dropping out of Medicaid. “This system is bankrupting our state,” State Representative Warren Chisum told The New York Times. “We need to get out of it. And with the budget shortfall we’re anticipating, we may have to act this year,” he said.

And Texas is not alone....

On this national holiday we also take a closer look at how Congress plans to provide for those who serve. Yesterday, President Barack Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform released a report calling for $100 billion cuts to the defense budget. The Commission's defense cuts would make America less safe and are thus completely irresponsible.

The denial of cert by the U.S. Supreme Court means that until the Hawaii Supreme Court confirms or rules otherwise in a future case, the ICA's rule that "unvested" rights or "contingent future interests" are not property and are subject to uncompensated acquisition by the legislature, is the law.

In the instant appeal, we hold that the County’s asserted public purpose for Condemnation was not a pretext for a primarily private benefit....

I am currently in London attending World Travel Market (WTM) for eTurboNews.  Don't expect business from wasting our tax payers promotional money that paid for the Hawaii Tourism Authority stand.

Volcanic Ash columnist David Shapiro describes Hawaii Democrats as “a party where the sun rises and sets by civil unions these days.”  If there is any doubt, take a look at what happened to gay marriage opponent, former Honolulu Councilman Gary Okino....

Governor’s Veterans Day Ceremony, Nov. 11, 1 p.m., Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery, 45-349 Kamehameha Hwy., Kaneohe. Gov. Linda Lingle will give remarks.

We will be flag and sign waving at 1 PM till 2 PM, to show our appreciation for our Veterans on the corner of Kaahumanu Ave and Kanaloa Ave.

"There is an awareness all over Hawaii Nei that Mahealani Ventura-Oliver of Ko Hawaii Pae Aina-Hawaii Loa Foundation has made the Hawaiian people victims of her fraud and selfishness…." -- Br. Christopher Fishkin, Franciscan Hermitage, Wailuku, Maui

Over the past week, Charles has received hundreds of emails from people all over the state and the nation expressing their sorrow and disappointment over Tuesday’s election results.  While we share your pain, we prefer to instead focus on all that we were able to accomplish together in the last year.

Contrary to most of what is being reported in the media, efforts to register voters at Hawaii churches powered a substantial increase in voter turnout by church-goers.  The drive produced swings in favor of Republican House candidates of 5% or more in 16 out of 51 house districts.  The GOP gained a total of 15,322 new Republican votes in these 16 districts....

Minority Leader Representative Gene Ward said, "Our new Caucus is excited and united and ready to do the people's business, particularly regarding fiscal responsibility and job creation in the 2011 Session.  We are very pleased to have grown 33 1/3 percent representing the first net-gain in the size of caucus in 10 years." 

It appears that the Kim/Baker Senate Democratic faction has gained ascendancy.

Guam Republicans Sen. Eddie Calvo and Sen. Ray Tenorio defeated Democrats former Gov. Carl Gutierrez and Sen. Frank Aguon Jr. by 583 votes in the General Election on Tuesday, but the results will not be certified unless today's recount confirms the victor.

The new Transportation Chair will probably be Rep. John Mica (R-FL).   KGMB asks: “He says he's in favor of cost effective rail transportation but Republicans campaigned on cutting costs and smaller government, so where does Honolulu's $5.5 billion rail fit into that?”  It doesn’t. 

I collapsed into bed at roughly 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, and awoke, groggily, some hours later to find that Rep. Charles Djou, Republican of Hawaii elected in a special three-way election earlier this year, had been defeated....

The Republican candidate won outright in only one House District HD40 Kapolei.  Aiona effectively tied Abercrombie, losing by only a handful of votes each in HD 46 Schofield-N Shore and HD43 Ewa Beach. 

Grace also noted that Hawaii is currently listed 48^th among the 50 states in the “Defending Life 2010” rankings compiled by the pro-life public policy organization Americans United for Life.

Republicans in Hawaii may have taken a drubbing Election Day, but the sudden reassertion of Republican control of Congress means that Hawaiians and Hawaii may be saved from the Akaka Bill.