Texas politics daily reading (9 June 2011)

ObamaCare’s Other Constitutional Problem – Richard Epstein and Mario Loyola, Wall Street Journal
The oral arguments in the 11th Circuit were held yesterday and they didn’t seem to go very well for ObamaCare. Obama’s Solicitor General even conceded that, “We are not saying the Congress can force someone to buy something.” Wait…really? Case concluded.
Eroding pension fund ratios may force reform on lawmakers in 2013 – Curt Olson, Texas Budget Source
The man who would remake Medicaid in Texas – Mark Lisheron, Texas Healthcare Report
Time to Make Professors Teach – Richard Vedder, WSJ.com

In a study for the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Christopher Matgouranis, Jonathan Robe and I concluded that tuition fees at the flagship campus of the University of Texas could be cut by as much as half simply by asking the 80% of faculty with the lowest teaching loads to teach about half as much as the 20% of faculty with the highest loads. The top 20% currently handle 57% of all teaching.

Such a move would require the bulk of the faculty to teach, on average, about 150-160 students a year. For example, a professor might teach one undergraduate survey class for 100 students, two classes for advanced undergraduate students or beginning graduate students with 20-25 students, and an advanced graduate seminar for 10. That would require the professor to be in the classroom for fewer than 200 hours a year—hardly an arduous requirement.

House votes to strip hospital districts of state $ if they perform abortions – Robert Garrett, Trail Blazers Blog
Texas Rep. Lois Kolkhorst plans strategy to advance health care compacts bill- Mark Lisheron, Texas Watchdog
State comptroller certifies budget – Kate Alexander, Postcards
Texas House approves Medicaid changes – Chris Tomlinson, AP
The “Save Texas Schools” Campaign, and Other Popular Myths – George Scaggs, Ramparts 360
The Brief: June 8, 2011 – David Muto, Texas Tribune

But the Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal civil rights organization that recently deemed the American Family Association a “hate group,” harshly criticized [Gov. Perry’s planned prayer] event.

The SPLC would name the Republican National Committee a hate group if it thought it could get away with it.

While Texas journalists find prayer rallies controversial and strange, your average Texan doesn’t.
Dan Branch and Higher Ed Accountability – Weston Hicks, AgendaWise Reports

An avowed ally of controlling university tuition costs, Representative Dan Branch (R) has nevertheless given mixed signals concerning the UT Higher Ed controversy.