1. Why has State Representative (Rep.) Kacal “already won” re-election to his current
office 6 months before the general election?
● He is running against a very weak opponent.
● No one is running against him in Novem
...
1. Why has State Representative (Rep.) Kacal “already won” re-election to his current
office 6 months before the general election?
● He is running against a very weak opponent.
● No one is running against him in November.
● He has received so many campaign donations that he will easily defeat any
challenger.-
2. Where did Texas rank among all states in education spending before the 2013
legislative session? (In that session, the legislature restored $3.5 billion of the $5 billion
in public education funding they had taken in 2011.)
a. 49th
b. 46th c. 1st
3. Where in the list of priority legislation for next year’s legislative session did State Senator
(Sen.) Schwertner rank
education funding?
● 5th
● 1st
● It was not on his list because it was already addressed via HB 5 (House Bill 5)
4. HB 5 (House Bill 5) was held up as a major accomplishment by the legislature to
address many of the woes of which problem within the State of Texas?
a. Water
b. Transportation
c. Education
5. Sen. Schwertner had not yet mentioned his firm “no tax increases” position. However, he
did start to use a word that is code for this stance when he was discussing education
funding. Which word was it?
● Efficiency
● Belt-tightening
● Doing more with less
6. According to Rep. Raney, what two needs must be funded first in order to be able drive
the state’s economy to generate more money so it will be possible to later increase
funding for education?
● Water and transportation
● Transportation and energy discovery
● Agriculture and water
Page 1 of 5
7. How did the legislators answer the moderator’s pointed question about where the money
will come from that will be needed to “invest in the future” and resolve water,
transportation, education, and other long-term needs?
● Drain the “ESF” (Economic Stabilization Fund, a.k.a., Rainy Day Fund) without
any hesitation
● Raise taxes, but do so moderately
● Economic growth and careful and well-debated use of the ESF will generate the
money needed
8. Sen. Schwertner states clearly that he is not in favor of raising taxes to generate
additional revenue for education or any other need of the state. The reason he provided
for this firm stance was that “Texas works!” What did he mean by that comment?
● Texas is economically strong because of its keep-taxes-low policy and other
conservative policies
● Texans are not lazy
● Texas has a lot of work to do to catch up to surrounding states
9. The legislators acknowledged that Texas’s powerful economy will produce growth, which
will in turn increase challenges that the state already faces. What was one of the sources
of increased revenues from this growth that the legislature is expecting to use to address
these increased challenges?
● Income taxes
● Oil and gas
● State lottery
10. There were many mentions of the “ESF,” or Economic Stabilization Fund. The moderator
asked if the legislature should spend that money to fix current problems, or continue to
save it for the future. What did the legislators say in response?
● The full legislature must be judicious and decide this carefully
● The legislature should protect that money at all costs
● The legislature should spend that money freely to fix water, transportation, and
education problems
11. Rep. Raney made the point that education is not the only or biggest need for additional
funding. He emphasized that __________ costs are rising quickly and may soon exceed
public education costs.
● Road repair
● Retirement
● Healthcare
12. The moderator pointed out that Texas has most uninsured residents of any state in the
nation. Rep. Raney explained that a his proposed approach, instead of expanding
Medicaid, is to train uninsured residents so that can get better jobs that will enable them
to obtain medical insurance. Health insurance problems must be solved by _________,
not government.
● Interest groups
● Churches and charities
● The market
13. Rep. Kacal then added his own upbeat viewpoint to the health insurance discussion and
said:
● A Texas solution is “out there,” without federal involvement.
● Texas must partner with the federal government to work hand-in-hand.
● Texas should allow the federal government to resolve this issue since they have
all the money.
Page 2 of 5
14. Sen. Schwertner said that a “Texan plan” for health care reform would involve multiple
parts. One of these parts was the federal government sending back to Texas
___________________. Texas would then use those resources to more efficiently deal
with its own healthcare problems.
● the power to print its own money
● all of the federal tax dollars collected from Texans that would have gone to fund
Medicaid in this state
● all of the oil that the federal government takes from Texas to put in the National
Oil Reserve
15. The moderator brought
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