Term Limiting Lawmakers

The idea of term limits for Texas politicians is gaining traction at the State Capitol. "Texans for Term Limits" launched a statewide effort Monday to eliminate so-called career politicians. The group aims to put a cap on how long an elected official can hold office. "We have an obligation to make sure we elect citizens who want to serve, not politicians looking to build a career," said George Seay, with Texans for Term Limits.

Republican Lyle Larson sponsored the bill. In addition to capping term limits, the measure would require state officials to resign their post if they decide to run for a higher office. Larson pointed to the state's top two lawmakers as examples. Both Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Gov. Rick Perry have been in office for more than 10 years. In addition, Perry spent much of 2011 campaigning for President. "We have folks going across the country, across the state, they essentially vacate their office and we need to have people who are running the state's business in those offices," Larson said.

Similar legislation has been proposed in the past, but never made it past lawmakers. In the video below, Capital Tonight's LeAnn Wallace explains why it might have more traction this legislative session.

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Perry vs. Abbott

A new University of Texas / Texas Tribune poll pitting Gov. Rick Perry against Attorney General Greg Abbott offers some interesting insight into the hypothetical primary race. The poll shows Gov. Perry with 49 percent support over Abbott's 17 percent among voters who identify themselves with the Republican party.

The more telling data, however, comes when you examine the results of the approval questions within the poll. Those samples show even voters who support Gov. Perry still have a favorable view of Abbott.

James Henson from the Texas Politics Project joined us Monday to break down the data. Click the video link, below, to hear why this poll could actually be good news for both potential 2014 contenders.

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On the Agenda: Medicaid Expansion

House republicans made it clear today at the State Capitol they are following the Governor's lead on Medicaid reform. The GOP caucus voted against expanding the program in its current form, but they are leaving the door open for other options.

Several other Republican governors have brokered state-specific deals with the federal government. The details vary, but most involve accepting more federal dollars and include more people in the program. Some Texas lawmakers have said they'd be interested in exploring similar alternatives. Governor Rick Perry, though, hasn't said if he'd consider a compromise.

In the video below, Harvey Kronberg from the Quorum Report offers his commentary on the possibility of compromise.

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