The AusChron reports on HB6 (man, that's one big bill), which would provide for the near-complete privatization of Child Protective Services. As with other privatization mandates within the Health and Human Services Commission, this would be done statewide all at once. Fortunately, there seems to be a willingness here to maybe try a smaller pilot first and see how it goes before they go whole hog. State Rep. Elliot Naishtat of Austin is the point person for that. There's a lot in that article, so check it out.

Inside the Texas Capitol is also on this from the Senate side. The main point made in both places is that privatization by itself won't solve CPS' real problem, which is severe underfunding - according to the AusChron piece, Texas "spends 60% less than the national average on child protection, and 40% less than the average spent by Southern states".

And of course I can't mention HHSC and privatization without checking in on Father John, who's kept up with the failings in Colorado and their portents for Texas. He deals with benefits like food stamps and Medicaid, but the parallels should be obvious. His most recent posts on the subject are The Price Tag Just Went Up Again, Please Take A Number And We'll Call You Back, and this pointer to his colleague and Texas State Employees' Union member Samm Almaguer, who gives us a TSEU update called TIERS Not Ready.