PolitiFact Texas staff writer
Meghan Ashford-Grooms is a PolitiFact Texas staff writer and a student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. Before this year, she worked for five years as a copy editor and wire editor on the Austin American-Statesman's news desk, where she edited stories, wrote headlines and scoured the wires for stories about government. She previously worked as a features reporter and designer at the Gazette in Prince George's County, Maryland, and started her career in 2001 on the news desk at The Tennessean in Nashville.
The latest Truth-O-Meter items from Meghan Ashford-Grooms
Says he "restored prayer and the pledge in our schools."
Says Williamson County Attorney Jana Duty "has never prosecuted a single adult felony case."
Says "over 40 percent of recent county bonds are for Precinct One, northeast Travis County," because he "is quick to identify projects that help make the East Side a desirable place to live."
Says Lee Leffingwell "raised property taxes 20 percent in three years."
The congressional district for Miami-Dade and Broward counties has a "staggering drop-out rate of almost 61 percent."
"Just on Jan. 1 of this year, there were 40,000 new laws put on the books in one day."
Says legislative cuts mean Texas is "spending on average $500 less per student."
Says that when adjusted for inflation and population growth, state general revenue spending has decreased 10.7 percent on his watch.
Says that Mitt Romney, while he was in Arizona, said he believes the state’s SB 1070 immigration law should be the model for national immigration laws.
Recent stories from Meghan Ashford-Grooms
Planned Parenthood versus the State of TexasAs the dispute over whether the state can exclude Planned Parenthood health centers from the Women’s Health Program plays out in court, we look back at two fact-checks of statements about Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the program.
Ron Paul's 40,000 new lawsRon Paul said at Texas stops that 40,000 new laws landed on the books at the start of 2012. Not so.
Colbert goofs on Texas schools, Thomas JeffersonColbert asked Don McLeroy, a former chairman of the State Board of Education, why he wanted to yank Jefferson from schoolbooks. Not so, McLeroy replied. The Texan had a point.
Perry's Coyote Special difficult to order?At an NRA meeting, Rick Perry joked about the demand for the Ruger-made gun inspired by his 2010 coyote killing. Curious, we learned that demand for Ruger’s products in general is so high that all orders are temporarily suspended — though there’s no confirmed Perry factor.
U.S. Senate debate: 'Facts are stubborn things'Several Republicans vying for a shot at succeeding Kay Bailey Hutchison clashed over their respective records in tonight's debate. Even before they tangled, one hopeful re-floated a claim about another that we've checked before.
Is 'pink slime' safe?Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently defended a form of ground beef that critics malign as "pink slime." In addition to calling the product "nutritious" and "affordable," the Texas governor described it as safe. Is that right?
Dewhurst v. ObamaU.S. Senate candidate David Dewhurst leveled two charges about Barack Obama; one proved True.
Charlie Baird, Rosemary Lehmerg, the Truth-O-MeterAustin Democrats Rosemary Lehmberg and Charlie Baird aired sweeping -- but flawed -- claims.
Has cost of 2010 federal health care law doubled?U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz tweeted a claim racing through Republican circles: that new projections show the 2010 federal health care law’s cost has doubled. False, says the Truth-O-Meter.
Texas order and Newt Gingrich's claimA San Antonio federal judge’s "kumbaya" order reminded us we’d checked a claim about him by Newt Gingrich.
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