PolitiFact Texas staff writer
Sue Owen is a PolitiFact Texas staff writer. Over 16 years at the Austin American-Statesman, Owen has worked in news, sports, features and in other departments as a page designer, copy chief and assigning editor.
The latest Truth-O-Meter items from Sue Owen
Says Sam Houston opposed slavery and as governor said Texas should not leave the union over slavery.
Says Texas leads the nation in fatal industrial accidents.
Says businesses pay roughly 60 percent of taxes in Texas.
Says 315,000 mostly minority Texas students are enrolled in failing schools.
Says rejecting federal aid to expand Medicaid in Texas will "send $9 billion in federal taxes paid by Texans to other states to insure their working poor."
Says the Democrats told the Catholic Church that they’ll use federal powers to shut down church charities and hospitals if the church doesn’t change its beliefs.
Recent stories from Sue Owen
Rick Perry, Sam Houston, slavery--and the Boy ScoutsRick Perry, exhorting the Boy Scouts to continue excluding gays, analogized to Sam Houston and slavery on the eve of the Civil War. We wondered about that.
Hammond: Businesses pay 60 percent of taxes in TexasBill Hammond, who helms the Texas Association of Business, spoke up for business tax cuts by saying businesses pay 60 percent of taxes in the state. Really?
Dewhurst: 45 days "lost" to state testingDavid Dewhurst says Texas school systems lose 45 days to state-imposed tests. We did not find a firm factual basis for his figure.
Top 10 fact-checks on gunsAs the U.S. Senate moves to take up gun legislation, we fact-check the most interesting and oft-repeated claims from both sides of the debate.
Perry quotes Obama saying Medicaid ‘broken’Rick Perry says Barack Obama called Medicaid "broken." That’s Mostly True.
Fact-checking Ted CruzThe constitutional conservative from Texas has gotten a lot of attention since taking his seat in the U.S. Senate this year. But is he accurate?
Ted Cruz claim about Democrats and Catholic church unsupportedDemocrats told the Catholic Church that they’ll use federal powers to shut down church charities and hospitals if the church doesn’t change its beliefs. So said Ted Cruz. Pants!
Wacky spending, even under the sequester?We look at claims that the government still funds goofy projects like fantasy football and research on duck penises. But not all of these claims are accurate.
UPDATED: California pokes at Texas mostly hold upA Sacramento Bee editorial leveled several criticisms of Texas. We rated most of them True or Mostly True.
Gun-crime claims abound, but which are on target?Claims about gun crime and gun control are thick in the air, and we’ve recently tackled some from prominent Texas politicians. Do stricter gun laws coincide with higher crime? Are hammers and clubs used to kill more people than rifles? Read on.
We want to hear your suggestions and comments. Email the Texas Truth-O-Meter with feedback and with claims you'd like to see checked. If you send us a comment, we'll assume you don't mind us publishing it unless you tell us otherwise.
