Analysis: Judge legislators by what gets their attention — and their neglect

When this legislative session comes to an end on Memorial Day, Texas will still have more uninsured residents than any other state, and a higher percentage of uninsured residents, too.

The Texas Legislature could have taken a swing at that, but didn’t. Lawmakers decided — in the most passive and unaccountable way available to them — to ignore the federal Medicaid expansion program that would pump billions into the state’s health care economy.

As lawmakers shift from legislating to campaign politics this summer, they’ll be counting — out loud, and for their constituents’ attention — the things they did in Austin during the first half of the year. In some cases, they’ll crow about the things they didn’t do.