Campaign of Ideas

What the candidates for lieutenant governor say is their most creative idea:

Republican David Dewhurst

Wants to curb insurance premiums by placing new restrictions on civil lawsuits, limiting attorney fees and establishing new state supervision of insurance rates. It would require legislative approval.

HOW IT WOULD WORK

A cap would be established for punitive, non-economic damages in lawsuits brought by homeowners against insurance companies and by medical patients against doctors. Those damages would be limited to a maximum $ 300,000, including $ 250,000 to the homeowner and $ 50,000 to a new state fund to monitor insurance industry practices. The same limits would apply to medical malpractice cases, but the $ 50,000 would go to a new state fund to pay premiums for doctors in underserved and low- income areas. Also, state supervision of rates would be established for auto, homeowners and medical malpractice insurance, with all premium increases subject to approval by the state insurance commissioner within 120 days of a rate filing.

THE COST

No estimates are available.

CRITICS SAY

“This plan will not solve the insurance crisis in Texas,” said Dan Lambe of Texas Watch, a consumer group. “It is largely the insurance industry that has caused the crisis, and to reward them by limiting their responsibility to homeowners is one of the most ridiculous ideas I have heard. The only people you punish are consumers, and the only people you help are insurance companies.”

THE CANDIDATES SAY

“There is a crisis in homeowners insurance and in medical malpractice insurance. The rates are spiraling out of control. It is threatening the right of Texans to own a home and to have access to affordable health care.”

Democrat John Sharp

Wants to offer a free college education to every Texas student who graduates from high school with a B average. The program also would offer a free college education to children of veteran public school teachers. It would require legislative approval.

His proposal is aimed at middle-class students who sometimes have a more difficult time financing a higher education than students from high-income families and low-income families – who often have access to numerous grant programs. It is patterned after the Hope Scholarship program in Georgia, where thousands of students have taken advantage of it. Students would have to maintain a B average to keep their scholarship, which would pay tuition and fees for up to 120 credit hours at any state university or college. The scholarships would pay part of the tuition at private schools. For children of teachers, the teacher would have to agree to work in a public school for at least 10 years.

About $ 850 million. Mr. Sharp said the program would be considered only after legislators deal with the projected deficit in the state budget.

“We would support and like to see more people go to college, but there has to be a better way than paying for it out of taxpayers’ pockets,” said Peggy Venable of Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy, a self-proclaimed conservative group active in textbook selection and other education issues. “I am not sure Texas can afford it. We should be shrinking government programs, not expanding them.”

“Nobody is doing anything for middle-class kids. Nowhere is that more true than paying for a college education. After we fix this financial mess we’re in, we’re going to do this for middle-class kids in Texas.”