Even though the state's highest court ruled that officials had overstepped their authority in the mass roundup, Texas officials have maintained that they uncovered clear evidence that the youngsters in the compound where teenage girls marry much older men were in imminent danger of abuse. A spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, who has defended the state's action, insisted that the cost to taxpayers is justified. "Any action taken to protect children is never misguided," said Krista Piferrer, Perry's deputy press secretary. The documents released through the Texas Attorney General's Office and the governor's office show that state employees sent to Eldorado and San Angelo stayed mostly in moderately priced hotels such as La Quinta and Rodeway Inn. In many cases, employees sent e-mails to supervisors seeking permission before extending their stays or traveling between San Angelo and Eldorado. Employees who wished to rent automobiles submitted forms showing that the rentals would cost the state less than if they simply drove their vehicles and were reimbursed for the mileage. Read On

Our twins are home-schooled. That is the present educational option we have chosen for them and us. It is our right to do so as parents and American citizens. But increasingly across this Union, private academic alternatives are coming under attack, being legally stripped of their value, and even being labeled unconstitutional and illegal. Dr. James Dobson calls it "an all-out assault on the family" and "an imperious assault on the rights of parents." Brad Dacus, the president of the Pacific Justice Institute, said about one recent ruling, "The scope of this decision by the appellate court is breathtaking. It not only attacks traditional home schooling but also calls into question home schooling through charter schools and teaching children at home via independent study through public and private school. If not reversed, the parents of the more than 166,000 students currently receiving an education at home will be subject to criminal sanctions." Time for a Texas-style Roundup!::By Chuck Norris

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