According to a report released by Texas Appleseed, more than 115,000 Texas students were prosecuted on truancy charges in 2013.  The social and economic justice advocacy group is urging the Legislature to decriminalize truancy.  This seems to be an idea whose time is way past due.  The report notes that the number of Texas truancy prosecutions is more than double the number of truancy cases in all other 49 states combined. The Houston Chronicle provides an insight into the problems associated with prosecuting truancy cases in adult court with children as young as 12 facing fines of $500 or more.  The fines coupled with the fact that the vast majority of truancy cases involve poor or disadvantaged youth have even Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht questioning the system.  In urging lawmakers to decriminalize truancy, Hecht reportedly commented: “Playing hooky is bad, but is it criminal?”

It’s a rare day when Red agrees with the Chief Justice, but when he’s right – he’s right.