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Beto O'Rourke says he'll eliminate the STAAR test if he's elected, but it's a campaign promise he can't legally keep. O'Rourke, the Democratic candidate in the Texas governor's race, considers the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness to be a waste of time and money. But state and federal law say he can't do away with the standardized testing program. A federal act signed into law by former President Barack Obama requires annual state-level tests in reading and math in grades three through eight, and once in high school.