Lots of legislative action today beyond the voter ID vaudeville act. Here's a quick roundup of some other bills of interest.

- HB1736, also known as the Tim Cole Act for the man who was posthumously exonerated this February, has passed both chambers and is on its way to Governor Perry's desk. The bill increases the compensation given to those who are exonerated after being sent to jail. Grits has the story, and more info is here and here.

- The statewide smoking ban is stuck no more.

A statewide smoking ban was endorsed by a Senate panel today, after authors agreed to exempt cigar bars, patios of restaurants and bars, and nursing homes.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston said the compromises were necessary to resuscitate the measure, which he called a matter of life and death.

"It goes a long way toward reducing the incidence of cancer in Texas," he said of his bill. It cleared the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on a 5-3 vote.

Committee Chairwoman Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, joined the panel's four Democrats in voting for the bill, which Ellis praised as "much stronger" than a companion measure in the House that was watered down Friday to exempt 224 of the state's 254 counties, limit enforcement and carve out many loopholes for bars.

- Solar energy gets a boost.

[SB541] by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, would provide so-called renewable energy credit incentives for electric generation from equipment manufactured in Texas and sets a goal for electricity generated from sources other than wind at 1,500 megawatts by 2020.

"This is designed to help bring large, industrial-size solar facilities to Texas," Watson said. "This is about looking forward to the future -- in alternative energy, jobs and manufacturing -- much the same we did for wind a few years ago."

- Finally, both strip club bills, Rep. Senfronia Thompson's HB982, and Rep. Ellen Cohen's HB2070 were scheduled for votes today, the former in the Senate and the latter in the House. You have to figure there can only be one, so we'll see which one survives.