Tag Archives: Driver Responsibility

Lawsuit filed over Driver Responsibility Program

This ought to be interesting. A national civil rights organization on Wednesday sued Gov. Greg Abbott and four top officials at the Texas Department of Public Safety, arguing that the state’s Driver Responsibility Program traps many of Texas’ most vulnerable … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

A better way to cut taxes

Grits has a suggestion for the Legislature. Reduce local jail costs – which have been a big driver of tax increases in many Texas counties – by reducing penalty categories for low-level marijuana possession (currently a Class B misdemeanor for … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Voter ID and the Driver Responsibility Program

Grits returns to a question he has asked before. The Dallas News last week (March 24) published a feature behind the paywall by reporter Terrence Stutz titled “Texas lawmakers want brakes put on driver surcharges for road violations,” as well … Continue reading

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Why no ID?

Grits asks an interesting question. Why do so many adult Texans lack ID? In part because 2 million drivers have had their drivers licenses revoked because of nonpayment of the Driver Responsibility Surcharge, which readers will recall is a stiff … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

LBB recommendations

We’re still waiting on the Pitts “You’re gonna get it good and hard” budget, but until then the Legislative Budget Board has released a list of recommendations for savings, which you can see here, that’s worth reviewing. There’s some good … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

You think there might be a connection there?

In the middle of this Trib story about the Driver Responsibility Program and the Lege’s efforts to reform it comes a reminder about the relationship between federal and state legislation. Denise Rose, senior director of government relations at the Texas … Continue reading

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Amnesty for the Driver Responsibility surcharges

Scott Henson has a nice op-ed in the DMN about implementing a real amnesty program for those who cannot afford to pay Driver Responsibility surcharges and can’t get their licenses back until they do. In 2007, the Legislature gave the … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Once again with the Driver Responsibility Program

The Trib takes a look at Texas’ Driver Responsibility Program and the grassroots effort to repeal it. The stories scroll by one after another on an online petition to repeal a law called the Driver Responsibility Act. Nearly 4,000 angry … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Those uncollected surcharges

Here’s an update on the Texas Driver Responsibility Program, which was created in 2003 as a way to raise revenue by adding hefty extra fees to certain moving violations. “It’s a complete failure,” said state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, … Continue reading

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Bills about cellphones and driving

Lots of action in the cellphones and driving front for the Lege this session. In 2007, a proposed law [to restrict cellphone usage while driving] never got beyond a legislative committee. Four months later, a Houston motorist talking on a … Continue reading

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