Tag Archives: Jim Keffer

Patrick versus the House

The Texas House isn’t all onboard with Dan Patrick’s agenda, and our Lite Guv has his shorts in a bunch about it. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick celebrated a milestone Wednesday: His Senate had acted on all four of Gov. Greg … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Patrick versus the House

David Porter not running for re-election to RRC

Another open seat. Texas Railroad Commission Chairman David Porter will not be running for re-election after all. Thursday’s surprise announcement from Porter, who was first elected in 2010, unleashed a flood of interest from Republicans pondering bids for his seat. … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on David Porter not running for re-election to RRC

Keffer to retire

The original Straus gang shrinks again. State Rep. Jim Keffer, an Eastland Republican who was one of the earliest supporters of House Speaker Joe Straus, has decided not to seek reelection next year, according to a statement he prepared for … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Keffer to retire

Beer legislation 2.0

Just because craft brewers succeeded in passing a bill allowing them to sell beer for consumption on their premises last session doesn’t mean there isn’t more that can be done to advance the cause of beer freedom. Twinned bills introduced … Continue reading

Posted in Food, glorious food, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

House passes redistricting bills

They accepted a couple of amendments but otherwise the process wasn’t much different from the Senate or the House committee. A daylong debate on redistricting maps in the Texas House drew frustration from Democrats and growing concern from Republicans on … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We still have the Railroad Commission to kick around

State Impact Texas tells us that there will be no sunset bill, and thus no reforms, for the Texas Railroad Commission this session. After a lengthy review of the agency, required by state law under the Sunset review process, the Railroad … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We still have the Railroad Commission to kick around

Point of disorder

New House, new rule. The Texas House’s Democratic minority was dealt a blow Monday when the House passed an amendment to the chamber’s rules to limit legislators’ ability to derail a bill based on clerical errors. Calling “points of order” … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lawsuit filed against business margins tax

Allstate Claims Service, L.P., which is based in Boerne, has filed a lawsuit alleging that the business margins tax is an illegally-passed income tax in Texas. Oh, boy. Nikki Laing, a CPA and third-year Baylor law student, studied the structure … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hochberg’s plan for less testing

A new bill filed by State Rep. Scott Hochberg that would exempt students who easily passed standardized tests one year from taking them the next, makes all kinds of sense. The bill, co-authored by Hochberg and freshman Rep. Dan Huberty, … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

LSG on the budget

The Legislative Study Group, chaired by Rep. Garnet Coleman, now has an analysis of the Pitts budget outline, which you can read here. The main point to remember: How We Got Here: Built-In Budget Shortfall Comes from the 2006 Tax … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

House adopts rules

Once again, not much drama in the lower chamber. After an all-day debate, the House approved its rules for the 2009 legislative session in a relaxed atmosphere overseen by new Speaker Joe Straus. The most intense squabble came when the … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House adopts rules