Tag Archives: special session

We appear to have a budget

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Took them long enough. After days of jockeying and one-upsmanship, the Texas House and Senate each approved measures Wednesday evening critical to passing their next two-year budget. “The results of these two bills together is a good conservative budget, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We appear to have a budget

Redistricting hearing set in San Antonio

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Redistricting: The San Antonio court entered an order this afternoon setting a hearing for May 29 at 9 a.m. to decide what to do with the Texas maps – or, more exactly, to decide how to decide what to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Budget deal reached

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And the crowd goes wild. Top House and Senate negotiators agreed to a two-year budget for the state of Texas Friday that restores about $4 billion of $5.4 billion in cuts to public education made in 2011. It also creates … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Budget deal reached

Abbott predicts special session for redistricting

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

For the first time, someone says out loud the rumor of a special session on redistricting. Attorney General Greg Abbott let House members know in the Republican caucus meeting on Tuesday that he expects and is hoping for a special … Continue reading →

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

Maybe I buried Medicaid expansion too soon

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I still think it’s dead, but I could be wrong about that. The fate of Medicaid reform in Texas could rest solely on an up-or-down vote on the 2014-15 budget. State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, a member of the conference … Continue reading →

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

Where things stand with two weeks to go in the legislative session

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

With the Thursday midnight deadline for bills to pass on second reading in the House, I figured this would be a good time to take a look at the status of some major legislation and legislative priorities. There are two … Continue reading →

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

Perry works against his own stated interests

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t understand this at all. A bill that would have increased vehicle registration fees to raise money for transportation projects met its demise in the Texas House on Thursday. House Bill 3664 by state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So where does redistricting stand?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Redistricting: The Texas Legislature is in the final stretch of its regular session (sine die on May 27), and, at this point, in the calendar, if anything gets done, it looks like it will have to start on … Continue reading →

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

Margins tax breaks passed

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s getting a tax break. Probably not you, though. The Texas House on Tuesday tentatively cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the state’s primary business tax — cuts that proponents say will keep the Texas economy humming and opponents … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Water, water, not so fast

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. A major bill on the top of Gov. Rick Perry’s priority list that would authorize spending billions of dollars on state water projects faltered in the Texas House on Monday night after a contentious debate over … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Weekend legislative threefer

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you heard on Friday was Rick Perry stamping his feet if he doesn’t get his way. Gov. Rick Perry is warning state legislators that it could be a long, hot summer in Austin if they don’t pass his … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas Lottery Commission dies and is reborn

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And we have our first curveball of the legislative session. The House voted Tuesday to defeat a must-pass bill reauthorizing the Texas Lottery Commission, a stunning move that casts doubt on the lottery as a whole and may potentially cost … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

That’ll just about do it for gambling this session

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Carona calls the chances “slim”, but it sounds like slim just left town to me. [Sen. John] Carona, chairman of the Senate’s Business and Commerce Committee, said last week he expected to vote his sweeping gambling bill out of … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on That’ll just about do it for gambling this session

Still pondering Abbott’s redistricting motives

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib’s Ross Ramsey wonders what Greg Abbott is up to. Greg Abbott is selling a redistricting nostrum, telling Texas legislators they could cut their legal risks by adopting new political maps right away. It is a hard sell. Lawmakers … Continue reading →

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

Endorsement watch: GLBT Caucus for Sylvia

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Caucus membership met Wednesday evening to consider endorsement for the vacancy in Senate District 6 created by the passing of Senator Mario Gallegos. Members had to make a very difficult decision between two amazingly qualified and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: GLBT Caucus for Sylvia

Calling for a special session

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It started with the Texas State Teachers Association. The Texas State Teachers Association today urged Gov. Rick Perry to call the Legislature into special session now to appropriate $2.5 billion from the Rainy Day Fund and head off another round … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Shapiro backs STAAR delay

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This was unexpected. Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said Monday in a letter to [TEA Commissioner Robert] Scott that ninth-graders taking the exams this year should be given a reprieve from the 15 percent requirement during the phase-in … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Shapiro backs STAAR delay

As always, the hole is bigger than we thought

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Remember how the Republicans in the Lege underfunded Medicaid by $4.5 billion, which they will have to tap the Rainy Day Fund in 2013 to deal with, in order to make the budget for this biennium appear to be “balanced”? … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on As always, the hole is bigger than we thought

In which I try to find common ground with Sen. Patrick

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From a news item about President Obama’s nomination to helm the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Congress created the bureau a year ago this week with the enactment of the Dodd-Frank law, which overhauled financial regulations after the credit crisis. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why the budget almost didn’t pass in the special session

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that just before the House passed SB1, which was a must-pass bill for the special session and whose failure would have necessitated a second special session, the House voted it down before reconsidering and passing it on … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why the budget almost didn’t pass in the special session

The consolation prize

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Republicans couldn’t get their act together enough to pass the “sanctuary cities” bill, but they did manage to do this. A provision in the approved Senate Bill 1, the special session’s must-pass school finance bill, will require people to … Continue reading →

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

Sine Die, take two

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The House followed the Senate out the door yesterday, leaving a bit of unfinished business behind. The Senate’s version of a bill to criminalize intrusive pat-downs by federal agents with the Transportation Security Administration has died in the House, after … Continue reading →

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

House passes budget after brief meltdown

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

For a few brief moments, it looked like we were heading to double overtime, as Republicans voted down their own budget in the House. The Texas House, in a surprise turn of events late Tuesday afternoon, tentatively voted down a … Continue reading →

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

TWIA deal apparently reached

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

If this pans out we can definitely put a final wrap on the legislative season. Two key state House and Senate negotiators said today that they have reached an agreement on a bill to govern the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. … Continue reading →

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

Fiscal and health care bills pass

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s one less reason for a special session. One key budget-related bill, Senate Bill 2, won final approval from both chambers this afternoon and is headed to the governor’s desk. SB 2 is an appropriations bill that goes hand-in-hand with … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fiscal and health care bills pass

How much time will the Lege waste this week on a stunt?

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

House Speaker Joe Straus got a little frustrated on Friday. Texas House Speaker Joe Straus unleashed a rare verbal assault Friday on an effort to criminalize invasive searches at airports, assailing legislation supported by Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How much time will the Lege waste this week on a stunt?

Down to the wire for “sanctuary cities”

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s an 11th hour lobbying effort to stop the “sanctuary cities” bill as it is. As two of Texas’ most politically-involved business leaders emerged as opponents, a bill banning “sanctuary cities” lost crucial momentum Friday, raising the possibility the measure … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Down to the wire for “sanctuary cities”

Senate approves Wentworth redistricting commission bill

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’ll never get past the House, but bully for Wentworth anyway. The Texas Senate [Wednesday] approved Senate Bill 22, which would create a citizens’ commission to redraw congressional districts. Congressional redistricting is a highly political task now handled by the … Continue reading →

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

GOP finally kills Howard amendment

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, this was no surprise. An amendment from Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, that would have directed surplus money from the Rainy Day Fund to pay for enrollment growth in public schools has perished in conference committee. The House … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Senate not inclined to accept Amazon’s bribe

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. It looks like the Texas Legislature is likely to say no — at least for now — to Amazon.com’s proposal to bring 5,000 jobs to the state in exchange for a temporary break on collecting sales tax. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Senate approves TWIA bill

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Reform of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Agency was the original reason for this special session. It may yet be the reason for the next special session. Like ringing the bell at the boxing ring, the Senate today approved a bill … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Senate approves TWIA bill

All abortion, all the time

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In-fight all you want, Republicans. The clock is ticking. Abortion-rights opponents in the House have threatened to scuttle a comprehensive health care savings bill if negotiators don’t add prohibitions against abortions at public hospitals in cases of severe fetal abnormality. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on All abortion, all the time

The strip club tax is on the table

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Among the things that conference committee members will be discussing as they try to finalize the budget is a reworking of the strip club tax that was first passed in 2007. This session, while awaiting a ruling on the case … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The strip club tax is on the table

Smoking ban survives Senate committee

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The statewide smoking ban still lives. Senate lawmakers pushed a ban on smoking in public places out of committee this afternoon, sending it to the full upper chamber for a vote. Senate Bill 28, which would ban smoking indoors in … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Smoking ban survives Senate committee