Tag Archives: stimulus

Senate passes SB1569, but may not be able to override a veto

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Senate passed SB1569, the bill that accepts stimulus funding for unemployment insurance, by a 19-11 vote today. As Elise noted on Twitter, two Senators flipped to No for final passage; one other Senator was either absent or did not … Continue reading →

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House passes budget, slaps Perry

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Chris Turner, on Twitter: At 3:56 am, the House unanimously passed the budget. Believe it or not, that was earlier than was originally anticipated. The pregame chatter was that the House would have to reconvene today to finish … Continue reading →

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Senate approves stimulus funds for unemployment insurance

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Senate tentatively approved Sen. Kevin Eltife’s bill to change the state’s unemployment laws so that Texas can accept an estimated $555 million in federal stimulus dollars. […] Eltife’s bill was supported by 22 senators and opposed by … Continue reading →

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Perry says “Look at me!”

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In advance of yesterday’s teabag-a-rama, Governor Rick Perry made a successful ploy for a little national attention. WAKE UP CALL: TEXAS GOV. BACK RESOLUTION AFFIRMING SOVEREIGNTY Tue Apr 14 2009 08:44:54 ET AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry joined state Rep. … Continue reading →

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Katy Freeway managed lanes set to open

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Christof notices a banner ad on chron.com for the Katy Freeway managed lanes, which are set to open on Monday, April 18, and gives us an update on them. The lanes will now be open 24 hours a day, 7 … Continue reading →

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Doing the easy part

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Dan Patrick gets his day in the sun. Wednesday is the deadline for paying federal income taxes, but it’s also when state lawmakers will consider cutting franchise taxes for 132,000 small businesses in Texas including 24,000 in Harris County. … Continue reading →

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From the “Silver Linings” department

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The economic downturn plus the housing market crash means there’s never been a better time for local governments to bid out construction projects, with more contractors than usual getting involved and competing on price. The increased competition has cut costs … Continue reading →

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UI update

Posted on April 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The headline says it all: GOP holds key to unemployment stimulus dollars. Against the wishes of Gov. Rick Perry, lawmakers are pressing ahead with efforts to claim $555 million in federal economic stimulus money for unemployment benefits. With all of … Continue reading →

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Council OKs TIRZ deal for Regent Square

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The deal to jumpstart Regent Square, the idle development on Allen Parkway, was approved by City Council yesterday. The program, approved unanimously by City Council, will reimburse the developer of Regent Square — a 4-million-square-foot community that will abut Allen … Continue reading →

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Oh by the way, the unemployment trust fund is going broke

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Floor Pass has the bad news. The Texas Workforce Commission released its latest projection for the unemployment insurance trust fund balance, and the news is even worse than last month’s. TWC estimates the fund’s balance will have plummeted to just … Continue reading →

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House panel passes its budget

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The House Appropriations Committee takes care of business. House budget writers today backed a $178.4 billion, two-year state budget that would give a $1,000 bonus to state government employees [who make less than $100,000 a year], retired teachers and retired … Continue reading →

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DCCC targeting CD10

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good to hear. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will begin running radio ads next week in the districts of six Republicans, all of whom voted against the economic recovery package. One of the six targeted districts, though, sticks out from … Continue reading →

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Senate passes budget

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that the budget presented by the Senate isn’t a big step backwards, which was a real concern given the bleak financial picture and the huge obligation of the property tax cuts, which we continue to be … Continue reading →

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Stimulus package, Council-style

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

What to make of this? Houston is set to embark on a program to provide a boost to some of the city’s biggest developments, many of which have been put on hold amid the ongoing financial crisis. The plan aims … Continue reading →

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Senate committee passes unemployment insurance reform

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

You’d think, after all the high-profile squabbling over stimulus funds for the unemployment insurance trust fund, that the news of SB1569‘s advancement in the Senate might get a bit more notice than this, but apparently not. The only other story … Continue reading →

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Senate panel approves budget

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, the Lege has one task they absolutely must do every biennium, and that’s pass a budget. The Senate Finance Committee has taken its first step towards doing that. A two-year state budget that accepts federal stimulus money … Continue reading →

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OK, you can use some stimulus money on rail

Posted on March 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Whew! Federal transit officials on Tuesday reversed course and agreed to allow Metro to use nearly $30 million in economic stimulus funds for utility relocation work on the proposed North and Southeast rail lines, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee announced. Just … Continue reading →

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Ogden’s stem cell skulduggery

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sigh. Steve Ogden may have lost support of Senate Democrats for SB 1 with his surprise rider prohibiting state funds to be used in stem cell research, or as the rider states: ”in conjunction with or to support research that … Continue reading →

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Property values declining

Posted on March 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The housing slump that has battered much of the country for two years finally has trickled down to Harris County, where residential property values have declined or stagnated for the first time … Continue reading →

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Not everybody isn’t hiring

Posted on March 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The downturn in the economy has created an opportunity for the Houston Police Department to bolster its ranks. A year ago, the Houston Police Department could barely muster enough recruits to fill a 70-seat academy class. Now with 1,000 applicants … Continue reading →

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That other budget

Posted on March 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve spent a lot of time lately talking about the state budget – more than the Lege has spent, I daresay – but while this is happening there’s also the federal budget, the first one President Obama has proposed, to … Continue reading →

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Stimulus? What stimulus?

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’m basically agnostic about the plan to convert HOV lanes to HOV-plus-toll lanes that Metro is floating. Like Christof, who was quoted in the story, I don’t think it will make that much difference in terms of actual traffic flow, … Continue reading →

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Senate wraps up voter ID

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, after more debate and a bunch of Democratic amendments that were rejected by the same 19-12 vote, SB362 itself was passed on second reading in the Senate on a 19-12 party line vote. There were two amendments … Continue reading →

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Planning the workaround

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

While one may feel reasonably optimistic about the chances of a legislative override to Governor Perry’s decision to reject stimulus funds for unemployment insurance, it never hurts to try to grease the skids a little. Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson … Continue reading →

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Parker versus Perry

Posted on March 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I like this. Houston City Controller Annise Parker sharply criticized Texas Governor Rick Perry today for rejecting $555 million in federal stimulus money that would have funded unemployment benefits for out-of-work Texans. “In January alone, more than 65,000 Houstonians were … Continue reading →

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For the money, I sure hope so

Posted on March 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

News flash: Travel times on the newly-expanded Katy Freeway have improved. The expansion of 23 miles of roadway along the Katy was completed in October. The $2.8 billion project took five years to complete and added 18 lanes between the … Continue reading →

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Lege versus Gov on unemployment funds

Posted on March 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Showdown time. The House committee charged with recommending how to use the federal stimulus money does not see eye to eye with Gov. Rick Perry on the $555 million for unemployment insurance. In a 5 to 1 vote, the committee … Continue reading →

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Once more with the stimulus and unemployment insurance

Posted on March 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

By the way, the money that the state has in reserve for unemployment insurance is rapidly being depleted. Just so you know. [Tuesday], the Texas Workforce Commission announced that the unemployment trust fund is now expected to be almost depleted … Continue reading →

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Money for movies

Posted on March 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Clay Robison reminds me of something in a discussion of Governor Perry’s resistance to spending stimulus money on expanding unemployment insurance. Right after giving the back of his hand to thousands of jobless workers, he was promoting a $60-million handout … Continue reading →

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“Houston first”

Posted on March 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

City Controller and Mayoral candidate Annise Parker has proposed a new policy for giving Houston firms an advantage when bidding for city-financed work. Under Parker’s plan, when companies bid on a city project — say, to build roads or provide … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court OKs Grand Parkway Segment E work

Posted on March 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved an agreement to build and maintain a segment of the Grand Parkway connecting the Katy Freeway and U.S. 290, but questions over what would happen if the county ultimately decided the … Continue reading →

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Activists tell TxDOT to slow down and be open

Posted on March 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The following is a press release from a coalition of activists, including the Sierra Club, Environment Texas, Independent Texans, Houston Tomorrow, and the CTC: Representatives of a broad coalition of quality of life, political reform, and environmental groups and citizens … Continue reading →

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Morrison speaks on the Grand Parkway

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Fort Bend County Commissioner Richard Morrison writes about the recently-greenlighted Grand Parkway Segment E and the possibility that stimulus funds could be used to fund what will become a toll road. If Segment E is funded from the stimulus money … Continue reading →

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Here come stimulus money

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The first batch of funds is arriving. The Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated more than $500 million to Texas cities and counties on Monday, part of a wave of stimulus money expected to flow into the state. Federal … Continue reading →

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