Items of Interest Compiled by Arnold Public Affairs
With the beginning of the 82nd Legislature this week, Members are quickly shaking off the sluggishness of the Interim period and gearing up for the 20-week-long regular session ahead. After ambitiously vowing to address major issues such as immigration, redistricting, voter identification, and the deficit, lawmakers must face one of the most politically-charged legislative agendas in recent history. Below are some general items of interest pertaining to the latest political developments and important events:
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Straus Cruises to Re-election as Speaker of the Texas House
“The 82nd Legislature got under way Tuesday as House Speaker Joe Straus quelled a conservative rebellion to retain his leadership post…Straus, a San Antonio Republican who became speaker in 2009, was elected to a second term by a 132-15 vote after his two challengers, Reps. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, and Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, dropped out…”
(View full article here).
Senator Ogden Calls for Major Changes in School Funding, Medicaid
“Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden, the new Senate president pro tempore, used his election to that post Tuesday to lay out to fellow senators some of their primary tasks in tackling a massive revenue shortfall that is expected to dominate this year’s legislative session. Ogden said a solution to the bleak budget picture is within reach, but will require tough decisions in such areas as education and health care…”
(View full article here).
Texplainer: What’s an Emergency Item in Texas?
“The Texas Legislature meets for 140 days every two years. During the first 60 days of those sessions, they’re barred from passing legislation. They can look at it, fiddle with it, hold hearings and all of that, but they can’t actually vote on it. Unless it’s declared an emergency by the governor, in which case they can hurry up and vote (if they want to). On the first day of the current session, Gov. Rick Perry put abolition of ‘sanctuary cities’ and property rights/eminent domain on the emergency list. He’s expected to add voter ID legislation to that list soon…”
(View full article here).
Texas Lawmakers Move to Ban Synthetic Marijuana
“Texas lawmakers announced Wednesday they hope to ban the production, sale and possession of six forms of synthetic marijuana in legislation they said would be the most comprehensive in the nation. The legislation seeks to ban new chemical compounds that mimic tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana…”
(View full article here).
Court Denies Texas Request to Halt Greenhouse Gas Permitting
“A federal court has denied Texas’ request to halt a federal takeover of greenhouse gas regulations in the state. Texas — which has refused to implement federal greenhouse gas rules that came into effect on Jan. 2 — had asked for a stay of Environmental Protection Agency plans to directly issue greenhouse gas permits to affected companies in the state. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s single-page decision was the third recent denial of stay to Texas on this matter…”
(View full article here).
Hutchison Not Running in 2012
“U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Thursday she won’t seek re-election next year, ending a nearly 20-year tenure in Washington and opening up one of the best jobs in Texas politics. ‘When my current term is up, I will have served Texas for 19 years in the United States Senate,’ Hutchison said in a statement. ‘I intended to leave this office long before now, but I was persuaded to continue in order to avoid disadvantage to our state…’”
(View full article here).
Texas Budget Proposals Call for Thousands of Job Cuts
“Budget recommendations being prepared for Texas lawmakers are expected to call for eliminating at least 8,000 state jobs, officials said Thursday. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst told reporters that a Senate version of a base budget for the next two years would eliminate 8,000 positions. A House budget bill expected to be released Tuesday also recommends reducing the state work force, House budget chief Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, said in an interview with The Texas Tribune…”
(View full article here).
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