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The Brief: May 23, 2011
“A deal’s been struck, but with just a week to go, lawmakers still have to piece together the budget puzzle. House and Senate leaders announced Friday afternoon that they’d agreed on a budget that would spend $80.6 billion over the next two years. ‘I’m pleased that the House and Senate have come to an agreement that will help balance the budget and protect Texas taxpayers while making a historic $15-billion cut in government spending,’ Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said…”
(View full article here).
Inside Intelligence: The Political Climate Is…
“The session is winding down and we asked the insiders to take stock of the state’s political atmosphere, to rate some leaders and to answer a couple of policy questions. And we slipped in a twist, using questions from a University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll that was in the field at the same time. The insiders didn’t know that, and later in the week, we’ll have a look at how their answers compared with those of registered voters in Texas…”
(View full article here).
Texas House Gives Smoking Ban Early OK
“The Texas House tentatively approved a statewide ban on smoking in public places tonight, adding the measure onto another bill that must pass in order to make the two-year state budget balance.The measure, by state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, would prohibit smoking in places like restaurants and bars. Lawmakers have tried for the last several sessions to pass such a ban. If it passes, Texas would be the first Southern state to adopt a comprehensive statewide smoke-free law, a measure expected to save an estimated $31 million in state Medicaid costs over the next biennium…”
(View the full article here)
Smoking Ban Officially Snuffed?
“Hope for a smoke-free Texas seems officially snuffed. State Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, said today that a statewide smoking ban would not live on as an amendment to Senate Bill 1811, a major ‘fiscal matters’ bill. ‘It was a combination of bad public policy, in my opinion, and the realization that there weren’t the votes,’ he said. The legislation would have prohibited smoking in restaurants, bars and other public facilities that require a license from the health department. According to the bill’s fiscal note, such a ban could save the state more than $31 million in Medicaid costs over the next biennium. A special session hinges on SB 1811, and Deuell said keeping the ban amendment in the bill puts it at risk of being derailed by a procedural objection. ‘That bill was too important to jeopardize over that issue…’”
(View the full article here)
Texas Senate Blocks Sanctuary Cities Bill
“The state’s contentious sanctuary cities bill failed to move out of the Senate late Tuesday — a move some senators said effectively killed one of the most controversial measures the Texas Legislature has considered this session. As late as 11 p.m., an aide to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said the Senate leader was still intent on bringing up the matter for a vote. (The Senate debates bills on the floor in the order they come in. Going out of order requires a two-thirds vote.) But Republicans’ efforts were unsuccessful on Tuesday. Democratic senators stayed true to their word to block the bill — an item designated by Gov. Rick Perry as an emergency piece of legislation — by voting along party lines to keep the bill from making it to the floor…”
(View full article here)
The Brief: May 24, 2011
“After days of stop-and-go budget negotiations, lawmakers on Monday night — with less than a week left to finish business — may have inched closer to a special session. The House hit a roadblock late Monday when Rep. Yvonne Davis, D-Dallas, raised a procedural objection… ”
(View full article here).
State Efforts to Take Control of Medicaid Struggling
“Texas’ efforts to take control over Medicaid, the joint state-federal health care program for poor children and the disabled, could be in trouble. House Bills 5 and 13, both measures that seek to give Texas control over the purse strings to operate Medicaid, have made it through the House, but could be tangled up in the Senate. With the clock ticking — Wednesday is the last day for the Senate to consider House bills — Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said she’s still scrambling to find the votes to bring it to the floor… ”
(View full article here).
Senate Approves Bill on Health Reform Costs
“In a mixed-bag swipe at ‘Obamacare,’ the Texas Senate approved a bill today that would require state agencies to report the costs — and savings — of implementing federal health care reform. The version of House Bill 335 passed by the lower chamber prohibits state agencies from implementing provisions of federal health care reform without first submitting a report to the Legislative Budget Board. For each federal regulation, the agency must report whether… ”
(View full article here).
Kolkhorst Keeps Healthcare Compact Bill Alive
“Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, threw herself a life raft tonight, attaching her Health Care Compact bill — a measure that would seek to give Texas control of the purse strings for Medicare and Medicaid — onto a Senate health care bill up on third reading in the House. That measure, Republican Sen. Jane Nelson’s Senate Bill 8, now heads back to the upper chamber, where Nelson has had no luck getting enough Democrats on board to bring up House Bill 5… ”
(View full article here).
Payday Lending Bill Moves to Governor
“Payday lending could soon become more transparent for borrowers looking for money fast. The House today concurred with the Senate version of a bill that would require payday lenders to disclose interest rates and fees associated with the loans. The bill now moves to the governor for final approval. Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, the House author of the bill, gave an example of a man who took out a $1,500 payday loan but ended up paying more than $12,000 to the lender…”
(View full article here).
Another Payday Lending Reform Bill Waits For Governor Perry
“A payday lending reform bill, dealing with limited state regulation of the industry for the first time, is already sitting on Governor Perry’s desk. Now, a second bill, calling for full disclosure of all of the loan terms, is headed his way. Representative Vicki Truitt (R-Keller), the author of the bill, says payday and auto title lending reform is badly needed…Truitt says there would be no surprises for consumers under her bill since, among other things; it would require the businesses to disclose all the loan terms and conditions. ‘The bill also requires the disclosure of the interest, fees and annual percentage rate to be charged to a specific consumer at the time the loan is made,’ she said. The bill would also require…”
(View full article here).
Bill Calls for More Payday Lending Transparency
“A bill aimed at increasing transparency in payday lending is on its way to Gov. Rick Perry for approval. House Bill 2592 would require payday lenders to notify borrowers of loan interest rates and fees. Lenders would also be required to provide the consumer with a statement that compares the interest, fees, and annual percentage rates charged on a payday or auto title loan to those charged by alternative financing options. The bill does not regulate the interest rates or fees of payday or auto title lenders…”
(View full article here).
In Texas, a Businesslike Budget, After a Fashion
“When Texas lawmakers said they wanted to run government like a business, they left out the part about using Enron and Countrywide as their models… In a state where legislators are constitutionally required to balance the budget, you might think that leaves only budget cuts as a way out, and you would be incorrect…budget cuts aren’t enough, or aren’t deep enough to balance the budget, given those other promises. Lawmakers, somewhat reluctantly, did agree to use $3.2 billion of the Rainy Day savings — that and the addition of money scrounged from elsewhere got them out of the current year’s deficit. Then they started acting like real business people. Bad ones. They cheated…”
(View full article here).
State Budget Deal Calls For $15 Billion in Cuts
“A compromise budget that cuts state spending by $15.1 billion over the next two years is heading to lawmakers for a final vote before Monday’s legislative adjournment.But on another critical front, an impasse remained over school finance as House and Senate leaders near the make-or-break point for reaching a deal before time runs out. Negotiators approved the $172.3 billion biennial budget Thursday, ending nearly four months of contentious deliberations over the dominant issue of the session. The House and Senate are expected to vote on the two-year spending plan Saturday…”
(View full article here).
The Brief: May 25, 2011
“One of the most notoriously complicated components of the state budget has lawmakers — just five days from the finish line — clamoring for a fix. The state’s complex system of public school financing has beset lawmakers, who must alter the current system to account for a $4 billion cut to public education — and must find a patch quickly to avoid forcing a special session… ”
(View full article here).
Patrick Considering U.S. Senate Run
“State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, appeared on conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham’s show Friday morning to announce he is considering a run for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Patrick spent the first several minutes discussing his failed bill that would have criminalized ‘invasive’ searches by TSA agents at airports in Texas. He blamed his fellow senators and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for not standing up to the federal government…”
(View full article here).
Natural Gas Vehicle Bill Heads to Perry’s Desk
“The Texas Senate sent a bill to Gov. Rick Perry’s Desk Thursday afternoon that will establish incentives for companies to buy natural gas-fueled vehicles and help fund fueling stations in the “Texas Triangle” between Houston, San Antonio and Dallas-Ft. Worth. Senate Bill 20 would redirect the funds from the existing Texas Emissions Reduction Program – which replaces or retrofits heavy-duty construction equipment and other vehicles that emit high levels of pollution with less noxious equipment — toward those that specifically use natural gas. Here’s a summary of the bill by the House Research Organization. Natural gas producers have been big supporters of the measure…”
(View full article here).
Gov. Rick Perry to Sign Voter ID Bill Into Law
“Gov. Rick Perry is scheduled to sign into law a measure that requires Texans to show photo identification before voting. The scheduled Friday morning signing would mark a victory for Republicans who have been fighting for a photo ID requirement for years. Perry declared the bill a legislative emergency early on, creating a legislative battleground. Republicans asserted the law is necessary to prevent voter fraud. Democrats say it’ll only boost conservative voter margins by intimidating minorities and the poor. The law would require voters to present a valid state or federal photo ID. A driver’s license, personal ID card, military ID, passport or concealed handgun permit would be accepted…”
(View full article here).
The Brief: May 26, 2011
“Tense budget negotiations continued Wednesday, but it didn’t take long for an airport ‘groping’ ban, an ensuing rowdy protest and vicious political sniping to steal some of the spotlight. The drama started Tuesday night, when the Senate killed a bill backed by conservatives that would have allowed Texas to criminalize “invasive” searches by federal airport-security agents. The bill appeared likely to pass until the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to the state threatening to close Texas airports if the legislation became law…”
(View full article here).
Doctors Tout Texas’ Brand of Tort Reform
“Dozens of Texas ER doctors swarmed Capitol Hill this week to tell lawmakers that the Lone Star State has just the prescription for what ails a health-care industry burdened by runaway costs: limiting big-bucks lawsuits against physicians. That’s what Texas did in 2003, when the Legislature placed a cap on the so-called ‘noneconomic’ damages that can be awarded in medical liability cases. The reform’s supporters say it protects doctors from ‘frivolous’ lawsuits that ultimately drive up insurance premiums – and also makes the state an enormously popular destination for doctors, a key selling point as experts warn the nation may need 150,000 more physicians to treat the newly insured once the federal health-care law takes effect. ‘The real benefit in Texas has been more doctors – over 21,000 new doctors – since tort reform was passed in 2003,’ said U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands. ‘For families in the suburbs and rural areas of Texas, that means access to local specialists in emergency and children’s care that simply didn’t exist before…’”
(View full article here).
Craddick, Seliger Say Courts Drawing Congressional Maps Not Ideal
“With just a few days remaining and still no congressional redistricting map passed, area representatives said Texans could be at a disadvantage when the lines finally are drawn. Because the issue likely will not be completed during the regular session, West Texas representatives said a panel of judges, who may not take the same pains lawmakers would when crafting district boundaries, will draw the map. ‘It’s a terrible mistake and a shortfall of this session,’ said Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, speaking from the House floor this week on the lack of a map. Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo and chairman of the Senate Redistricting Committee, said if the congressional map is the only major thing left undone when the Legislature adjourns on Monday, he wouldn’t expect Gov. Rick Perry to call a special session for redistricting…”
(View full article here).
Gov. Rick Perry Openly Flirts With Whitehouse Run
“Texas Gov. Rick Perry, in his boldest statement yet about a possible run for national office, said Friday he will think about launching a campaign for president in coming days. ‘I’m going to think about it,’ Perry said. He quickly added, ‘I think about a lot of things.’ Perry, the longest serving governor in the United States, was speaking to reporters after a signing ceremony marking the passage of a bill requiring Texans to show photo ID before voting. A reporter noted that Hispanic Republicans in the Legislature were urging him to run and had already endorsed him…”
(View full article here).
Session Not Yet Over, Tea Partiers Renew Battle Against Straus, Pledge Cards
“The gavel hasn’t yet marked the close of arguably the most conservative session of the Texas Legislature in anyone’s memory — and already tea partiers have renewed their efforts to oust Texas House Speaker Joe Straus and reform the way state representatives pick their leader. On Friday, May 20, Michael Openshaw, a leader of the North Texas Tea Party, called on tea partiers to contact their House members and demand that they refuse to sign ‘pledge cards’ (traditionally binding loyalty agreements to a particular Speaker candidate) until after the 2012 elections…”
(View full article here).
TribLive: Three GOP Veterans On 82nd Session
“At this morning’s TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands — about how they and their GOP colleagues fared this session. We touched on, among other topics, the fate of sanctuary cities legislation, the influence of outside groups, the potential political consquences of cuts to public ed and whether Rick Perry should run for president in 2012. Four extended clips from the interview are attached below…”
(View full article here).
The Brief: May 27, 2011
“In a change of pace, things have taken a decidedly, ahem, prurient turn in the closing days of the legislative session. On Thursday, two days after drama escalated in the state Senate over an airport “groping” ban, a gender war broke out in the House over a special-interest group’s use of a graphic image on flyers passed around the chamber and an accusation that a male lawmaker had displayed pornography on the House floor, the Tribune’s Emily Ramshaw reports…”
(View full article here).
Capitol Digest: Buses in Shoulder OK’d; Some Family Planning Money Returned to Budget
“A surprise rider to the 2012-13 state budget, agreed to Thursday by a House-Senate conference committee, would continue the Women’s Health Program, which provides contraceptive care and health screenings to 120,000 low-income women… The Senate, after a minor change, on Wednesday approved a bill that would allow Capital Metro buses and those in four other Texas counties to evade freeway congestion by driving on highway shoulders. The legislation’s prospects with Gov. Rick Perry, who vetoed a version of this bill in 2009, are less certain…”
(View full article here).
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