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Day 95 of the 82nd Texas Legislature

LINE OF THE DAY
“I don’t think Texas is looking for cute ways to address the reality of tough times.”
Gov. Rick Perry on eliminating high cost natural gas tax exemptions.

OBSERVED
Turns out not every program is on the chopping block. The Senate Education Committee has sent a bill to the floor that would let more schools participate in a federal program that provides poor children free, healthy meals during the summer months. 

BEST OF THE REST
A special delegation of California law makers met with Gov. Rick Perry yesterday over how to improve the business climate in the Sunshine state. While Perry touted low business taxes as key to economic success, protestors gathered outside the downtown hotel to bemoan deep budget cuts to public education and human services.  

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
The House is set today to hear three sunset bills—the bills that take a look at an agency’s overall purpose and efficiency. Among the agencies up for discussion is the Department of Information Resources, and debate may well turn to the recent information breach at the state comptroller’s office that exposed millions of Texans’ personal data for over a year. 

Day 94 of the 82nd Texas Legislature

LINE OF THE DAY
“We should not cast stones until we fix our own problems.”
State Rep. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, on the House resolution encouraging the federal government to balance its budget

FLOOR PLAY BY ABBY RAPOPORT
If, as most social conservatives hope, the sonogram bill gets passed into law this session, it will likely be thanks to Sen. Carlos Uresti, the Democrat who struck a deal to exempt rural counties from a 24-hour waiting period. Uresti spoke to us about his compromise—and why he still would have preferred a two-hour statewide waiting period.  

OBSERVED
For right-to-life groups and some conservative lawmakers, one of their main goals this session is to defund Planned Parenthood. But these policies, along with stripping funding for state family planning services, will lead to more unplanned pregnancies, and likely more abortions.  

BEST OF THE REST
If you’re in the Texas Senate, don’t plan on leaving the floor any time soon. As the Austin American-Statesman reports, two Democratic senators planned to leave to greet First Lady Michelle Obama, they discovered a colleague was going to use their absence—and missing votes—to get the “guns on campus” bill to the floor. Normal accommodations, which would have postponed the bill until they returned, were denied. 

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Around the Capitol today, look out for outsiders—a California delegation is in town to learn about Texas’ economic model. Meanwhile, the House will convene at 10 a.m. and hear a controversial animal breeder bill, as well as legislation that would create a commission to investigate post-exoneration convictions.

Day 93 of the 82nd Texas Legislature

LINE OF THE DAY
“I guess everybody’s going to have guns before we’re through up here.”
Sen. Rodney Ellis on Sen. Dan Patrick’s proposed bill allowing Texas lawmakers to carry guns everywhere.

FLOOR PLAY BY ABBY RAPOPORT
Senate Finance Chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, has been clamoring for a serious reform of  the state’s business tax. But because tax bills must originate in the House, Ogden has to convince House Republicans, who won’t touch anything that even resembles a new tax. As Abby Rapoport reports, instead of talking about large scale tax reform, the House Ways and Means Committee is considering permanent tax exemptions for small businesses.  

BEST OF THE REST
A provision inserted in the last-minute deal that prevented the federal government from shutting down last Friday will repeal the Save Texas Schools Amendment. The move will free up $832 million in government funding for Texas education, but state Democrats are worried that Gov. Rick Perry, who spearheaded the campaign to remove the amendment, will use the money for programs other than education. 

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Two of Perry’s “emergency items” are schedule for debate today in the House. The eminent domain bill passed out of the Senate earlier in the session will be debated on the House floor along with the House resolution calling on the federal government to balance its budget.

Day 92 of the 82nd Texas Legislature

LINE OF THE DAY
“I’m hopeful this is just a bump in the road. I don’t have a very clear crystal ball.”
State Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, on whether he will have the votes to bring up his concealed carry on campus bill in the Senate today,

FLOOR PLAY BY ABBY RAPOPORT
After weeks of in-fighting, a deal with Sen. Carlos Uresti appears to have paved the way for the contentious pre-abortion sonogram bill. The latest version of the bill includes a stringent 24-hour provision —and the carveout Uresti got for rural areas.

OBSERVED
When it comes to Planned Parenthood this session, some lawmakers and pro-life groups would rather let ideology rule than facts. In her latest post, Alexa Garcia-Ditta looks at some questionable testimony that could lead to trouble for the Women’s Health Program. 

BEST OF THE REST
At a House Ways and Means committee yesterday, representatives took up four bills that would extend the small business tax exemption. As the Austin American-Statesman reports, such an exemption will cost the state $150 million over two years, something opponents argue we just can’t afford right now. 

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Is three times the charm for the concealed carry on campus bill in the Senate? We’ll see today, as bill author Jeff Wentworth will give it another go on the Senate floor. He’s not the only one looking for votes—Sen. Dan Patrick will try again to bring up his legislation that would require a two-third votes for any tax bill. 

Day 91 of the 82nd Texas Legislature

LINE OF THE DAY
“I see other Ana Hernandez Lunas out there, that given the opportunity to excel, I think they will.”
Rep. Ana Hernandez Luna, D-Houston, on immigrant rights and the looming sanctuary city bill.

OBSERVED
An amendment to the state budget proposed and passed by Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, would require some Texas universities to allocate money for “Traditional and Family Values” centers. As Eileen Smith writes in her latest column, “Such centers would hopefully counter the already existing militant campus organizations promoting “alternative sexual practices,” otherwise known as fraternities.  

BEST OF THE REST
Rep. Rob Orr, R-Burleson, has a proposal that would provide an additional $200 million to Texas public schools without raising taxes. Sound too good to be true? It might be. As Peggy Fikac of the Houston Chronicle reports, Orr’s proposal to take money from the $25 billion Permenant School Fund, is likely to provoke some fierce opposition from some Texas lawmakers. 

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, will try again today to pass his bill to allow guns on college campuses. Wentworth was forced to take the bill down last Thursday after two Democrats pulled their support. The Senate is scheduled to convene at 1 p.m.