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Day 128 of the 82nd Texas Legislature

LINE OF THE DAY
“I cannot allow the voting rights of hundreds of thousands in my district to be trampled.”
Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, during yesterday’s Senate redistricting debate that ended with passage of a map that threatens her seat

FLOOR PLAY BY ABBY RAPOPORT
 

OBSERVED
Yesterday, the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee piled a handful of controversial amendments to the already questionable Senate Bill 9, the homeland security bill by Sen. Tommy Williams, R-X. While the legislation doesn’t have a House sponsor yet, representatives still added E-verify, southbound checkpoints and “asset forfeiture legislation” to it. Melissa del Bosque lays out more details in her latest post. 

BEST OF THE REST
Yesterday, state Comptroller Susan Combs raised her initial state revenue estimate by $1.2 billion. Though that additional money may help bridge the gap between the House and Senate budgets, there’s still more that needs to be done to pass a budget both chambers can agree on. As Kate Alexander of the Austin American-Statesman reports, passing a fiscal matters bill in the House today is an important step to passing the budget, as well as school finance reform. 

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
It’s going to be a busy day in the House as representatives debate major “fiscal matters” bills that generate revenue to help balance the budget. Also, a Senate committee will consider the infamous sanctuary city bill this morning, while the full Senate may pass an eyewitness identification reform bill.