Hot List: day 57

Day 57 of the 82nd Texas Legislature

LINE OF THE DAY
“Where are these people going to go? They will go to the streets. We’re cutting every other place they can turn.”
State Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, on nursing home clients after proposed cuts to Medicaid.

FLOOR PLAY BY ABBY RAPOPORT
“The Democrats’ strategy is clear: Make the Republicans own this budget mess. After all, Democrats say, the GOP proposed much of the taxing structure, they got credit for giving out tax cuts, and now they should take the blame for the consequences. The problem is that this makes Democrats look like they’re sitting on their hands, playing some version of nobody-likes-me-everybody-hates-me.”  

OBSERVED
Yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Hank Skinner case will allow prisoners to request post-conviction DNA testing of evidence under federal civil rights law. According to Dave Mann, the ruling will provide, “another way to catch mistakes in the system. And that can’t be a bad thing.” 

BEST OF THE REST
State Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, has filed legislation that would take control of Texas’ enterprise and emerging technology funds out of Gov. Rick Perry’s hands and give it to two different oversight committees. Perry has been criticized for using the economic development funds to reward political supporters, but according to the Austin American Statesman, Carona claims that his bill, “is not an indictment of Perry’s staff.” 

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Planned Parenthood supporters will rally on the south steps of the Capitol today at 11 a.m. to protest funding cuts to their organization and to oppose the pre-abortion sonogram bills the House and Senate have passed.