ustxtxb_obs_1995_04_07_50_00001-00000_000.pdf

SARAH BIRD ON JOHN GRAVES’ RIVER Pg. 22 APRIL 7, 1995 $1.75 A JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES The Session at Midpoint Republican Laws from Democratic Lawmakers BY JAMES CULLEN MIDPOINT IN A LEGISLATIVE session is kind of like midway through a horror movie. Bad things already have happened to good people, but you know worse is to come. In the 74th regular session, Republican Governor George W. Bush says he only has a few priorities. But those priorities include defanging citizen-plaintiffs in lawsuits against businesses, privatizing the school system, forcing mothers off welfare rolls, making it harder to protect the environment and putting younger offenders behind bars for longer terms. Irascible Democratic Lieut. Gov . Bob Bullock is hearing second-hand grumbling from Democratic senators who are upset that his legislative agenda has a lot more in common with the Republican minority than the Demo cratic majority. And the House of Representatives, under laconic Democratic Speaker Pete Laney, is shaping up as the cooling chamber for hot-button issu As of March 20, the 70th day of the 140 session, the Senate had passed 146 bills an joint resolutions \(which propose state constitutional start, had passed 25 bills and joint resolutions out o .. the 4,943 on file. About one-fourth of the bills are ei 2.:1 pected to get through both chambers. Following is the A-B-Z Guide to the Legislature far. Education will be covered elsewhere, as Austinbashing. By the time you read this we m had to let a couple letters go for space reasons’ , ing with the legislative custom, they might stated at a later date if space becomes available refers to a bill originating in the House and S.B. Continued on page 4