Tag Archives: constitutional amendments

Where things stand going into early voting

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A few impressions of the state of the races as we head into early voting. Mayor – The thing that I will be looking for as initial results get posted at 7 PM on November 5 is how the gaggle … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Endorsement watch: For the amendments

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron stumps for the constitutional amendments on the ballot this year. It’s an off-year election, but Texas voters still have good reasons to go to the polls Nov. 5. In addition to local races, they’ll be deciding nine proposed … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: For the amendments

Mostly looking good for Prop 6

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A good poll result for the water infrastructure Constitutional amendment. Texans support $2 billion in water infrastructure financing by a better than 2-to-1 margin, but nearly a quarter haven’t decided how they will vote on the issue this November, according … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The water campaign begins

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The most high profile constitutional amendment now has a campaign behind it. Supporters are laying the groundwork for an aggressive effort to educate voters and drown out opposition with roughly one month before early voting starts. A coalition of political … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The water campaign begins

Meet your Constitutional amendments

Posted on August 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib runs down the nine proposed constitutional amendments that will be on the ballot this November. First on the ballot will be HJR 62, by state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, which would authorize the Legislature to provide a property tax exemption for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

And that’s a wrap on Special Session 3

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. The Texas Legislature adjourned its third special session since May on Monday night after passing a measure estimated to increase transportation funding by $1.2 billion annually if Texas voters approve it next year. “Let’s adjourn this mutha,” said state … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Yeah, they’re still working on a transportation funding bill

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The committee hearings will continue until morale improves. After consulting with members from both the House and Senate, state Rep. Joe Pickett decided to make some minor changes to his latest transportation funding proposal. On Thursday — the third day … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Yeah, they’re still working on a transportation funding bill

Maybe the same failed approach will work this time

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It could happen, right? Transportation experts now estimate that the state needs $5billion a year to keep Texas moving. The proposal that fell apart in the House this week would add less than a billion annually. And after months of … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Special Session 3: Beyond Thunderdome

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Beyond ridiculous, if you ask me, not that they did. Standing before mostly empty chairs in the 150-member Texas House on Tuesday, House Speaker Joe Straus adjourned the second special session and announced that Gov. Rick Perry would be calling … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Transportation deal dies

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Technically, it’s not dead till sine die, but it sure is on life support. A compromise plan to spend $848 million on Texas highways just landed in a ditch. House members voted down a plan to split oil and gas … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Transportation funding deal completed

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

All over but for the voting. House and Senate leaders reached final agreement Saturday afternoon on how to protect the state’s rainy day fund as they propose to shift half of future rainy day dollars into roads, according to an … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Transportation funding deal completed

Lege may have found a way on transportation funding

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As of Thursday, Special Session 3: Beyond Thunderdome was looming. Both chambers of the Legislature were filled with activity Thursday afternoon but they ended up essentially where they had started: waiting on House and Senate negotiators to come up with … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Transportation bill heads to conference committee

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still that fundamental disagreement in approach to be worked out somehow. Representatives from the House and Senate are preparing to spend the next week informally negotiating a compromise proposal to boost funding for the Texas Department of Transportation, with … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

House passes different transportation bill than the Senate passed

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Our endless summer of special sessions isn’t over yet. The Texas House on Thursday gave final passage to a measure to boost funding for transportation projects, though few members expect it to survive the Senate without significant changes. After more … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House passes different transportation bill than the Senate passed

Senate passes non-abortion bills, committee passes HB2

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The decks are cleared on the Senate side for the main event. In a speedy Thursday morning meeting with little debate, the upper chamber passed Senate Bill 2 with a 30-1 vote, allowing Texas judges and juries to sentence 17-year-olds … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Senate passes non-abortion bills, committee passes HB2

Elsewhere in the House

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

No action on transportation yet. House budget writers on Tuesday ended a hearing on transportation funding with no clear decision about how to raise money for Texas roads. The House Appropriations Committee is considering several proposals to see which has … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Elsewhere in the House

First lawsuit filed against Texas Double Secret Illegal Anti-Gay Marriage amendment

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Probably not a game-changer, however. A Galveston man filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging a provision of the Texas Constitution defining marriage as a union of a man and a woman. Domenico Nuckols, 60, said he believes he will prevail … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

There are other items on this session’s agenda

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I know, hard to believe, but there are two non-abortion items on the session agenda, and the Senate has already taken preliminary action on two of them. Six hours before a marathon state House committee hearing on abortion, two Senate … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on There are other items on this session’s agenda

What does the DOMA decision mean for Texas?

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, the day after the disappointing SCOTUS ruling on the Voting Rights Act, we got a much more heartening ruling on DOMA, declaring it to be unconstitutional. However, not all of DOMA was struck down. In a landmark Supreme … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Last redistricting bill passes Senate, House debates abortion bills

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It was destiny. The Texas Senate on Sunday wrapped up final redistricting loose ends by concurring with changes made by the House to political boundaries for the lower chamber. In an 18-11 vote, the Senate signed off on a series … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Transportation funding advances

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Between redistricting and abortion, transportation funding has taken a bit of a back seat in the special session despite being the first additional item on the agenda. The Senate took the first step on that yesterday. Despite concerns raised by … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Opposition gearing up for the water fund amendment

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The legislation to create a state water infrastructure fund, and the joint resolution that authorized tapping the Rainy Day Fund for up to $2 billion to seed it, had a rocky road in the legislature and wasn’t completed until the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We appear to have a budget

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Took them long enough. After days of jockeying and one-upsmanship, the Texas House and Senate each approved measures Wednesday evening critical to passing their next two-year budget. “The results of these two bills together is a good conservative budget, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We appear to have a budget

The fight over domestic partnership benefits is just beginning

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Stuff like this was inevitable. Leaders of two Christian groups want City Council to stop extending benefits to domestic partners of city employees, now that the state attorney general has called the benefits unconstitutional. City officials reject the demand, at … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The fight over domestic partnership benefits is just beginning

Still no support for term limits

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. The full House, for the second time in eight years, drove a stake through the chance of imposing term limits on the governor and other statewide officeholders. The proposed constitutional amendment that would have gone to voters … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Still no support for term limits

Senate officially taps the Rainy Day Fund

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Well done. Texas senators hammered out a sweeping deal to increase state funding for water and transportation projects and schools on Tuesday, tackling some of the thorniest issues of the legislative session all at once. The senators voted 31-0 for … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Senate to tap that Rainy Day Fund

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It is just sitting there, not doing any good if it’s unused. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, laid out an ambitious plan to spend $6 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund on Thursday morning while also … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

More on the potential Coushatta casino

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Houston Press cover story from last week is about the Alabama-Coushatta tribe’s efforts to get a casino again. It covers a lot of the same ground as that Chron story I blogged about on Sunday, but it also reminds … Continue reading →

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the potential Coushatta casino

Senate to consider expanded gambling

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t really take it seriously when I heard that Sen. John Carona had filed his own gambling expansion legislation, but it seems it’s got some traction. A proposal from Dallas Republican Sen. John Carona would establish a commission that … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SCOTUS same-sex marriage cases likely won’t affect Texas

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not yet, anyway. But it’s a matter of time. Charles “Rocky” Rhodes is a professor at South Texas College of Law. He says the case that involves the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, is narrowly focused. “The provision of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Term limits measure approved by the Senate

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Coming to your ballot this fall, barring anything strange. State­wide elected officials would be limited to two consecutive terms under a proposed constitutional amendment approved 27-4 by the Texas Senate on Tuesday. Gov. Rick Perry, Texas’ longest serving governor, and … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Term limits measure approved by the Senate

Pushing back on Perry

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t really believe that Rick Perry is running for President again, and if he is I don’t expect he’ll be taken very seriously. I’m not even sure if he’s running for Governor again. But if he does run for … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The redistricting commission idea rides again

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Jeff Wentworth is no longer in the Senate, but his signature idea for a bipartisan redistricting commission still lives, now in an expanded form. State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) filed a proposed constitutional amendment Wednesday that would move responsibility for … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The redistricting commission idea rides again

Marriage equality bill filed

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As I said before, some things you do because they’re the right thing to do. State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, filed a bill Thursday to permit same-sex couples to marry, calling it a “Valentine’s Day gift to all Texans.” … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Marriage equality bill filed