Tag Archives: veto

Perry vetoes “dark money” bill

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Gov. Rick Perry has vetoed a divisive measure that would have forced some tax-exempt, politically active nonprofits to disclose their donors. That effectively kills the measure for this session; lawmakers stripped a similar amendment from an Ethics … Continue reading →

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Lege passes a Lilly Ledbetter bill

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is some fine work, but it’s a little early to be giddy about it. A bill that seeks to prevent pay discrimination against women narrowly passed the Texas Senate on Wednesday. “Employers who are doing the right thing and … Continue reading →

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Dark money

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a small step, if it’s allowed to be taken, but the bill to require donor disclosure on so-called “dark money” is a step in the right direction. Senate Bill 346 takes direct aim at the cloak of anonymity that … Continue reading →

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Maybe I buried Medicaid expansion too soon

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I still think it’s dead, but I could be wrong about that. The fate of Medicaid reform in Texas could rest solely on an up-or-down vote on the 2014-15 budget. State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, a member of the conference … Continue reading →

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Council approves safe passing ordinance

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the press release: Mayor Annise Parker and Houston City Council Members today unanimously approved an ordinance to protect Houston’s cyclists and other vulnerable road users by requiring cars and other motor vehicles to keep a separation of more than … Continue reading →

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Houston considers a “Safe Passing” ordinance

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to hear it. Though it boasts a growing biking culture, Houston is the only major city in Texas without a safe-passing law requiring motorists to share the road with cyclists and others. City leaders now want to change that. … Continue reading →

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Houston may ban texting while driving

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This will likely come before City Council later this year. Houston will consider an ordinance banning texting while driving if the Legislature again fails to enact a statewide ban, Mayor Annise Parker said Tuesday. Parker, flanked by 30 people ranging … Continue reading →

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How about a local safe passing law?

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Man, I’d forgotten about this. After Gov. Rick Perry’s veto in 2009 blocked a statewide law requiring drivers to keep a minimum distance from cyclists on the road, 13 cities approved a model safe-passing law developed by cycling advocates. Dallas … Continue reading →

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Here are the vetoes

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Sunday was the deadline for Rick Perry to sign, veto, or leave unsigned all of the remaining bills from the regular legislative session. He had 1170 pieces of legislation awaiting a decision while he was busy gallivanting around the country. … Continue reading →

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Bill in US Senate to make Amazon pay sales taxes

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As someone who believes that online retailers like Amazon should collect sales taxes and who believes that federal action will be needed to make that happen, I’m glad to see this. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says he plans … Continue reading →

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House defies Perry over Amazon and sales taxes

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is a pleasant surprise. Breaking with Gov. Rick Perry, the Texas House today refused to kill a provision that aims to tighten the state’s rules on when online retailers like Amazon.com must collect sales taxes. The vote could force … Continue reading →

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Perry vetos Amazon sales tax bill

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he did. Gov. Rick Perry has vetoed legislation that was aimed at tightening the state’s rules on when online retailers must collect sales taxes on Texas transactions, the bill’s author said this morning. Perry had earlier criticized Comptroller … Continue reading →

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TV recycling redux

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Back in 2009, the Lege passed a bill that would have required television manufacturers that sell TVs in Texas to set up a recycling program for old sets. This was modeled after similar legislation passed in 2007 for computers and … Continue reading →

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Senate passes Amazon sales tax bill

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Senate has overwhelmingly passed a measure aimed at tightening the state’s rules on when online businesses must collect sales tax. Senators voted 30-1 [Friday] to pass House Bill 2403, a measure that originated with Rep. John Otto, … Continue reading →

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Here comes the Senate budget

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We know that the Senate budget will spend more money than the House budget, not that this is a high bar to clear. We know that the Senate has searched high and low for the funds to support the higher … Continue reading →

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RIP, health exchange bill

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t say this is a surprise. State Rep. John Zerwas, the Simonton Republican who has filed legislation to implement one of the key elements of federal health care reform, said his bill may be permanently stuck. Zerwas, who proposed establishing … Continue reading →

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What the decision to use Rainy Day funds means for school districts

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From School Zone: As you might know by now — unless you’re tuning out the news over spring break — the House Appropriations Committee, with Gov. Rick Perry’s blessing, agreed to spend up to $3.2 billion from the rainy-day fund … Continue reading →

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Ogden on board with Pitts about Rainy Day Fund

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Steve Ogden, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, joins with his House counterpart Rep. Jim Pitts in endorsing the use of the Rainy Day Fund to at least close the deficit from the 2010-11 biennium. Senate Finance … Continue reading →

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House repeals Doggett Amendment

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This may be a partial answer to my earlier question about the status of the $830 million in federal education funds that await Texas if Governor Perry will attest that they will be actually spent on education. In the latest … Continue reading →

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Killing the DREAM in Texas

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Something else to look forward to. State Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt (R-Lexington) has filed legislation that would abolish Texas law granting in-state tuition to certain undocumented college students. The 2001 law, written by then-state Rep. Rick Noriega (D-Houston), was a precursor to … Continue reading →

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The cost of jailing parole violators

Posted on December 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We sure do spend a lot of money putting people in jail that don’t really need to be there. Each month, an average of 2,286 state parole violators are housed in Texas jails, a policy costing taxpayers at least $42 … Continue reading →

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Our healthcare system is great, if you ignore all those people who can’t afford it

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. John Zerwas demonstrates that being a physician doesn’t make you qualified to talk about health care reform. His article is as embarrassingly idea-free as his national colleagues’ plan was. After the usual paean to tort “reform” and invective … Continue reading →

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Perry meddles again

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

All of his shenanigans with the Texas Forensic Science Commission have kept Governor Perry busy lately, but not so busy that he can’t mess with other things, too. Gov. Rick Perry plans to reshuffle the board leadership of the state’s … Continue reading →

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The veto that keeps on giving

Posted on September 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Bicyclists are still pissed off at Rick Perry for his veto of the Safe Passing bill. The man does have a talent for making people dislike him.

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Harper-Brown vows to try again on Safe Passing bill

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The bicyclists will not go away despite the setback on the Safe Passing bill. A state legislator’s unsuccessful efforts to pass a “safe passing” bill for cyclists said Wednesday that an accident involving her granddaughter has renewed her interest in … Continue reading →

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Environment Texas scorecard

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Environment Texas scorecard (PDF) for the 2009 legislative session. A few points of interest: – There were seven scored voted for Senators, and eight for the House. For all but two, the “right” vote was Yes, which is … Continue reading →

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Safe Passing bill still in the news

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The father of a driver accused of killing two bicyclists last summer recently urged Gov. Rick Perry to veto a bill that generally would have required motorists to give vulnerable road users more space when passing them. Cyclists believe … Continue reading →

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A&M and the Emerging Technology fund

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Loren Steffy tells us about politics infecting research at Texas A&M. And Rick Perry is involved. Shocking, I know. In January, the state awarded A&M $50 million from the Emerging Technology Fund, which purports to benefit private-sector technology startups, for … Continue reading →

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Texas Voices update

Posted on July 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Grits gives a report. I was pleased to get to spend a little time with Mary Sue Molnar and the folks at Texas Voices (a group made up of families of registered sex offenders) at their statewide conference here in … Continue reading →

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The bicyclists strike back

Posted on July 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I know that circulating a petition isn’t the sort of thing that means much in politics, but sometimes a show of names can have an effect. BikeTexas, which is still chafing about the veto of the Safe Passing bill, has … Continue reading →

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Hochberg responds to Perry’s veto

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this last week, but State Rep. Scott Hochberg sent out a press release, which is posted on the House website about Governor Perry’s veto of his bill HB1457. If Governor Perry was denied a voter registration certificate because … Continue reading →

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Smith bashes Perry for vetoing HB3148

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Todd Smith takes Governor Perry to task for vetoing HB3148, which would have exempted some teenagers who had engaged in consensual sex with a minor less than four years younger than themselves from having to register as sex offenders. … Continue reading →

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Special session starts tomorrow

Posted on June 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The special session everyone knew was coming to address the disposition of several state agencies begins tomorrow. So far, at least, the agenda hasn’t changed from the original call. Gov. Rick Perry is being pressed to add issues ranging from … Continue reading →

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The whole “two thirds” thing is more flexible than you might think

Posted on June 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Jeff Wentworth is mad as heck about some Senate rules shenanigans, according to the Statesman’s Jason Embry. Wentworth, R-San Antonio, thinks that Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst abused his authority in the recently completed legislative session, and he wants … Continue reading →

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