Tag Archives: veto

More unemployment funds available

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The bad news is that Texas’ rate of unemployment continues to rise. The good news is that this means more federal funds for unemployment insurance are available, and these come with no conditions on them. Texas now qualifies, thanks to … Continue reading →

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Cohen pulls strip club bill

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle of the strip club bills is over, as Rep. Ellen Cohen has pulled her bill, thus killing it for the session. She said “it was clear there was an attempt to find a point of order” — a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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House committee passes SB1569

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The House Business and Industry Committee wasted no time approving the Senate bill that would open the door for Texas to get $555 million in federal stimulus money to expand unemployment eligibility. SB 1569 landed in the committee yesterday … Continue reading →

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House budget conferees announced

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Elise Hu names names. State Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, House Appropriations Chairman State Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Webb, House Appropriations Vice-Chair State Rep. Ruth Jones-McClendon, D-San Antonio State Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Houston Give credit to Burka … Continue reading →

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Busy day yesterday

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There were a lot of bills passed yesterday by one chamber or the other. My mailbox is full of press releases touting them. I’m going to go ahead and print them beneath the fold as a roundup. A few bills … Continue reading →

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Senate passes SB1569, but may not be able to override a veto

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Senate passed SB1569, the bill that accepts stimulus funding for unemployment insurance, by a 19-11 vote today. As Elise noted on Twitter, two Senators flipped to No for final passage; one other Senator was either absent or did not … Continue reading →

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House passes budget, slaps Perry

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Chris Turner, on Twitter: At 3:56 am, the House unanimously passed the budget. Believe it or not, that was earlier than was originally anticipated. The pregame chatter was that the House would have to reconvene today to finish … Continue reading →

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Senate approves stimulus funds for unemployment insurance

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Senate tentatively approved Sen. Kevin Eltife’s bill to change the state’s unemployment laws so that Texas can accept an estimated $555 million in federal stimulus dollars. […] Eltife’s bill was supported by 22 senators and opposed by … Continue reading →

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House passes veto override resolution

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little surprised that this got taken up so (relatively) quickly, but not at all surprised that it passed. The House today passed a measure that would allow Texas voters to decide whether to allow the Legislature to override … Continue reading →

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Senate committee passes unemployment insurance reform

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

You’d think, after all the high-profile squabbling over stimulus funds for the unemployment insurance trust fund, that the news of SB1569‘s advancement in the Senate might get a bit more notice than this, but apparently not. The only other story … Continue reading →

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Innocence, exoneration, and compensation

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve seen all of the stories about inmates being freed from jail in Texas after however many years inside, the result of DNA evidence proving they could not have committed the crime for which they were convicted. But what happens … Continue reading →

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Redistricting commission advances

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We know about Sen. Jeff Wentworth’s biennial efforts to create a nonpartisan redistricting commission for Texas. On Monday, those efforts advanced forward a step. By a vote of 21-10, senators approved Senate Bill 315 that would create the nine-member commission … Continue reading →

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Senate OKs needle exchange

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, the Senate did manage to do one good thing today. By a 23-7 vote — not enough for immediate final passage to the Texas House — senators approved Senate Bill 188 that will allow local health departments to begin … Continue reading →

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Senate wraps up voter ID

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, after more debate and a bunch of Democratic amendments that were rejected by the same 19-12 vote, SB362 itself was passed on second reading in the Senate on a 19-12 party line vote. There were two amendments … Continue reading →

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Another step forward for a statewide smoking ban

Posted on February 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The statewide smoking ban proposals picked up the endorsement of the state restaurant association. On Monday, the Texas Restaurant Association voted to support the measure – one they say would “level the playing field” for establishments across Texas. “With 28 … Continue reading →

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