Legislative

Jul 2, 2009, 08:43

Twenty-five summers ago, a special session touched off changes in public schools
State lawmakers on Wednesday started a special session to keep some agencies alive — probably no cliffhanger. But special sessions occasionally mean much more. Twenty-five summers ago, Texans beheld a session with life-changing significance. By that July 4, lawmakers approved House Bill 72, changing how Texas schools operate, along with tax increases to fund it. Among the results: Preschool for disadvantaged students, smaller elementary-school classes, mandatory standardized tests before graduation and "no-pass, no-play," meaning students must pass classes to participate in extracurricular activities. Also, the school finance system began to seek equity among districts. And teachers got big pay raises that Gov. Mark White had failed to achieve in 1983. Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, House Speaker Gib Lewis and state Comptroller Bob Bullock served on a select committee that White had named after Lewis told him the Texas House wouldn't upgrade teacher pay until schools seemed on the upswing. [ View Article ] Jul 2, 2009, 08:35

Legislators make quick progress on two of three special-session issues
Special Session! AUSTIN — With the bang of a gavel — and a three-day deadline to be home for fireworks and Fourth of July parades — Texas lawmakers got back to work Wednesday. Their mission: to resolve three transportation-related issues left unaddressed during the regular session, which ended June 1, according to Gov. Rick Perry, who called the special session. By day’s end, progress had been made on the first two priorities — extending the life of five state agencies, including the transportation and insurance departments, and authorizing $2 billion in road-building bonds that voters had already approved. But a third — extending the Texas Department of Transportation’s authority to enter contracts for public or toll roads — seemed to be up in the air. [ View Article ] Jul 2, 2009, 08:32

Senate passes SB 2
Special Session! The Texas Senate just approved Senate Bill 2, the measure that will continue the operations of five state agencies — including the transportation, insurance and racing agencies. The unanimous vote marked the first approval of the first item on Gov. Rick Perry’s agenda for the special legislative session. It now goes to the House for consideration. A House committee approved the measure earlier today. Perry also wants the Legislature to authorize $2 billion in voter-approved road-building bonds, and extend the authority for the Texas Department of Transportation to contract for privately built toll roads. A vote on a bill concerning the bonds could come in the Senate as soon as tomorrow. [ View Article ] Jul 2, 2009, 08:32

Athens: Texas Legislature begins special session
District 4 State Representative Betty Brown was among the legislators on the floor of the Texas House Wednesday during the first meeting of the special session. Governor Rick Perry ordered the lawmakers back to Austin to tackle three items left undone in the regular session, that ended June 1. The governor thinks the work can be finished in time for the July 4 holiday weekend. [ View Article ] Jul 2, 2009, 08:01

For Texas lawmakers, special session that starts today could be a quick one
State legislators head back to the Texas Capitol today after a one-month absence to wrap up unfinished business. Gov. Rick Perry has called them back to work, hoping a few days will be enough to handle three items not resolved during the 140-day regular session, which ended June 1. On the agenda: making sure five state agencies keep operating, issuing billions of dollars of highway bonds for road projects and determining whether to let the Transportation Department work with regional mobility authorities. "Transportation is such an important issue to our region that I believe it is critical that we go back and finish our job," said Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound. "We must reauthorize the important state agencies that were up for [review], and we must be sure the critical transportation dollars are allocated." [ View Article ] Jul 1, 2009, 08:39

Governor Perry sets short agenda for Texas special session
Get in, get out and leave town in time for the July 4 holiday. That’s what Texas Gov. Rick Perry has in mind for state lawmakers who will be back in the Capitol on Wednesday for a special session Perry called to extend the shelf life of some critical state agencies and allow the Department of Transportation to issue $2 billion in bonds for building roads. [ View Article ] Jul 1, 2009, 08:19

Governor says session’s task is set in stone
Sepcial Session Tomorrow! AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry is being pressed to add issues ranging from children’s health care to voter identification to the agenda of the special session that begins Wednesday, but his answer is still no. Perry, a Republican, made clear when he called the session last week that he wants lawmakers to take just a few days to complete must-do business left undone in the regular session, then be gone. He hasn’t changed his mind, spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said Monday: “The governor has already announced what will be addressed during the special session and at this time doesn’t have any intentions to expand the call.” Perry, who controls special-session agendas, has included continuing five state agencies that otherwise would expire; allowing road bonds to be issued; and providing for public-private agreements on specific transportation projects to go forward. [ View Article ] Jun 30, 2009, 08:31

Many want Gov. Perry to add to special session's agenda
Special Session! AUSTIN – The special work session for legislators beginning Wednesday is likely to be short, but not necessarily sweet. Advocates for unfinished business, ranging from expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program to lowering homeowners insurance, are disappointed the governor won't tackle what they see as pressing needs. [ View Article ] Jun 30, 2009, 08:31

Toll road item may threaten session
Special Session starts tomorrow! The spoiler of Gov. Rick Perry's midsummer's dream of a three-day special session could be the "Nichols language." The consensus seems to be that few problems exist with the first two items on Perry's session "call" — essentially the allowable agenda for the session — that would extend the life of five state agencies, including the Texas Department of Transportation, and allow TxDOT to issue $2 billion in debt.But there could be trouble with the third and last item, legislation granting a reprieve [ View Article ] Jun 30, 2009, 08:31

Charter school bill fell short
The recent editorial heaping praise on a failed charter-school bill and heaping blame on Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, for blocking it misses the mark on both counts. The bill's primary impact would have been to make it much easier for mediocre to poor charter schools, not just successful ones, to create new campuses. The bill's modest accountability provisions were essentially window dressing. State officials already have the authority to shut down bad charter schools. What's been lacking is the will or capacity to exercise that power effectively. [ View Article ] Jun 30, 2009, 07:45

Landmark education bill signed into law
Recently, Gov. Rick Perry signed into law House Bill 4294. The landmark bill gives all Texas public schools more liberty in its decisions regarding money spent on textbooks. “House Bill 4294 is landmark legislation that will place Texas at the forefront of education reform nationally, dramatically enhancing and enriching the learning environment for our public school students,” said Johnny Veselka, executive director of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). The bill was authored by Rep. Dan Branch [ View Article ] Jun 29, 2009, 08:36

Education bill crucial to our area
The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3, a critical education reform bill that will help meet the diverse interests and career aspirations of our student population. Thanks to the support of many organizations, educational institutions and elected officials, this bill also will help our local industry to keep the workforce pipeline full — well into the future. Here’s why this educational reform bill is so important to our community. The energy industry is a mature business — and so is its work force. Many of the employees who helped build the U.S. energy industry are reaching retirement age and soon will exit — or already have. They leave their legacy to a new generation, many of whom unfortunately have not been given opportunities to receive the education required to prepare them for energy-industry jobs [ View Article ] Jun 29, 2009, 08:32

State approves funding for virtual schooling
State legislators recently passed a bill that will allow more high school students the ability to access virtual schooling now that state funding is available. The Texas Virtual School Network (TVSN) will provide additional opportunities and options for Texas students through online courses. Students will be able to participate in online courses that are led by teachers. [ View Article ] Jun 29, 2009, 08:32

Perspectives on July 1 Special Session

Gov. Perry Announces Special Session for July - Governor Perry

Please visit http://governor.state.tx.us/news/proclamation/12758/ to view the governor’s proclamation announcing the special session

Perry predicts special session will be short - Fort Worth

8th Perry special session - Austin

Special session: Perry calls 'em back - Amarillo

Governor expecting quick action on state's work - Houston

Special Session - Going to ruin vacation plans - Burka

Special session may not be enough to keep Dallas-Fort Worth road projects going - Dallas

Perry calls special session for July 1 -Beaumont

Special session to cover 3 issues - Austin

Jun 26, 2009, 08:35

Texas Gov. Perry’s veto on pre-K funding bill made sense after a closer look at amendments
Gov. Rick Perry’s veto of a bill designed to increase both funding and standards for pre-kindergarten programs caused head-scratching and disappointment. First of all, HB 130 had gathered broad support after extensive debate and passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly. The measure started out as a means to help districts such as Fort Worth and Arlington that faced reduced state grant funding for pre-K classes when the Texas Education Agency decided to spread that pool of money further. [ View Article ] Jun 26, 2009, 08:32

Texas Gov. Perry's veto on pre-K funding bill made sense after a closer look at amendments
Gov. Rick Perry’s veto of a bill designed to increase both funding and standards for pre-kindergarten programs caused head-scratching and disappointment. First of all, HB 130 had gathered broad support after extensive debate and passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly. [ View Article ] Jun 26, 2009, 08:16

Perry Veto Raises Ire Of Texas Retired Teachers
Gov. Rick Perry vetoed House Bill 2656 last week, a bill that would have changed the composition of the nine-member board of trustees for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas to make room for another retiree. The governor vetoed the bill, authored by Doug Miller, R-New Braunfels, on Friday. According to the governor's veto statement on his Web site, he said the bill "decreases the number of Teacher Retirement System (TRS) board members with financial expertise, an inappropriate adjustment in these uncertain economic times. [ View Article ] Jun 25, 2009, 08:36

Tech Industry Applauds Governor Perry for Signing Landmark Measure Giving Texas Schools Greater Access to Innovative Content and Technology
The member companies of TechNet today applauded Governor Rick Perry for signing into law House Bill 4294, a landmark measure that will put the state of Texas at the forefront of providing its students with greater access to a wider range of innovative and up-to-date learning materials and technological equipment that will allow educators to teach and inspire students. [ View Article ] Jun 25, 2009, 07:50

Kolkhorst upset by bill’s veto
State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst is pleased that Senate Bill 1, the state’s two-year budget, was signed by Gov. Rick Perry over the weekend with very few changes, but blasts the governor for vetoing House Bill 518. The 518 bill was one the Brenham Republican authored giving college tuition reimbursement to correctional officers who commit to work for the agency for a period of time. “SB 1 secures millions for Walker County and for that I’m grateful, but I’m very, very disappointed about the veto of HB 518,” said Kolkhorst. “At a time when we are wanting to improve our workforce and allow our correctional officers to advance their careers, this veto is ill-advised.” [ View Article ] Jun 24, 2009, 07:25

Property tax reform measures pass piecemeal
Although some major taxpayer protections like easier rollback elections did not see the light of day this session, a few bills that could positively affect property owners managed to funnel through both chambers. Their destination: the Governor’s desk for signature or to the Secretary of State’s office for a statewide vote come November. The bills may not eliminate taxpayer abuse, but they could make it more cumbersome to perpetrate and cover up. Many of the reforms come from Rep. John Otto’s (R-Dayton) omnibus property tax reform bill, HB 2, which never received a hearing. Rather, it broke up into several stand-alone bills, some of which passed. [ View Article ] Jun 23, 2009, 08:31

Rep. Hughes reviews legislation
District 5 State Rep. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) reviewed the recent legislative session during a luncheon meeting of Harrison County Republican Women. "I am happy to share great news. The session is over," Hughes quipped as he began speaking on Friday. "Some good things happened and we stopped some bad things." The following is a list of topics on which Hughes commented. [ View Article ] Jun 23, 2009, 08:13

Dunbar Strikes Again
State Board of Education member Cynthia Dunbar is stirring up controversy again. You remember her: The creationism-supporting board member from Richmond represents SBOE District 10 (which includes the northern half of Travis County) and just a few days before the presidential election published an editorial repeating the "Obama was not born in America" conspiracy theory and warned that if elected, ... [ View Article ] Jun 23, 2009, 08:03

Texas Gov. signs bill to aid storm insurance fund
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed into law a bill to restructure the state's windstorm insurance fund, the only property insurer for homeowners and business in 14 coastal counties. [ View Article ] Jun 23, 2009, 08:00

Editorial: Rick Perry's curious veto pen
As he signed into law a new two-year state budget, Gov. Rick Perry also vetoed 37 bills last week, including a few that left us scratching our heads. At the top of our "huh?" list is his ill-advised veto of a bill making full-day pre-kindergarten instruction available for more at-risk youngsters. This veto frustrated sponsors and supporters to no end, since they had worked long hours to pass it. And they had worked across party lines to get the support of leaders like Jim Pitts, the Waxahachie Republican who heads the House Appropriations Committee, as well as numerous business executives. [ View Article ] Jun 23, 2009, 07:30

Gov. Perry Announces Final Decisions on Legislation
Article has list of vetoed bills and governors statements - AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today announced his final decision on major legislation passed by the 81st Legislature. “I am proud of the accomplishments lawmakers made this session and thankful for their solid leadership,” said Gov. Perry. “However, there was some legislation that, in its final form, would have done more harm than good to our citizens. After thoroughly and thoughtfully reviewing all legislation, I am confident that the final outcome of all bills passed will move Texas in the right direction, equipping our state to answer future challenges and providing better opportunities for all Texans.” Gov. Perry signed legislation allowing public schools to purchase electronic textbooks (HB 4294), and issued an accompanying executive order (see link below to view) supporting the State Board of Education’s (SBOE) role in the electronic textbook approval process. [ View Article ] Jun 22, 2009, 08:38

Pre-K bill vetoed
Gov. Rick Perry has vetoed a bipartisan bill aimed at improving the quality of pre-kindergarten classes in Texas, bill author Rep. Diane Patrick, R-Arlington, said Friday afternoon. “It’s a bad day for public education and for Texas’ youngest and neediest children,” Patrick said. House Bill 130 would have put in place new quality standards for pre-kindergarten classes, including teacher training and class size limits. The classes serve children who are homeless or in foster care, have a parent in the military, have limited English-speaking skills or whose families are low-income. The original bill would have expanded pre-kindergarten classes from half-day to full-day for the children who now qualify for the program. But the initial $623 million price tag proved too much for the Legislature to swallow in a tight budget. The final bill that cleared the Legislature, while keeping the quality standards, provided $25 million in grant money for districts that already have full-day pre-kindergarten but were slated to lose state funding. [ View Article ] Jun 22, 2009, 08:38

Watson blasts Perry over vetoes
One vetoed bill that didn’t get much attention was House Bill 1293, which created disclosure requirements and consumer-education standards for the sale and marketing of life insurance and annuities. Perry says in his veto message, “This legislation designates any violation of these standards as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, which would expose agents and insurers to private claims for damages, attorney fees and costs for any such violation. Because the Texas Insurance Code already addresses suitable remedies for such offenses, I am opposed to this bill, which creates greater opportunities for frivolous litigation throughout the state.” [ View Article ] Jun 22, 2009, 08:31

State approves funding for virtual schooling
State legislators recently passed a bill that will allow more high school students the ability to access virtual schooling now that state funding is available. The Texas Virtual School Network (TVSN) will provide additional opportunities and options for Texas students through online courses. Students will be able to participate in online courses that are led by teachers [ View Article ] Jun 22, 2009, 08:25

Perry skips the surprises in signing $182 billion budget
Gov. Rick Perry, muting his usual criticism, generally praised lawmakers and signed into law a two-year, $182.3 billion budget Friday after making barely a change. [ View Article ] Jun 22, 2009, 08:15

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