News

Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, a house leader on the Legislative Budget Board, said the joint committee has hit snags in several areas, but has reached a tentative agreement on some key spending issues in regard to Senate Bill 1, the state budget bill.

"Hopefully we will have an agreement sometime today on public education," Pitts said, adding that they were discussing $3.2 billion for public education would be taken from the state general revenue and property tax appraisals.

Voters cast their ballots over the weekend and now that the city elections are over - except for two June runoffs in Districts 5 and 8 - the direction of policies in San Antonio will largely continue uninterrupted.

This is mostly to do with the fact that voters chose candidates like Mayor Julián Castro, District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal and District 4 Councilman Rey Saldaña, who all support progressive issues.

From now on political nonprofit groups will have to post any contributions being received from lawmakers or money going towards political campaigns thanks to a bill passed in the Texas Senate and now House.

Bexar County is beginning a new project in its 10-year, $500 million flood control plan, and the public is invited to ask questions about the project at tonight’s information session.

The meeting is to inform residents, business people and other members of the public what will be affected by the $8.5 million project on VFW Blvd. near Roosevelt Avenue.

In the first segment:

The low-information voter: The often-complained-about citizen who knows when voting day is, but not enough to make a sound decision on the issues, or candidates.

At least that is what the people who lose think.

This term is often thrown around when "people vote against their interest" or "the media frames an issue in a way to mislead."  

The San Antonio Area Foundation has received one of its largest single gifts in its history thanks to a gift bequeathed in the will of Mary Jane K Lewis.

Area Foundation Spokesman Joel Williams said Lewis had been a contributor with her late husband since 1994.

"In her will she left the Area Foundation more than $7 million to manage and to have it in a permanent fund that makes annual grants to local charities," Williams said.

Following the arrest of several deputies in the past week, Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau told reporters she has implemented programs to address disciplinary problems among deputies and detention guards.

In three separate incidents, two deputies were arrested at their homes in connection with domestic violence issues.

Paul Berry, a sheriff's department spokesman, said that in another incident two jail guards got into a fight Sunday evening.

The Cleto Rodriguez Elementary School library is receiving a complete renovation and makeover with the addition of new books.

Volunteers were hard at work piecing together new tables and bookshelves and thanks to The Heart of America Foundation and Capital One 6,000 books are being donated.

"We’ll be painting the walls, we’ve added inspiration quotes, we’ve shelved books, we’re also providing financial literacy in all the classrooms ," Monica Shortino, a community relations manager with Capital One.

The House and Senate established a provision as part of the Senate’s budget that requires passage of a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas oversight bill in order for the group to be funded by the state.  

Early this month Senators passed a set of bills, one authored by Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Dallas, that add a new level of oversight and transparency for the troubled CPRIT.   

Currently drivers are required to put down their cell phone while driving through the areas of a school, which are usually governed by flashing lights and warning signs. 

House Bill 347, which was authored by Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, and sponsored by Sen. Bob Nichols, R-Jacksonville, takes that law two steps further.