Tagged: 83rd Legislature

After meeting for hours behind closed doors, House Democratic leaders declined the Republican deal on the state’s budget bill.  

Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, the vice-chair of the Democratic Caucus, said House Democrats are unified in their stance against the budget in its current form, which promises $3.2 billion for education funding.

A bill that provides $630 million worth of tax incentives has already made its way out of the House, and is now heading to the Senate floor for a vote.

The bill has been altered from its original wording, streamlining those benefiting down to one business group.

"I explained to my colleagues as we’ve been trying to work through this in the last couple of days: It’s almost like I have to pick which three of my kids gets something and which do not. It’s almost impossible," said Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, who is carrying the bill in the Senate.

At this late stage in the legislative session, most bills that haven't made it out of at least one chamber are left to the wind, but there is still a chance for a bill with bipartisan support that proposes to provide immigrants without legal documentation a driver’s permit.

Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, is carrying the bill, which was authored by Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands.

The Senate has passed a bill that prohibits the state’s transportation department from turning free roads into toll roads, but the "do-or-die" deadline is approaching fast for it to clear the House in time.

Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, authored Senate Bill 1029, which addresses the conversion of existing state roads into tollways. She said there are several highways throughout the state being eyed for this type of tolling, one of which is Hwy. 281.