Government

A bill that would’ve decided the fate of voting maps for members of the Texas House initially failed to pass because of several extended phone conversations.

After waiting for over 15 minutes for Republican members to return to the hearing for a vote, an order was given to find the missing representatives.  

After a vote was cast, Rep Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, who is the committee chairman, asked to be excused to check the back offices for the missing Republicans.

Some House Republicans feel that too much time is being spent debating abortion legislation during the special session and not enough time on roads.

The House first assigned a set of four abortion bills to a select committee on Monday, giving the bills a later start than their Senate companions, but despite that there are some who feel the bills have a fighting chance.

Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, who is the chairman of the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, has asked that the State Marshall’s Office and Department of Public Safety work together to compile a website where people can identify dangerous chemical sites.

Col. Steve McCraw, who is with the Department of Public Safety, said currently there are 129 chemical plants in Texas that house dangerous chemicals, two just like the one in West.

A poll sponsored by a bipartisan group of non-profits and industry shows that a majority of Texans support a current immigration reform bill.

The poll was sponsored by the Alliance for Citizenship, Partnership for a New American Economy and Republicans for Immigration Reform.