Gov. Rick Perry has a history of using his line-item veto pen to rack up some big numbers of supposed "savings," but on the eve of his handling of the two-year state budget, some hope the Republican governor will go...
The Senate this afternoon unanimously accepted a House-Senate compromise on the budget --- with less than 10 minutes of explanation by its chief sponsor and not a single question from fellow senators. The $182.3 billion, two year spending plan will...
We warned you here late Thursday that Sen. Steve Ogden was on the prowl for budget-balancing money -- and willing to stiff a cadre of tobacco lobbyists to get his way. In his Finance Committee yesterday and on the Senate...
Lobbyists for discount brands of smokeless tobacco are livid about a "favorable tag" that Bryan Republican Sen. Steve Ogden, the Senate's chief tax bill writer, today put on a House-passed bill now in his committee. The bill is in a...
House-Senate negotiators have reached a deal on a budget, after "one of the most harmonious conferences" in recent memory, according to one co-leader of the marathon haggle -- and some concessions to Gov. Rick Perry. While final details are still...
Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, just announced he has lost his push for a funding ban on embryonic stem cell research. But Ogden put supporters of the research on notice that he won't quit striving for state guidelines on what is...
Former state Medicaid program official Anne Dunkelberg, who served in the late Gov. Ann Richards' administration, has cast a gimlet eye on Senate leaders' Tuesday announcement that Medicaid needs $1 billion more in state "general revenue" than even the Senate...
Sen. Steve Ogden, the Senate's chief budget writer, has a new approach to outlawing embryonic stem cell research in Texas: Get better information. On Monday, he persuaded all 31 senators to let him file a bill after the session's first...
Forecasts that more Texans battered by the recession will qualify for free health care under the Medicaid program will require that the program receive nearly $1 billion more in state funds, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst announced today. "One cloud has...
After the Senate this evening passed the budget, 26-5 -- all 5 no votes were from Democrats -- a reporter asked Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Sen. Steve Ogden whether they fear a sagging economy could drag down Comptroller Susan...
As Senate debate of the budget finally began in the past hour, several Democrats questioned whether the GOP-controlled Senate has violated the intent of the federal stimulus bill. Sens. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso (right), and Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, asked if...
The Senate decided to punt the embryonic stem cell research controversy to House-Senate budget negotiators, according to Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco (right). In their lunchtime huddle behind closed doors, senators decided not to try to rewrite today the embryonic stem...
As the Senate prepares to "debate" the two year state budget today, it may be useful for those who want to watch on the Internet to know that senators do virtually all of their work in back rooms. The typical...
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden (a/k/a Dr. No) tried to put his foot down today on pesky senators springing last minute "riders" to spend more. "If there's any riders that come up that cost the bill, there's got to...
Gov. Rick Perry, heralding his success at coaxing Caterpillar to build a big plant in Seguin, today asked lawmakers for a half-billion dollars so he can continue trying to lure businesses and woo filmmakers to Texas and encourage high tech...
House and Senate leaders just filed separate bills kicking off debate on what's expected to be a hold-the-line state budget this session. The Senate's version of the Legislative Budget Board "baseline budget" spends nearly half a billion more on three...
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