Some final thoughts on the Texas House this session: At first, it sounded like rhetoric. You know, like Chairman Mao saying let a thousand flowers bloom. But it's now clear that Joe Straus really meant what he said back in...
Despite a few red lights by Fort Worth lawmakers, the House this afternoon passed and sent to the governor a bill authorizing creation of a Dallas law school. It would be called the University of North Texas at Dallas College...
Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Garland, stood before the House moments ago and read a "love note" to her husband, Darcy Button. He was in the gallery. It's his 54th birthday. "Whenever I asked for a cruise vacation, you always claim...
Deep East Texas Rep. Wayne Christian's cockfighting bill got loaded up with another measure inspired by other questionable activities "behind the Pine Curtain" -- specifically, the motorist seizures by tiny Tenaha, pop. 1,000. Last winter, the seizures were denounced as...
Democrats just lost an effort to ratchet up the stakes for the Texas Department of Insurance. If they'd succeeded, pressure would mount to take up a bill to reauthorize the department, which would force members to take campaign-handy record votes...
Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, says he's a "firm no" against the proposed local option transportation tax provision in the TxDOT sunset bill. "It's a terrible time to take money out of the efficient private sector and put it in the...
I learned yesterday that the House Press Corps has a lemming streak to them. I was covering the House yesterday - the first time I spent more than an hour in the press box, which was pretty cool - when...
Legislative leaders are discussing strategy to ensure that a bill on windstorm insurance is passed in the twilight hours of the session, according to House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. Speaking to the press corps on Wednesday afternoon, Straus...
Abusive state school and state hospital employees could be included in a public "Employee Misconduct Registry," under an effort that was just revived in the Texas House. The registry is designed to help employers screen employee applicants; this effort...
Speaker Joe Straus, shoring himself up in his GOP caucus, is taking flak from the Democrats -- and planning to seek a second term as speaker in 2011. Straus, R-San Antonio, filed papers declaring candidacy for another term as speaker...
Rep. Edmund Kuempel, R-Seguin, was released from an Austin hospital today, and will head to another facility for physical therapy. Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, was barely finished with his announcement when the applause began on the House floor....
If you've followed the Texas House the past 10 days, a recurring -- and sometimes painful -- discussion has been Rep. Ismael "Kino" Flores' demand for his disabled veterans' tax break bill to be heard. At various times, Flores (right),...
When the clock struck midnight, Republicans were poised to call a point of order that the midnight deadline had been reached. The bad "Obama bill" was dead. Take that, you dirty Democrats. But wait! Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, had an...
One-hundred fifty men and women are more or less trapped in the House chamber and environs for Memorial Day weekend, so it has the feel of an ocean liner: Members are thwarted by the voter-ID bill controversy from doing big...
A key member of House leadership, Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, says the hot-button issue of requiring photo IDs to vote will hit the House floor Saturday. Pitts, chairman of the House budget-writing panel, just told members of that committee: "Members,...
Rep. Edmund Kuempel, who collapsed at the Capitol last week during a late-night House session, is "sitting up in a chair" in his hospital room. He's also cracking jokes, said his friend, Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth. Geren said Kuempel,...
El Paso Democratic Rep. Norma Chavez, a UT dropout a quarter-century ago, went back to school in 2006. She now is graduating from the state's flagship university with her bachelor's degree. The House took time out to celebrate. Rep. Dan...
The Legislature has blown past the deadline for it, not Gov. Rick Perry, to have the last word on whether to accept $556 million in federal stimulus money for unemployment insurance. The Senate passed bill is still before the House...
Rep. Edmund Kuempel, recovering after he collapsed during a late night House session last week, continues to improve, a colleague reported this morning. "His eyes were open and he clearly recognized me and smiled," said Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth,...
After some 20 hours in which things got "personal" between Reps. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, and Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, finally we had a light moment in the past hour. Rep. Mike "Tuffy" Hamilton, R-Mauriceville (right), went to the back microphone to...
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