A constitutional amendment on eminent domain passed unanimously in the Senate tonight, adopting language that would bar governments from taking private property exclusively for economic development. The conference committee version of HJR 14 is the result of negotiations between...
A safety net bill for state agencies passed along party lines in the Senate, granting a stay of execution for a number of state agencies under sunset review that - for whatever reason - didn't see their reviews passed...
The Texas Youth Commission passed its sunset review in the Senate, which voted 31 - 0 to continue the agency. The final version of HB3689 has a few noteworthy changes from its original version, including revisions to a supervisory board...
House Bill 51, a major effort on funding for public universities in Texas, received unanimous approval by the Senate this evening. The legislation identifies funding incentives and programs to boost universities, and its ultimate goal is to help expand...
The University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law received the seal of approval from the Senate, which voted unanimously to approve the facility. Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, spoke briefly to thank Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and other legislators...
The black helicopters are circling in the Senate - sort of. Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, made a famous comment on "black helicopters" while pushing legislation on confidential needle exchanges last week. Deuell, a physician, said a needle exchange program...
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...
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...
A statewide smoking ban was endorsed by a Senate panel today, after authors agreed to exempt cigar bars, patios of restaurants and bars, and nursing homes. Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston (right, Austin American-Statesman photo), said the compromises were necessary to...
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...
Three things struck me as I watched senators, moments ago, treat retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor like a rock star: 1) I've never seen Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, be so nice to a Republican. He fawned...
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will be honored today by the Texas Senate for her service to the country and advocacy for more research that may cure Alzheimer's disease, from which her husband John has suffered for...
Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio (right) just warned the Senate's GOP budget architects that they haven't done enough to make sure doctors and dentists will treat impoverished children. Referring to last session's settlement of...
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...
The Senate has retreated into a caucus of the whole, behind closed doors. Democrats are said to have drafted perhaps seven or eight floor amendments. Also, Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, the Senate's chief budget writer, supposedly needs to make sure...
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...
Within two hours of the Senate vote on the voter-ID bill, the Texas Republican Party was touting its success in an on-line appeal to raise money. The Senate, meeting as a committee, passed the bill requiring a photo ID to...
After 23 hours, the Senate closed testimony at 9 a.m. this morning in an around-the-clock hearing on voter ID. The contentious issue has divided Democrats and Republicans. Democrats say the requirement for a photo ID to vote is aimed at...
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