Texas House Democratic leader Jim Dunnam today probed Gov. Rick Perry's lead appointee on workforce policy issues about the delicate subject of looming employer tax hikes. Higher rates of unemployment insurance tax would refresh the state's tapped-out unemployment compensation trust...
Speaker Joe Straus took heat from Democratic leaders today for refusing to recognize their bid late last night to force a quickie vote on unemployment insurance. In a phone interview, he returned fire. From Friday through Tuesday, Straus said he...
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...
Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, and Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, appear to be chubbing the unemployment bill to death. Jim Dunnam is very animatedly talking to the speaker. And along comes Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton. With a question. Surprise, surprise!...
The House took up the bill to accept federal stimulus money for jobless Texans -- by meeting a requirement that the state expand eligibility -- with just over 20 minutes left before it will die at midnight. The bill is...
The House, after an all-day debate of top 10 percent at universities, is back on the infamous Local and Consent Calendar. This time, it's giving "3rd reading" or final approval, to the 200 or so Senate bills that Democrats slow-talked...
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...
The House just approved a budget provision forcing Gov. Rick Perry to risk losing his precious deal-closing money if he persists in trying to reject extra federal stimulus funds for unemployment insurance. The House approved giving the governor that Hobson's...
For the past two hours, House members have side-stepped almost all record votes on proposed amendments to the budget. Conveniently, that has allowed them to dodge tough votes. One after another, amendments have fallen prey to "points of order," or...
Texas Association of Business president Bill Hammond has a two-track message going as fallout continues over Gov. Rick Perry's rejection of federal stimulus money for unemployment insurance last week. The theme song from the old TV show "Bonanza" could be...
Robert T. Garrett reports: AUSTIN -- Texas should take a half-billion more federal stimulus dollars that it can tap by allowing more jobless workers to qualify, Democrat legislative leaders said today. The Democrats said GOP Gov. Rick Perry should consider...
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