Lawmakers Slam Disclosure Bill and Freshman Carrying It
Members of a powerful legislative committee on Wednesday rebuked freshman Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, over a transparency bill he filed that would require legislators to disclose government contracts with businesses in which they or their family own at least a 50 percent stake.
Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, a member of the House State Affairs Committee, painted Capriglione’s House Bill 524 as a “vendetta” and called the legislator “sour grapes," accusing him of bringing politics — and in particular his successful effort to unseat former state Rep. Vicki Truitt — into his lawmaking.
“There’s a concern you’ve got bad motives ...
Comments (8)
Diane Thorpe
Sounds like Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, Rep. Patricia Harless, R-Spring, and Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston have some business dealings they'd prefer to keep hidden. If you're doing things right - operating your businesses ethically and in accordance with the law - what's wrong with disclosure as written in HB 524?
The competitive disadvantage? Exposing the competitive advantage(s) you and your businesses received when you got elected.
R L
All citizens should be very disappointed in the reception this bill got before the committee.
hans5162@ix.netcom.com hans
What competitive business model? Feeding at the public trough?
Mack Green
Accounting of Public school billion$, Planned Parenthood million$, UT and A&M regent $election, busine$$-leaning judicial appointments, insurance "regulation", consumer "protection", voucher million$, sweetheart loan million$, TXDOT and infrastructure billion$, energy billion$, toll road million$, lottery general fund million$, CSPRIT million$, oversight of health and pharmaceutical billion$, fees and licensing million$ and other fund$ run through the fingers of our officials. It begs logic to think that some of this booty does not percolate into the pockets of elected crooks. "Trust but verify" is the gist of the bill. Why justify the cynicism and suspicion of the electorate? Does greed want to muddy transparency? Bet on it, (unless you're in on the deal).
Carol Morgan
The number of lawmakers that rejected this bill is directly commensurate with the number of shameless crooks we have in the Texas Legislature.
If you rejected it then you have something to hide.
Please don't think you've fooled again, ladies and gentlemen.
Anya Khan
Write an email or call your Representatives. This disclosure is not a burden, it is honesty.
Jill Strong
Rep. Giovanni Capriglione should be very proud to have name on this peice of legislation.
The people that are sceaming the loudest are those with something to hide.
R L
Rep. Capriglione did the right thing with this bill. He was elected on openess and disclosure. Truitt was a pig at the trough. I am ashamed of Hildebrand, Harless and Huberty.