The House passed HB 2 that would extend the property tax cuts to the elderly and disabled. Burkablog posts some of the front and back mike patter while everyone awaited the gavel to start the House Public Health Committee testimony on the HPV vaccine. Capitol Annex posted on the aftermath of the long floor debate and the passage of HB 2.
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Lots More Lotto
Another of Gov. Rick Perry's pet projects, the proposed sale of the State Lottery, might be tied to expanded gambling in Texas, according to a post on Eyes on Williamson County.
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The Yesterday Fund
A warning and a recommendation from Comptroller Susan Combs that the Texas Tomorrow Fund be closed permanently (it's been "temporarily" closed since 2003) got a lot of blog space over the past few days. Houtopia posted a good history of the pre-paid tuition program, and says the Lege is to blame for the Tomorrow Fund demise because it deregulated college tuition. Likewise, Burnt Orange Report has a post from Glenn Smith that also takes the Legislature to task for its short sightedness. Smith, a veteran reporter and political operative, says it is in effect, a tax on the middle-class.
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The Chisum Trail and the Talton Gang
Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, provided comic relief after his distribution of a memo against the teaching of evolution that also contains anti-Semitic overtones. Off the Kuff's post on the incident claims they know Chisum isn't anti-semitic. So, they wonder, is he just a Panhandle wacko? In the Pink Texas also found Chisum an easy mark, posting that the Pampa lawmaker would have found the memo linked to a website that promotes Jewish conspiracies. Burkablog's Paul Burka also found Chisum's machinations on the House floor a little strange as Chisum wanted to hold a committee hearing in the Agriculture Museum room of the Dome. Closer to home, the Panhandle Truth Squad posts Chisum is gaining some national blog attention. Meanwhile, back at the pass, Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, is rumored to be eyeing a run at the congressional seat U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson won back in November. Talton is in a political mating dance with controversial Harris County Tax Assessor Collector Paul Bentencourt to see who is going to get in the fray first, according to Half Empty.
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Small Town Papers on the Block
Dallasblog takes a look at another media takeover... this time several rural newspapers that have been highly critical of Gov. Perry's pet project, the Trans-Texas Corridor, are being gobbled up. Former Dallas Morning News editor Carolyn Barta points out that the company doing the buying, Macquarie Media Group Ltd, is partnering with Cintra on a multi-billion dollar toll project in Indiana and could well partner with the group in Texas. A protest rally against the Trans-Texas Corridor is planned for March 2 at the Capitol.
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Way Out West: El Paso the Next Big Easy Flood Victim?
Burnt Orange Report has a post on the Rio Grande levee system in El Paso. Local newspaper reports say the system is in terrible condition and residents may have to purchase federal flood insurance.
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Safety First
Rep. Jim Dunham, D-Waco, was defended from a blast from the Republican Party of Texas by a right-wing blog, the Texas Safety Forum. Seems the Texas GOP claims Dunham is not a very effective voice for his constituents because he has not filed enough bills thus far into the 80th Legislative Session.
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The Good and the Bad Ol' Bills of the Week
Vince Leibowitz weighs in with his version of good and bad bills of the week posted on the Burnt Orange Report. Starting with the bad is HB 1367 by Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Dallas, which would allow state institutions of higher education to use the state's criminal records database in determining admission. On the good side, HB 1141 by Rep. Buddy West, R-Odessa, strikes Leibowitcz as one for the good side of the ledger. The proposed legislation would give some protection to chained-up dogs.
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Early St. Patrick's Day
Seems like Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, is going to be at least one of the session's media hooks if other outlets are as impressed with the rookie lawmaker as the Burkablog seems to be.
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Demise of a Campaign Blogger
Last week we reported about the perils of a presidential campaign hiring bloggers, in this case, John Edwards. Amanda Marcotte of Austin was the blogger whose past postings on the Catholic Church and religion in general gave much cause for concern to the North Carolina Democrat’s camp. Marcotte resigned last Monday and her resignation was seemingly, gladly accepted. She tells her own story in a posting on Salon.
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The Guv's Guru
Billy Clyde's Political Hot Tub, always out to help Gov. Perry find his way though the swamp, posts some advice for the Guv from Haskell.
This edition of Out There was compiled and written by Kevin Kennedy of Austin. We cherry-pick the state's political blogs each week, looking for news, info, gossip, and new jokes. The opinions here belong (mostly) to the bloggers, and we're including their links so you can hunt them down if you wish. Our blogroll the list of Texas blogs we watch is on our links page, and if you know of a Texas political blog that ought to be on it, just shoot us a note. Please send comments, suggestions, gripes or retorts to Texas Weekly editor Ross Ramsey.