A $250 million franchise and sales tax exemption for business research and development won tentative approval from the House on Wednesday. A similar exemption expired in 2006.
Audrey White
Posted inState Government
House Votes to Reduce Reliance on Budget Diversions
House members on Wednesday passed two bills that take aim at the practice of budget diversions, in which fees collected for specific purposes are used in another manner. The measures now go to the Senate.
Posted inState Government
Galveston Still Healing 5 Years After Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike rammed into the Texas coast in 2008, causing more than $50 billion in damage. Nowhere was the impact more evident than Galveston. The city still faces challenges related to Ike, but many leaders are optimistic about rebuilding efforts.
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State Government
Senate Approves Bill Targeting Child Hunger
UPDATED: The one in four Texas children who are food insecure could be assured a free meal every school day — breakfast — if a bill approved by the Senate on Tuesday continues to advance.
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Health care
Galveston Public Housing Plan Moves Forward
After months of back-and-forth with the General Land Office over the rebuilding of public housing units demolished after Hurricane Ike, the Galveston City Council voted Wednesday to adhere to terms set by the land office.
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State Government
Report: Texas Lags Behind Other States in Education, Health Care
Texas remains behind most other states on issues related to educational achievement, public health and the environment, according to the latest version of the “Texas on the Brink” study, released Monday.
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State Government
Senators Talk, Without Voting, About Casinos in Texas
The effort to open casinos in Texas got a hearing from a Texas Senate committee Wednesday, but opposition remains strong and charitable groups that benefit from other games of chance have some concerns, too.
Posted in
Politics
Carona Sets the Stage for Hearing on Gambling Measure
“You never really know when a major issue like this will find a break or an opportunity to be passed,” state Sen. John Carona said Monday of proposed legislation that could lead to the legalization of casino gambling in Texas.
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Bidness As Usual
Data App: Ethics Explorer
With the addition of more than a dozen statewide elected officials to our Lawmaker Explorer — including Attorney General Greg Abbott and Comptroller Susan Combs and the state’s railroad commissioners and Supreme Court justices — we’re renaming it the Ethics Explorer.
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State Government
Bill Would Limit Non-Transferable Sports, Concert Tickets
A bill up for debate in a House committee on Tuesday would prohibit ticket brokers and live event venues from restricting how fans re-sell their tickets. Venues and sports teams say the measure protects scalpers, not consumers.