To address a gap between Texas law and a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, a House panel Monday approved a bill to allow life sentences with parole eligibility after 40 years for defendants younger than 18 charged with capital murder.
Maurice Chammah
Posted in
Energy
After West Explosion, Other Chemical Stockpiles Come Under Scrutiny
As state and federal regulators analyze the patchwork of policies governing the fertilizer plant that exploded in West, the incident has prompted a closer look at communities that lie near stockpiles of chemicals.
Posted in
Transportation
Bill to Increase Vehicle Registration Fee Dies in House
A bill that would have increased vehicle registration fees to generate money for transportation projects met its demise in the Texas House on Thursday.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Execution for Prison Guard Murder Delayed for DNA Tests
Death row inmate Robert Pruett will get a 60-day reprieve from his May 21 execution date after his lawyers filed a request for DNA testing Thursday, arguing that it could prove Pruett did not murder a prison guard in 2002.
Posted in
Bidness As Usual
Lobbyist Transparency Bill Heads to Perry’s Desk
A transparency bill that would require lobbyists to disclose the names of lawmakers who pay them using campaign funds for services, including political consulting, is headed to Gov. Rick Perry’s desk.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Time Running Out for Cellphone Tracking Bill
The House clock may not be on the side of a bill to regulate the use of cellphone records in law enforcement investigations.
Posted in
Economy
Proposed Tax Break Has Some Singing Praises, Others Singing the Blues
A House bill would cut the tax on mixed beverage sales for clubs that prove they’re using the savings to present live music. Advocates for some Texas cities and counties say the proposal would rob their coffers of much-needed tax revenue.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawsuit Says Prison Company Not Complying With Records Request
A private company that runs 12 of the state’s prison facilities is being sued by a publication that says the company is failing to release information related to deaths and health care at the Dawson State Jail in Dallas.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawmakers Attempt to Change Truancy Laws
Some parents and advocacy organizations say the state’s truancy laws are too harsh. The Senate passed a bill last week to change these laws, compromising with judges and district officials who said the reforms were too broad.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Anderson Appeals, Citing Statute of Limitations
UPDATED: Williamson County state district Judge Ken Anderson has filed an appeal asking a court to rule that a warrant for his arrest should be void because it violates the statute of limitations.
