The latest john whitmire news from The Texas Tribune.
A few of Texas’ most veteran lawmakers may have seen their part-time legislative compensation skyrocket from $7,200 to nearly $150,000 annually, thanks to a law passed quietly at the end of the 2021 legislative session. Full Story
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Senators in the finance committee asked questions Monday about the pros and cons of basing the amount of money that schools get per student on enrollment instead of attendance. Districts say the change could mean millions in additional funding. Full Story
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Conservative activists have pushed for legislative leaders to ban Democrats from leading committees. Full Story
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Edwards joins a field that already includes two well-known names: veteran state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and Chris Hollins, the former Harris County clerk who oversaw election changes in 2020 that became a lightning rod for Republicans. Full Story
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Whitmire, the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate, will first run for reelection to the chamber in 2022 before his mayoral run the following year. Full Story
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Multiple federal courts have found Texas' cash bail practices discriminatory against poor people. The governor has said his priority bill will instead focus on keeping "dangerous criminals" in jail before they're convicted. Full Story
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The lawmakers said they are acting in response to the death of former Houston resident George Floyd. Full Story
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The former vice president received big-name endorsements — including backing from former presidential candidates Beto O'Rourke, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar — as he campaigned in Dallas and Houston on the eve of Super Tuesday. Full Story
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The closures are expected in the coming months, as the state faces dangerous understaffing in its prisons. Full Story
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Although there are fewer people in prison than there were a decade ago, costs have surged along with the share of inmates who are older — and sicker. Full Story
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The state's two-year budget provided $84 million to increase salaries for correctional officers and other prison employees as the Texas Department of Criminal Justice faces nearly 4,000 empty guard positions. Full Story
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His comment comes the day after the Texas House gave preliminary approval to the bill in a 98-43 vote. Full Story
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Senate Bill 21 passed Tuesday, raising the legal purchasing age for tobacco products from 18 to 21. But its author amended the legislation to exclude active military from the age raise. Full Story
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After shrinking the population at state-run juvenile lockups, state Sen. John Whitmire wants to move the remaining youth at five facilities to one recently closed adult jail. Full Story
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Two years after a bail reform bill died in the Legislature, new bail legislation has other factors working in its favor. Full Story
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Abbott said he wanted to fix a flawed system in Texas that allowed the man suspected of killing a trooper last year to get out of jail on bond despite having been previously accused of assaulting a deputy. Full Story
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Following Gov. Greg Abbott's recommendations on school gun safety, members of a Senate committee on school violence debated the efficacy of expanding programs that already arm faculty and school staff. Full Story
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A tort-reform bill that would discourage property owners from suing insurers over weather-related claims tentatively passed the Texas Senate on Tuesday. Full Story
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The legislation would mandate that county jails route people with mental health crises and substance abuse issues to treatment and install electronic sensors or cameras to better monitor inmates. Full Story
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After Harris County’s move to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, Texas lawmakers disagree about whether local jurisdictions have the discretion to enact such policies. Full Story
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