Stiles’ and Torres’ three-parter on the changing Texas political map, Ramsey on questions about Brian Birdwell’s voting history and residency, Aguilar on the Obama administration’s immigration crackdown, Reed on hospitals that won’t induce early labor, Stiles on what Troy Fraser left off his financial disclosure form, the latest installment of Hu’s Face-Off video debate series, Grissom on the problem-plagued Driver Responsibility Program, Galbraith on the controversy over fracking and M. Smith’s interview with former Texas Supreme Court Justice Harriet O’Neill: The best of our best from July 26 to 30, 2010.
Department of Public Safety
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Audit Finds Trooper Pay Lags
State auditors might have found a clue about why Texas has a hard time hanging onto new state troopers: The pay stinks.
Posted in
State Government
A Fine Mess
Efforts to salvage the problem-plagued Driver Responsibility Program ultimately may not shield it from the wrath of its many detractors, including at least one lawmaker who believes we “shouldn’t hesitate in getting rid of it.”
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State Government
TribBlog: Suspending Driver Suspensions
The Texas Public Safety Commission on Thursday approved changes to the Driver Responsibility Program that would include an amnesty program for drivers with outstanding surcharges, reduced fines for poor drivers and new incentives to encourage more people to pay up.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribBlog: Getting Drunks Off the Road
The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice met today to talk about ways to stop Texans from getting behind the wheel after imbibing. Judges, police and even a third-time DWI offender told lawmakers some Texas drunken driving laws could use some stiffening, while other measures take punishment too far.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Capitol Reopened After Bomb Threat
The Texas Capitol has been evacuated because of an early morning bomb threat. A spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety says someone called 9-1-1 and said there is a bomb in the building. Everyone inside was ordered out and people showing up for work this morning are being turned away for now.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: DPS Emergency Chief Dies [UPDATED]
Jack Colley, head of emergency management for the Texas Department of Public Safety, died of a heart attack Sunday, the department announced this morning. He was 62 and had worked at DPS for more than 12 years.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Traffic Surcharges Attacked
Criminal justice advocates today told the Texas Public Safety Commission that their proposal to fix the broken Driver Responsibility Program fell far short of the comprehensive approach needed to help more than 1.2 million Texans who have lost their licenses because of the program’s steep surcharges.
Posted in
State Government
Driven to Repeal
The Driver Responsibility Act, which levies hefty surcharges on minor offenders, has cost 1.2 million Texans their licenses, and most of the fees that were supposed to be collected have not materialized. At the direction of state lawmakers, the DPS is trying to get people to pay up and square things with the law. But critics want the program ended altogether.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Leaders OK Capitol Security Upgrades
The big three state leaders approved seven new security measures for the Capitol, and none of them are X-ray machines or metal detectors that the director of the top Texas police agency said are critical to keep the pink dome safe from armed intruders.
