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.
John Whitmire
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Senate won’t pass bill to lower penalties for marijuana
His comment comes the day after the Texas House gave preliminary approval to the bill in a 98-43 vote.
Posted in
Health care
Texas could soon increase the legal age to buy tobacco, though active military members might be exempt
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.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas senator proposes moving all youth in state lockups to shuttered adult jail
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.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
Courts have called Texas bail practices unconstitutional. Will that push this year’s reform efforts to success?
Two years after a bail reform bill died in the Legislature, new bail legislation has other factors working in its favor.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott proposes bail reform after death of DPS trooper
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.
Posted inState Government
During school safety hearing, Texas lawmakers express support for arming faculty and staff — maybe even with rifles
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.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Senate sends bill to governor discouraging weather-related lawsuits
A tort-reform bill that would discourage property owners from suing insurers over weather-related claims tentatively passed the Texas Senate on Tuesday.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Sandra Bland Act gets nod from Texas Senate panel
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.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
New Harris County policy reignites marijuana decriminalization debate
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.
