With expectations that state lawmakers will have a budget surplus of several billion dollars, lawmakers, activists and business groups are already discussing what to do with the money.
Phil King
Posted in
Criminal Justice
King Pulls Measure on Public Integrity Unit Oversight
State Rep. Phil King on Tuesday pulled an amendment that would transfer power over the state’s public integrity away from Travis County DA Rosemary Lehmberg. But King said he has the support to attach it to future bills.
Posted in
State Government
Bills Would Consolidate State Agencies to Cut Cost
In an effort to cut administrative costs, state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, filed a group of bills last week that would eliminate four state agencies.
Posted in
State Government
Speaker’s Race, Anyone?
Nobody’s openly campaigning right now, but there’s talk of who might succeed Joe Straus if he stumbles before January. Attribute the speculation to inertia: The House’s top job was in play for at least four years before Straus won it 17 months ago, and members and the lobby and the press and other gawkers have been trained to study every new complaint, slight, reward and compliment for signs of a coup. While he appears to be on solid ground going into his second session behind the podium, don’t erase the possibility of a contest. It’s an uncertain environment: It’s an election year, Straus is green and the Capitol is full of people who are constantly looking for a better deal than the one they’ve got.
Posted inState Government
And They’re Off!
It’s time to harvest the political speculations of the last several months: Democrats and Republicans have until January 4 to put their names on the ballots, or not, in anticipation of the March 2 primaries.