Charles Chatman and other former prisoners who have been exonerated of their crimes are joining state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, in urging House lawmakers to act quickly and pass bills intended to reduce wrongful convictions.
Rodney Ellis
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Economy
Procedural Move Allows GOP to Pass Senate Budget
The $176 billion budget was approved along party lines, with all 19 Republicans voting for it and all 12 Democrats voting against.
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Criminal Justice
Psychologist Reprimanded in Death Penalty Cases
A psychologist who examined 14 inmates now on Texas’ death row — and two others who were subsequently executed — and found them intellectually competent enough to face the death penalty has agreed never to perform such evaluations again.
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Higher Education
Senate Passes TEXAS Grants Priority Model
A bill that would change the system for distributing TEXAS Grants — the state’s primary need-based aid program — by creating a new priority system passed the Senate today by a vote of 24-7.
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State Government
Senate Approves Easing Restrictions on DNA Testing
The Senate today passed a bill that would reduce restrictions on post-conviction DNA testing by allowing biological evidence that was previously untested, or tested by older, potentially inaccurate techniques, to be tested and used as evidence in court.
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Health care
Advocates Rally to Retain State Health Funds
Hundreds of people rallied at the Capitol today to urge lawmakers to maintain state spending on Medicaid and CHIP, the health care programs for children, the disabled and the very poor.
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State Government
Eyewitness Identification Bill Tentatively Passes House
A bill to improve how police conduct lineups to solve crimes tentatively passed the Texas House today without opposition.
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Guides
Texplainer: Why Can’t I Buy a Car or Liquor on Sundays?
You can’t buy liquor on Sundays and car dealerships can only be open one day over a weekend because of the last remnants of so-called “blue laws” in Texas. But a state Senate bill would change that for alcohol sales.
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State Government
Forensic Commissioners Answer to Legislators
The Senate Nominations Committee voted 4-2 today to recommend approval of the state forensic board Chairman John Bradley’s appointment. Sens. José Rodríguez and Kirk Watson voted against Bradley’s nomination.
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Public Education
Texas Democrats Blame Republicans for Budget Blues
Gov. Rick Perry’s State of the State speech on Tuesday was part pep rally, part budget proposal, with a dash of national politics. And, as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, Democrats weren’t charmed.