On this week’s TribCast, Aman talks to Ross, Matthew and Shannon about how Texas lawmakers’ plan to raise the sales tax collapsed, why the 2019 session is like the 1997 one and what we’ll be watching out for in the session’s final three weeks.
Texas Senate
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas Senate removes exception that allows abortion after 20 weeks if the pregnancy is unviable
The bill would also prevent what abortion opponents call “discriminatory abortions” — where a woman or a doctor pursues an abortion on the basis of the fetus’ sex, race or disability.
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Texas Legislature 2019
After Supreme Court ruling, Texas bills would bring in $850 million in online sales tax
Lawmakers moved to apply the state’s sales tax to goods sold by remote vendors who don’t have physical operations in Texas.
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Health care
Texas Senate advances bill requiring pre-abortion counseling
Supporters say the measure would prevent women from regretting an abortion after they have the procedure. But abortion rights advocates fear the bill lacks key protections, like a requirement for the counselor to be a licensed medical professional.
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Higher Education
Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill creating University of Houston medical school
The medical school is projected to accept a class of 30 students for Fall 2020.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Electric scooters could soon be kicked off Texas sidewalks, if state Senate gets its way
The upper chamber passed a bill Wednesday that would add several restrictions on the popular, but controversial, machines. The measure would require scooter renters to be at least 16 years old and it would prohibit more than one person from riding at a time.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Legislators have a deadline, and so do Texas schools
Lawmakers are in their last month of a regular session, with their priority issues — public education and property taxes — still incomplete. If they can’t finish without a special session, they’ll run into someone else’s deadlines; school districts write budgets and set tax rates in June.
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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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
In wake of Houston-area chemical fires, Texas Senate panel weighs input on stronger storage tank regulations
The Senate Committee on Water and Rural Affairs took public testimony on a bill that would strengthen state oversight of above-ground tanks that hold hazardous hydrocarbons.
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State Government
Could Texas high-speed rail hit a speed bump this session?
Lawmakers are pushing more measures than ever before that could delay the Dallas-Houston bullet train project — and there’s even a special subcommittee tackling the topic.
