The Week in the Rearview Mirror

Gov. Greg Abbott showed up for jury duty on Monday, chatting with other potential jurors about the weather, parking woes and his puppy, Pancake. He waited about two hours before being told he was not selected.

The House approved a $4.9 billion tax relief package split between a first-ever reduction in the state sales tax rate and a reduction in the business franchise tax rate. Next up is an attempt to find a compromise on tax cuts with the Senate that is emphasizing property tax cuts over trimming sales tax revenue.

A panel of judges on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on Tuesday in the legal challenge to Texas' voter ID law. Questions centered on whether the state intentionally discriminated against minorities with the law as well as state lawmakers' decision not to address criticisms of the law.

The Texas Senate approved a broad-based ethics bill this week, adding items during floor debate to strengthen legislation that had been significantly weakened in committee. One change garnering attention would require political candidates to take a drug test.

The Texas House has given initial approval to a major boost in transportation funding from sales taxes, setting the stage for a showdown with the Senate over the best way to pay for Texas roads.

The Senate Education Committee passed legislation on Thursday that would create a free, high-quality pre-K program for Texas. The action on the high-priority item for Abbott comes about a week after it came under criticism from an advisory panel of grassroots conservatives allied with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

The Senate this week approved a controversial bill authored by state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood that would make it harder for homeowners and companies to recover certain damages from their insurance companies.

A move by Houston Democratic state Sen. Rodney Ellis to repeal a program that requires drivers convicted of certain traffic offenses to pay annual surcharges to keep their driver's licenses received backing this week from a couple of Tea Party conservatives in the Senate — Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas, and Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood.