UPDATED: The Texas House allowed the clock to run out Tuesday night on Senate Bill 11, an initiative that would have created a drug testing regimen for some welfare benefits.
Courts
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Criminal Justice
House Tentatively OKs Bill to Review Solitary Confinement
UPDATED: The House on Tuesday tentatively approved a bill that would require a now-defunct legislative oversight committee to hire a third party to review solitary confinement conditions in Texas prisons and juvenile lockups.
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Criminal Justice
DNA Testing Mandate Gets Early House Approval
The Texas House gave early approval on Tuesday to a requirement that the Department of Public Safety perform DNA testing on all biological evidence prior to the start of cases that involve the death penalty.
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Criminal Justice
Bill Lets Police Take Guns From Those in Mental Crisis
Police would have new authority to take firearms away from Texans who are in a mental crisis under a bill the House approved on Tuesday that is now headed to Gov. Rick Perry’s desk.
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Criminal Justice
House Backs Mental Health Jail Diversion Program
The House on Monday approved Senate Bill 1185 by Sen. Joan Huffman, which would create a pilot program that connects mentally ill inmates with social, clinical, housing and welfare services during the first weeks after the person’s release from jail.
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Criminal Justice
Innocence Commission Clash Impacting Other Bills
A battle over legislation that would create an innocence commission to review wrongful conviction has turned personal — and potentially deadly for a handful of bills authored by state Sen. Joan Huffman.
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Criminal Justice
Prison Officers’ Union Unhappy With 5% Pay Raise
Correctional officers in a statewide union say that a 5 percent pay increase lawmakers have proposed in the state budget is not sufficient to stymie the corruption and reduce physical dangers they face every day.
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Criminal Justice
Adding More Exemptions, Senate Approves Drone Bill
Police officers, oil and gas pipeline inspectors, news photographers, and movie producers may now all have access to drone footage under certain conditions in language added to legislation banning the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as it passed the Texas Senate.
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Criminal Justice
Perry Signs Michael Morton Act
With exoneree Michael Morton by his side, Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday signed a measure that aims to avoid wrongful convictions by preventing prosecutors from suppressing evidence.
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Criminal Justice
Senator Says Innocence Commission Bill is in Trouble
Two days after an advocate for a bill establishing a commission to review wrongful convictions lashed out at a state senator who voiced opposition to the bill, the measure’s Senate sponsor says he doesn’t have the votes to move the legislation forward.