The Senate doesn’t like the House’s hit on the Rainy Day Fund. The House doesn’t like the Senate’s delay of a deposit into the state’s highway fund. Neither wants to raise taxes. But all is not yet lost — unless they want to fight about it.
Transportation
Reporting on roads, transit, infrastructure, and policy shaping travel and mobility across the state, from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Economy
Uber picks Dallas, Fort Worth as test cities for flying vehicle network
The company also tapped a Dallas real estate development firm and Fort Worth’s Bell Helicopter to develop pick-up and drop-off sites for electric vehicles that would take-off and land vertically.
Posted in
Economy
Uber and Lyft call “sex” amendment disappointing, unnecessary
Representatives for Uber and Lyft say an amendment to a statewide ride-hailing bill that defines “sex” as “the physical condition of being male or female” is disappointing and unnecessary.
Posted in
State Government
State’s top lawyer sides with Texas Senate in budget dispute
Attorney General Ken Paxton sided with the Texas Senate Friday in a dispute among legislative budget-writers over a $2.5 billion accounting trick using state transportation funds.
Posted in
Transportation
Bathrooms and ride-hailing cross paths in the Texas Legislature (video)
House Republicans successfully added gender-defining language to a bill that would regulate companies like Uber and Lyft. That’s among the news in this week’s Texas Political Roundup.
Posted in
State Government
House Democrats disavow ride-hailing bill after addition of “sex” amendment
A group of House members removed their names as co-authors of a bill that would regulate ride-hailing companies because of an amendment that defines “sex” as the “physical condition of being male or female.”
Posted in
Economy
Austin group aims to reframe debates around city’s growth, development
Evolve Austin, a nonprofit that advocates for denser development and more affordable housing, is aligning with some high-profile real estate and business groups to push for changes to how Austin regulates land use.
Posted in
Politics
Bills aimed at controversial Dallas-Houston bullet train sail out of Senate committee
Five bills approved by the Senate Transportation Committee Wednesday would impact or hinder a private company’s plans to build a bullet train from Dallas to Houston.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Outlook good for statewide texting-while-driving ban, key lawmakers say
Key lawmakers are optimistic about the passage of a bill that would ban texting-and-driving across Texas, despite failed attempts over the last few sessions.
Posted in
Public Education
Analysis: Is this Texas state budget trick constitutional?
The Texas Senate is proposing a new accounting trick to balance its 2018-19 budget. The contrivance would work, mathematically speaking, but it raises constitutional questions and faces derision from the House.