Changes to post-conviction DNA win Senate approval
Another bill in Sen. Rodney Ellis’ so-called Innocence Protection Package passed the Senate this morning — this time with unanimous approval. The bill would require a defendant’s motion for...
View ArticleChopping block: Use more volunteers at TDCJ
A reader writes: As a TDCJ Volunteer, I get to see a lot in prisons. I interact with staff as well as both male/female inmates. If I would cut anything it would be in Administration: 1. Chaplains-limit...
View ArticleSenate committee lays out plan for veterans’ centers on college campuses
Texas veterans on the GI Bill may soon have more resources to financial aid and employment options at their fingertips if lawmakers approve a bill that would lay the initial foundation for veterans’...
View ArticleJuvenile justice merger wins Senate approval
A Senate bill that sailed through the chamber today would create a 11-member board, appointed by Gov. Rick Perry, to lead a new Texas Juvenile Justice Department. The proposal would merge the Texas...
View ArticleFive new Latino-majority seats needed in Austin, MALDEF says
Latinos in Texas need five new seats in Austin to accurately reflect the population growth they have brought to the state in the last decade, an influential coalition of Latino advocacy groups said...
View ArticleChopping block: Four-day school week
A reader wanted to know what a four-day school week would save the state. “It would depend upon how a four day week is carried out,” said Debbie Ratcliffe, a Texas Education Agency spokeswoman. “If the...
View ArticleMALDEF defends redistricting plan to House committee
Representatives from a Latino advocacy group and Latino lawmakers got their first opportunity on Friday to voice their opposition to a new redistricting plan proposed by Rep. Burt Solomons,...
View ArticleChopping block: Licensing bikes
While no state agency is charged with regulating the sale or use of bikes in Texas, licensing bikes could prove a boon for lawmakers scrounging for revenue, says Robin Stallings, the executive director...
View ArticleChanges to TEXAS Grant program win tentative approval in House
The House gave tentative approval today to a Senate bill that would alter a popular grant program aimed at helping low-income high school seniors fund their college educations. Rep. Dan Branch,...
View ArticleChopping block: Eliminate toll road advertising
The Texas Department of Transportation is spending less every year to advertise the state’s toll road system, according to data from agency spokeswoman Kelli Petras. In fiscal year 2008, from Sept....
View Article