Texas Legislative Progress Report

There is no formal action on the House/Senate Floor or Committees scheduled for today. 

1. ULTRASOUND BILL-SB 182/HB 36, still waiting for a floor vote, confirmation of votes by all Senators.  Still waiting for House Committee hearing by Rep. Burt Solomons, the chair of the committee.

2. CHOOSE LIFE LICENSE PLATE-HB 109/SB 1098; hearing last week in Senate, Senate version has been referred to a different committee, Health & Human Services, which we should  get a hearing on soon.  Still waiting for a vote by the House Subcommittee (members: Harper-Brown, Guillen, Todd Smith).

3. MARRIAGE EDUCATION/STRENGTHENING Bill-HB 480 (Chisum, R-Pampa), completed hearing, hopinig for bill to be boted out of committee soon.

4. BAD SEX ED BILLS-HB 741 (Castro, D-San Antonio, HB 1567, D-San Antonio)- bills that attack Abstinence, supported by Planned Parenthood front group-Texas Freedom Network.  Hearing complete, and no committee vote, a vote which we hope does not happen.

5. SB 362 (Fraser, R-Abilene)/HB 125 (Brown, Betty, R-Athens)-Voter I.D.; passed out of Senate, hearing completed in House, no vote in House committee.

6. HATE CRIMES EXPANSION-HB 824 (Hochberg, D-Houston)/HB 2966 (Coleman, D-Houston); HB 824-Hate crimes prosecution against kids, passed House, headed to Senate where we hope it dies.  HB 2966-Expansion of Hate Crimes law to protect “gender identity/expression persons” including Transgender-hearing on this last week, no committee vote by Carol Kent, Paula Pierson, Joe Moody, Allen Vaught or Pete Gallego.

7. TAXES/SPENDING-SB 855 by Sen. Carona-dramatically increases local taxes to fund rail systems in the metropolitan areas. Once enacted by local governments the people could have no right to reduce the taxes to pay for the rail system. This bill could raise $1.6 Billion in local taxes in the first year.