Week of April 20-26, 2015

Senate passes version of 2016-2017 state budget

AUSTIN — The Texas Senate on April 14 passed its version of the 2016-2017 state budget. Because the House- and Senate-approved budgets are $1.6 billion apart, five Senate members and five House members will be appointed to a conference committee to resolve differences.

The Senate’s version of the budget totals $211 billion in state and federal funds to pay for state services over the next two fiscal years. Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, who spearheaded the writing of the legislation, said the budget is one that “will keep our state strong, prosperous and compassionate.” 

Nelson pointed out that transportation funding under CSHB 1 would increase by almost $5 billion over the current allotment. “That includes $2.4 billion in oil and gas tax revenues approved by voters last November and $1.3 billion from ending diversions of transportation funds to other parts of the budget. The rest of the additional money is contingent on passage of a measure that would authorize a one-time shift of motor vehicle sales tax funds to the Texas Department of Transportation.”

According to Senate documents, CSHB 1 also would fund border security efforts at “unprecedented levels” by sending $811 million to the Texas Department of Public Safety and associated agencies to pay for manpower, technology and training along the border. Nelson also said CSHB 1 devotes $373 million to cover caseload growth in Medicaid.

Senate passes contract bill

Senate Bill 543, legislation to strengthen oversight and management of state contracts by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, was unanimously approved by the full Senate on April 14.

“Poor management of some contracts results in inadequate delivery of goods and services and costs taxpayers millions of dollars,” Zaffirini said, adding that her bill “would improve state contracting at every stage of the process, including planning, procurement, contract formation and oversight.”

SB 543, Zaffirini said, is complementary to SB 20 by Senate Finance Committee Chair Nelson, passed by the Senate last month to crack down on the contracting practices of state agencies. Both bills have come in the wake of a series of investigative stories by the Austin American-Statesman that brought to light a $110 million no-bid contract awarded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Border cameras get results

Texas Department of Public Safety on April 13 announced its law enforcement effort using a motion-detection camera array along the Texas-Mexico border, was responsible for some 29,300 apprehensions and more than 44 tons of drugs seized in 2014. 

Motion-detection cameras used in “Operation Drawbridge” are placed on farms and ranches near the border. According to the DPS, when a smuggling or suspicious event is detected, an alert is sent to border county sheriffs, the U.S. Border Patrol and the DPS, who work together to arrest suspects.

Traffic camera bill moves

Senate Bill 714 by Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, legislation to ban police departments’ use of red light cameras in the ticketing of motorists, was passed by the Senate Transportation Committee on April 13. The bill next will be considered by the full Senate.

Figures furnished by the state Comptroller’s office suggest that banning the automated cameras statewide would result in an estimated loss of $96.5 million in general revenue in fiscal year 2016. 

Jobless rate falls in March

Texas Workforce Commission on April 17 announced the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent in March, down from 4.3 percent in February.

According to the agency, Texas has not seen a rate this low since July 2007 and continues to trend below the national average of 5.5 percent. Notably, however, the Mining and Logging sector, which includes oil and gas employment, saw a decline in March with the loss of an estimated 2,800 jobs statewide.

House approves ‘carry’ bill

On a vote of 96-35, the House on April 17 tentatively approved CSHB 910, allowing a person who is licensed to carry a handgun to openly carry a holstered handgun. 

A final vote on the bill may be taken this week and a House-Senate conference committee would have to be named so differences between the House bill and a similar bill passed earlier by the Senate could be hashed out. A final, agreed-upon version then would go before the House and Senate for a final vote.