Effect of tax cut complicates budgeting process
A USTIN - Passing a 2008-2009 Harper-Brown's staff said one of the lawmaker's budget will be an overarching priority for lawmakers when

the 80th regular session of the

Texas Legislature convenes Jan. 9.

But the amount the Legislature will be able to spend is in question.

Last spring, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1, a tax-spreading measure meant to bring school district property tax relief, and the commitment to reduce school property taxes by one-third will have powerful consequences.

According to a late-November report by the Center for Public Policy Priorities, an Austin think-tank, lower revenue because of the tax cut will trigger a constitutional spending cap. That means less money will be in play.

Lawmakers and the executive branch already are looking at formulas to minimize the pain.

Bill would prevent use of images

Legislation filed by State Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, would make it a crime to use the image or name of a U.S. serviceman or servicewoman in an advertisement. constituents asked for the legislation to prevent businesses from printing the names or images of service members, especially of the fallen ones, on merchandise such as T-shirts without their permission the permission of their surviving spouse or legal representative.

Senator's bill would kill TAKS

Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said she plans to file legislation that would do away with the high-stakes Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exams that schoolchildren must pass to advance in grade and graduate.

Her legislation would replace the controversial TAKS with end-of-semester testing that is tied to the normal curriculum.

Judge says give up the tape

The Texas Department of Public Safety must release a May 2005 Capitol security videotape, a state district judge and the attorney general agree.

A two-hour portion of the tape was sought by the Austin biweekly Texas Observer to see if Republican campaign donor James Leininger of San Antonio took part in a hallway debate with lawmakers over his proposal to spend state money on private school vouchers.

The DPS maintains that it would constitute a security breach if the tape were made public.

In late November, Austin state District Judge Stephen Yelenosky ruled the tape must be made public, but the DPS had not released it to the Texas Observer, as of press time.

Yelenosky's ruling is in line with an earlier opinion by Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Former lawmakers laid to rest

Former state Sen. Frank Madla, D-San Antonio, was laid to rest in the Texas State Cemetery on Dec. 1.

Madla, 69, and two close family members died in a house fire a week earlier.

Madla served in the Texas Legislature from 1972 to 2006.

Former State Sen. Temple Dickson, DSweetwater, died Nov. 29. He was 72.

Dickson served in the Senate from 1989 to 1993. His funeral was at the family ranch in Nolan County on Dec. 2.

Gift disclosure stance stays same

The Texas Ethics Commission voted 5-3 to stick with its earlier position that state officials do not have to disclose the amount of cash gifts they receive.

A cash gift simply may be reported as "currency," "check" or "money order" under the Nov. 26 ruling.

The agency earlier ruled that State Employee Retirement System board member Bill Ceverha of Dallas did not have to report a $50,000 check he received from Houston homebuilder Bob Perry as anything other than a "check."

Government watchdog organizations and several of the state's larger newspapers criticized the ruling.

Ed Sterling is director of member services for the Texas Press Association.