Capital Highlights
Dozens of bills already await governor's signiture
Ed Sterling Texas Press Association

A USTIN - Out of those thousands of bills lawmakers have filed in

the 80th Regular

Session of the Texas Legislature, about 150 already are on their way to the governor, having passed both House and Senate.

Hundreds more will land on Gov. Rick Perry's desk before the Legislature adjourns on May 28. Perry will have a 10-day period following adjournment to sign, veto or ignore legislation on his desk. Bills he chooses not to sign or veto will take effect without his signature.

Here are just a few bills of general interest awaiting action by the governor.

t HB 5 by Rep. Leo Berman, RTyler, cuts the homestead property tax of the elderly and disabled.

t HB 1098 by Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, prohibits immunization against human papillomavirus as a condition for admission to public school.

t HB 2061 by Rep. Jim Keffer, REastland, provides that a county or district clerk is not liable for the disclosure of a living person's Social Security number contained in a document filed with the county or district clerk.

t SB 90 by Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, establishes a pilot program to provide ballot by electronic mail to military personnel serving overseas.

t SB 112 by Sen. John Carona, RDallas, allows a peace officer to confiscate an individual's firearms and ammunition during a state of disaster.

t SB 369 by Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, makes it a misdemeanor punishable by a fine to alter or obscure a motor vehicle's license plate.

HB 1892, which achieved Senate approval on April 27, slows down by two years the governor's plan to close the deal on the Trans Texas Corridor, a 50-year, statewide toll road-building project.

The bill, by Rep. Wayne Smith, R-Baytown, and sponsored in the Senate by Williams, passed 27-4. "No" votes were cast by senators who hoped to get started on plans to relieve traffic congestion, or wanted to keep all options active and on the table.

After the vote, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who presides over the Senate, said, "I believe privately financed road projects play an essential role in our transportation future."

But, Dewhurst added, a twoyear moratorium would give the people of Texas and lawmakers time to make sure such projects "actually work and benefit all Texans."

Property tax protest bill passes

The House on April 27 passed a measure to give landowners more flexibility to postpone and reschedule their property appraisal protest hearings.

HB 538 by Rep. Bill Callegari, RKaty, allows a landowner to postpone their property tax protest at least once without showing cause, and lets a land owner make additional postponements upon demonstration of reasonable cause. The bill also increases the amount of time for the postponement of a protest hearing from 15 to 30 days.

Under current law, appraisal districts may choose to allow a land owner to postpone their appraisal protest hearing if the owner or their agent show good cause for the postponement. A hearing may be postponed by no less than five days, and no more than 15. The law does not allow additional postponements.

House OKs govt spending site

A proposal to create a "one stop shop" on the Internet where citizens would find a detailed accounting for all Texas state government expenditures earned tentative approval of the House.

HB 3430 by state Reps. Mark Strama, D-Austin; Bryan Hughes, R- Marshall; Corbin Van Arsdale, R-Houston; Juan Garcia, D-Corpus Christi; and Ken Paxton, RMcKinney, is modeled after federal legislation passed last year by U.S. Sens. Barack Obama , D-Ill., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla.

"Direct citizen access to information has already created a powerful additional check and balance on government and the media," Strama said. The Web site would be accessed through TexasOnline and maintained by the state comptroller.

Dog bite legislation is OK'd

HB 1355 by Rep. Dan Gattis, RGeorgetown, would increase penalties to owners who fail to reasonably secure their dog, if the dog makes an unprovoked attack on a person, resulting in serious bodily injury or death.

The House passed the bill, and it has been assigned to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee for further consideration.

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