Lawmakers have a busy month ahead

April 29, 2007

By JOHN MORITZ, Star-Telegram staff writer

AUSTIN -- As the 2007 legislative session heads into its final four weeks, lawmakers have yet to adopt a budget for the upcoming two-year spending cycle, and they're still hammering out the details on how to fix the scandal-plagued Texas Youth Commission.

Does that mean that lawmakers have been dithering away their time for the past 130 days or so, and that the state's crucial needs will go unaddressed?

Not really.

A lot of legislation is queued up in the Capitol's pipeline, and lawmakers and their staffs are gearing up for the monthlong stretch when the majority of the most pressing initiatives will emerge from committee and go to the floors of both chambers for a vote.

Here are some key questions about what lawmakers have done, and which measures are likely to advance and which ones might die before the session ends May 28:

Question: Will the long-neglected state parks system gets the funding it was promised during last year's election campaigns?

Answer: The prospects don't look good. The $85 million a year funding increase proposed by a special task force is not included in either the House or Senate version of the 2008-09 budget . But park advocates hope it will be included before the budget is finalized in mid- to late May.

Q: Will all of the legislative maneuvering regarding the proposed sale of TXU and other utility matters result in lower prices or more reliable electric service for consumers?

A: While there is a proposal that would cut some of the highest electric rates in Texas by 15 percent, consumer groups warn that the proposed sale of TXU will probably lead to higher rates in the long term. Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, chairman of the powerful House Regulated Industries Committee, has sided with utilities and opposed giving regulators oversight authority for the sale.

Q: In recent years, schools and education issues seemed to dominate Austin's agenda. Not so this year. Why not?

A: Last year lawmakers overhauled the way Texas pays for public education, which got the state out from under the threat of a court-ordered shutdown of the schools. The plan was the culmination of about five years' work, so lawmakers had little appetite for additional revisions.

Q: What are the chances that Texas will finally legalize casino gambling?

A: The chances appear bleak at this stage. The only significant gaming legislation is a measure that would allow the three federally recognized American Indian tribes to operate casinos on their lands. It might come up in the House on Wednesday, but Senate passage is uncertain.

Q: What's the status of Gov. Rick Perry's order requiring girls entering the sixth grade to be vaccinated for the sexually transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer?

A: Legislation that would effectively nullify the order is sitting on the governor's desk. He has about a week to sign it, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature. If he vetoes it, there are more than enough votes in both houses to override the veto.

Q: Hasn't the governor taken some other lumps this year?

A: Some legislative leaders faulted him for what they said was a slow response to reports that some Texas Youth Commission staffers were sexually abusing inmates. He finally agreed to put the agency under the direction of an independent overseer, but only after the Legislature forced his hand. Lawmakers are also pushing legislation that would put the brakes on parts of Perry's plans for the Trans-Texas Corridor by placing a two-year moratorium on new private toll roads. And he took heat for his support of new coal-fired power plants and was left holding the bag when those plans were effectively shelved by the power companies.

Q: Has Perry had any successes?

A: He'll likely get the $100 million he asked for to help secure the border with Mexico, and legislative leaders seem to be heeding his warning not to pass harsh anti-immigrant legislation.

Q: What happened to all the talk that lawmakers would crack down on illegal immigration?

A: The effort lost much of its steam when state Attorney General Greg Abbott advised the Legislature that it might be encroaching on the responsibility of the federal government.

Q: What about the effort to require elderly drivers to retake driving tests when they renew their licenses?

A: A bill requiring vision exams every two years after drivers turn 85 has passed both houses and is awaiting Perry's signature.