State Legislature is Packing it up.

Come and Take it: The Gonzales Flag

Its been a frantic 140 day in Austin, a tight budget, and redistricting, with a super majority in the House. We one some and we lost a few.

The Budget was passed and we didn’t have to dip deeply into the rainy day fund. There was a lot of pressure to dip into the rainy day fund but with Governor Perry’s insistence it was avoided.  60% of the budget will go to education. They didn’t address the root causes of the budget crises Not enough money coming in and too much going out.  Gambling got shot down because of the infighting between the different special interest groups, and we still have 1:1 administrator to teachers in the school districts. Suggested by the Texas Federation of Young Republicans

Texas Young Republican Federation (TYRF) supports having 80% of school district payroll expenses of professional staff of a school district be full-time classroom teachers.

In the 1970’s the teacher to administrator ratio at schools in the State of Texas was around 4 teachers to every 1 administrator, that ratio has recently gone to a near 1 to 1 ratio. As Republicans in the State of Texas the TYRF believes that the focus of district personnel should be in the classroom not in administration. There is not only room for movement in this area but improvement.

So the Budget crisis is averted until the budget.

We did poorly on Texans standing our ground against Obamian Oppression.  The Lege just didn’t have the guts.  Dewhurst killed the anti TSA groping bill,  Bills that would exempt firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition manufactured in Texas from federal regulations and laws were abandoned. These are what has been called “come and get it”  intended to throw a challenge to federal oppressors and is a reference to the battle of Gonzales. 

The attempt to nannyism  was averted in another attempt to control business decisions. while the Stauss’ House moved that a statewide smoking ban was a good idea,  The Senate stripped it away. The Big distributors lobbied hard and won to keep the micro brewers from selling souvenir gift packages of the crafted beverages.

“We got railroaded,” said Dan Garrison with Garrison Brothers Distillery, a Hill Country distiller who wanted the ability to sell a souvenir bottle of his bourbon to tour groups.

Garrison’s comment could sum up the frustration of the smallest players in the state’s beer and liquor industry that is controlled by giants.

Rep. Mike Hamilton, R-Mauriceville, chairs the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures, where most of the alcohol-related bills died this session.

He said it’s difficult to change decades-old laws without affecting someone’s financial interest.

Most attempts to change beer or liquor laws eventually bump up against the state’s post-Prohibition rules that maintain distinct boundaries between manufacturers, distributors and retailers, in what is commonly called the three-tiered system.

It boils down to kissing buttocks of political contributors, and not caring about small business and the growth of Texan jobs.

On Guns and the right to keep and bear arms.  We had mixed results. The Lege attempted to exempt themselves to the prohibited places where peon CHL holders are restricted to go like schools, bars, and professional sporting events. All the while the House let the Campus carry bill get burred in POO.  We did win range rights and employees will have a right to store their arms locked in their cars in company parking lots.  Folk who drive boats get covered under the MPA, bassically if you own or control a boat, and can legally own a hand gun you cqan have it on your boat just as allowed in our cars.  No CHL required.

We did get Voter ID passed, so it hasn’t been a bad session, but it surely hasn’t been a session where the TeaParty has been in control.   The Libertarian and intrusion of government on Dr. Patient relationships is pretty scary with the passed and signed Ultrasound Bill.

Under the bill, women would have to get an ultrasound between one and three days prior to an abortion. The expecting mother would be required to view the sonogram, listen to the heartbeat, and listen as a health care provider explains the image.

But Democrats questioned the wisdom of the Texas ultrasound bill, and alluded to hypocrisy on the part of the Republicans, who have called for less government interference in American’s lives. “This is not the jelly on the belly that most of you think,” said Alvarado, a Houston Democrat. “This is government intrusion at its best.”

I would call it “at its worst”

There is something learned this Session, while I supported Strauss in this terms bid for Speaker. He has to go next time. He hasn’t shown leadership in getting the right things done.  With a Super Majority he has allowed the super minority to stop Campus Carry, yet he allowed the amendment that would have allowed another level of regulation on our small businesses (Smoking Ban).   We need more libertarian/ Teaparty types in the House, and More real Repuplicans in the Senate.  Texas has enough of the playing well with others crowd, and needs Representation by those who actually take a stand for those that voted them in.

It ain’t over with yet though, looks like there will be a special session for Texas Wind storm Insurance, and maybe for school finance.

About Liberty

Blogging is something I do for myself. I've been blogging since Sept. 2003, mostly about politics, guns, and observations about the word around me.
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