On the Lege - Daily News - The Austin Chronicle

'Snow Fun on Twitter

It was a normal day in the Twitterverse: @MattGlazer of Burnt Orange Report, @LonghornDerek from Ryan Data and @MQSullivan of Empower Texans were trading jibes. Then someone chimes in and tells Glazer to stop breathing, and a healthy exchange of insults turned ugly.

3:59PM Fri. Feb. 4, 2011, Richard Whittaker Read More | Comment »

The Franchise Tax Conundrum

How will Republicans raise taxes without raising taxes? That may sound like a riddle, but legislators are eying the state’s under0performing business franchise tax as a way to partially fill the coffers. Big problem? How to not make it look like a tax increase.

2:31PM Thu. Jan. 27, 2011, Richard Whittaker Read More | Comment »

Senate Passes Voter ID

The Senate tonight passed one of the most – possibly the most – stringent voter ID bills in the nation. Unlike the bill proposed two years ago, Senate Bill 14 allows almost no alternatives to presenting a photo ID before being allowed to vote. The bill passed 19-11 along party lines (Carlos Uresti absent), and now goes to the House.

8:39PM Wed. Jan. 26, 2011, Lee Nichols Read More | Comment »

TODAY'S EVENTS

Loose of Earth Book Launch

First Light Books

Kathy Griffin
at Paramount Theatre

Emperor X, KindKeith, Middle Mass at The Coral Snake

MUSIC | MOVIES | ARTS | COMMUNITY

Voter ID Debate Starting Early

The final debate and vote over the Voter ID bill wasn't supposed to start until 9:30pm, but state Senators negotiated behind closed doors and apparently agreed to suspend Senate rules to start rolling now. Sen. Leticia Van de Putte said Democrats will allow it, but also restated their firm opposition to Senate Bill 14.

3:22PM Wed. Jan. 26, 2011, Lee Nichols Read More | Comment »

The Price of Innocence

While budget cuts seem to be the order of the year, it looks – at least for now – that the state’s four public law schools will retain their very modest funding to run a clinical innocence program.

3:21PM Wed. Jan. 26, 2011, Jordan Smith Read More | Comment »

Oops! DPS Can't Afford Voter ID

Ah, the GOP’s determination to run government on nothing but air comes back to bite them in the ass. Rebecca Davio, the assistant director of the Department of Public Safety’s drivers license division, has testified that dozens of counties have no DPS license office because the agency can’t afford to replace broken license-making equipment.

6:56PM Tue. Jan. 25, 2011, Lee Nichols Read More | Comment »

Democrats Attack Fraser on Voter ID Bill

Debate is underway in the Senate’s “committee of the whole” regarding the Voter ID bill. Democrats are peppering author Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, with questions, which he keeps deflecting by saying that expert witnesses will answer those later. “But it’s your bill,” several Democrats have complained.

10:40AM Tue. Jan. 25, 2011, Lee Nichols Read More | Comment »

Van de Putte On Voter ID

Hearings on the Voter ID bill are about to begin in the Senate. Stay tuned to LegeLand, both here on Twitter, for updates throughout the day. Expect Republican "experts" to testify about how an "epidemic" of voter fraud is threatening our democracy. Yesterday, in a back hall conversation, one senator scoffed at these claims:

8:17AM Tue. Jan. 25, 2011, Lee Nichols Read More | Comment »

'Alternative' Budget Battle?

Times are tough all over – school funding is in peril and who knows what'll happen to health care for low-income children. But there is at least one budget item that seems not only safe, but also that the Senate would like to see get a sizable funding boost.

6:40AM Tue. Jan. 25, 2011, Jordan Smith Read More | Comment »

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The CMT Music Awards Return to Moody Center

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