My colleague Greg Wyeth at Greg’s Opinion posted a piece which, though he has taken it down, has generated a lot of national attention via the LeftyBlogs Blogwire. Screencaptures and copies of the text that was online are presently making their way around email throughout the state.
Therefore, I feel I must address the remarks of [...]

Popularity: 5% [?]

State Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon (through a staffer) was gracious enough to leave a comment here on Capitol Annex this evening concerning the amendments related to the Texas Residential Construction Commission which we discussed in an earlier post. Rep. McClendon noted:
I share your justified outrage at the Texas Residential Construction Commission’s failure to protect consumers. [...]

Popularity: 5% [?]

[Charles Kuffner posted this on behalf of all the undersigned, including Capitol Annex, at Daily Kos. I repost it here to make sure it has as large distribution as possible in Texas]
We, the undersigned, are some of the many progressive bloggers and online activists in Texas. The Texas netroots community is a large and diverse [...]

Popularity: 8% [?]

HB 1, the General Appropriations Act, passed the House in the wee hours of this morning on second reading to engrossment.
Here’s how that vote broke down:
Yeas - Allen; Anchia; Anderson; Aycock; Bailey; Berman; Bohac; Bolton; Bonnen; Branch; Brown, B.; Brown, F.; Callegari; Castro; Chavez; Chisum; Christian; Cohen; Cook, B.; Cook, R.; Corte; Crabb; Creighton; Crownover; [...]

Popularity: 7% [?]

We’re planning a wrap-up (including who voted how on key amendments) on HB 1, but it will come later today. We’re still a little tired from trying to liveblog the HB 1 debate for most of the evening.
Popularity: 5% [?]

Popularity: 5% [?]

[Normally, I'd incorporate this into another story since it's a press release, but it's a good one so I'll let it stand alone. That, and I'm exhausted after liveblogging the HB 1 debate].
Texas House Democrats passed an historic increase in teacher pay and killed efforts to fund private school vouchers today, flying in the face [...]

Popularity: 11% [?]

Farrar has Amendment 140 which would allow that state money could be spent on the HPV vaccine if parents decide they want their kids to get the vaccine.
Chisum says she’s just trying to go back and undo what they already did.
Now, Chisum is being reminded that the rider only says you can’t spend it in [...]

Popularity: 5% [?]

…and, since the House is discussing topics unrelated to legislation, so will we, because things are alternating between almost exciting and dull.
We noticed earlier that Rep. Kolkhorst was wearing a very snazzy white outfit and we wonder how she’s managed to keep it in such pristine condition all day. [Oh, she just withdrew her amendment, [...]

Popularity: 5% [?]

Evidently there was a football game between the senior and junior members of the House the other night. Vicki Truitt has raised two points of order to ask about this. The score was allegedly 21-0 or something with the senior members winning.
Craddick just asked her if she was the quarterback. Evidently, lack of sleep and [...]

Popularity: 4% [?]

Wayne Christian (R-Center) has proposed Amendment 133 to prevent any state dollars to go to any entity that has anything to do with abortions, essentially.
Anchia called a point of order under Rule 8, Sec. 4 of the House rules and a provision of the Texas Constiution because the amendment would change general law of the [...]

Popularity: 4% [?]