More HB 1

We’re trying to keep up with HB 1, but have gotten busy. If you want to help us out, tell us what you’re seeing in the comments.

1:06: Farias has put forward his first amendment, Amendment 10, which is an amendment to Villarreal’s amendment and would make avaliable a funding for TAMU-San Antonio for new programs at the university from the Enterprise Fund. Notes it was late Sen. Frank Madla’s legacy.

12:59: Amendment 9 by Villarreal. Moves $500,000 from Enterprise fund to economic development strategy to help small businesses access loans (capital access program). Micro lending program.
12:58 p.m: Vote on Motion To Table. Record Vote: 87-51, motion to table prevails.
12:53 p.m.: Amendment 8 by Burnam would require a portion of Texas Enterprise Fund go to alternative energy technologies. It’s a cleaner energy amendment, for lack of a better phrase. Burnam is explaining it very well if you are watching the webcast. Chisum now says we need to be responsible on how we spend our money…says $60 million from the Enterprise Fund “may or may not do anything for us,” “This is a poor way to spend the enterprise money which is designed to bring new industry into the state.” Chisum has moved to table.

12:50 p.m.: Amendment 6 by Gallego asks Comptroller to tell the public when funds are used that aren’t being used for the purpose intended. And, an amendment to the amendment, which is Amendment 7 by Chisum. Chisum’s amendment makes the report electronic “so you can pull it up on your Internet.” ADOPTED.
12:49: Villarreal’s Amendment 5 is up. It’s a contingency rider. It was adopted.
12:46 p.m.: Amendment Four, a very important amendment by Veasey, it says the AG may not use his budget to engage in voter intimidation. Veasy says $1.2 million has been wasted on this and it’s all been geared toward minority voters. Expect hellish debate on this one.

Gattis has raised a point of order claiming that the amendment changes statutory law. The POO was sustained, so that’s been dashed by the wayside. Thanks, Speaker Craddick!

12:46 p.m. Results on Motion To Table Amendment 2: 93-51, motion to table prevails.

12:43 p.m.: Turner has moved to table the amendment. Frost is closing.

12:29p.m. Turner is opposing Frost’s amendment saying that the Lege gives the AG enough money to enforce child support, plus an additional $66 million somewhere in HB 1.

TURNER: “Other than Rep. Frost, we haven’t heard a single complaint about child support in the State of Texas.”

/say what???

Now, Turner says that not only will the money come out of the old Elephant Butte civil litigation money ($10 million on a lawsuit that is stagnant) but also for other civil litigation, and that will hurt AG performance.

12:33 a.m.: Now there is an amendment to the amendment. Frost says what he said a minute ago was this, and that now he’s talking about the amendment itself. Now, they’ve reduced the $10.153 million from legal services down to $3.3 which, with matching federal funds, will get child support enforcement to $10 million. Amendment to amendment adopted. More questions from Coleman to Turner:

COLEMAN: Do you believe child support enforcement is funded appropriately…?

TURNER: Based on the information we have received that we are provided them with all of them monies that they need. In the subcommittee, we asked the AG’s office about [this] and based on what we are receiving, we felt we were providing that. If they need additional dollars, I’m sure we will find it.

12:24 a.m.: I just caught the tail end of an interesting point of order by Villarreal concerning corrections during appropriations last year. Very intersting. Now Eiland is questioning why his amendment is out of order. Now Frost is bringing up Amendment 2. It dedicates some money to child support services.
11:45 a.m.: To give you an idea of how contentious the appropriations process is, there is a major exchange on the floor right now about a welding school, where the funding is coming from, if that money takes away from other community colleges, etc.

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