A Look At The Rest Of The Speaker’s Interim Charges
By Vince Leibowitz on Nov 29, 2007 in 80th Legislature
Earlier, we took a look at the first set of Interim Charges for the 80th Texas Legislature. Now, we’ll take a look at the second part of the set.
First, let’s examine the charges for the Civil Practices & Remedies Committee. This one’s an amusing little doozie:
1. Study the cumulative effects of Texas civil justice reforms enacted since 2003,
with particular attention toward effects on Texas job creation, judicial efficiency,
medical access, and medical malpractice insurance rates.
Oh, what fun. As far as job creation, we know that no single job in Texas–save perhaps a few business lobby jobs–can be traced to having been created as a result of tort reform. Of course, every job created in Texas since 2003 will, according to Republicans, be an immaculate conception miracle of tort reform. Sigh. Aside from that, given the Texas Supreme Court backlog, the continued lack of physicians in rural areas (which wasn’t the result of “lawsuit abuse” anyway), and the fact that malpractice insurance rates haven’t exactly plummeted to bargain-basement levels, we all know what the “cumulative effects” of these reforms are.
Now, for Criminal Jurisprudence, where we find no shortage of things to discuss. First and foremost:
1. Examine problems associated with the current system of deferred adjudication in
Texas.
One major problem they need to look it as that most people who get deferred adjudication don’t realize the arrest, etc., still remains on their record.
And, this one, which is utter insanity:
2. Study the need to add salvia divinorum to the list of controlled substances
regulated under the Texas Controlled Substance Act.
Evidently, somebody has been watching Nightline. I suppose there could be worse things in the world than letting ABC News set public policy in Texas, but let’s be realistic: during the 80th Legislature, a marijuana decriminalization bill of sorts–HB 2391–passed. Now, however, the state wants to legalize the “near beer” substitute for weed, coined “the new pot” by the media. This is simply hilarious. I first learned about this stuff watching the Nightline broadcast on the subject some months ago and subsequently Googled it. Although Oklahoma and Illinois have regulated its use to some degree, the U.S. Congress declined to do so several years ago.
And, there are more:
4. Study the prosecution and effectiveness of current drunk driving laws in Texas
and recommend any legislative changes needed to further combat the problem.
Evidently, MADD is gearing up to storm the statehouse again. Perhaps, if the majority of DWI technology wasn’t based on junk science, this wouldn’t be so bad.
Now come the most nauseating charges: the Elections Committee:
2. Examine the prevalence of fraud in Texas elections, considering prosecution rates
and measures for prevention. Study new laws in other states regarding voter
identification, and recommend statutory changes necessary to ensure that only
eligible voters can vote in Texas elections. Specifically study the Texas mail-in
ballot system, the provisional voting system, and the various processes for
purging voter lists of ineligible voters.
I won’t even go into the whole Voter ID argument here. I’ve already made it, and if you read this blog regularly, you can recite it six ways from Sunday. If you don’t read regularly, go here for an education on this topic. As for the mail-in ballot and purging stuff, that’ll be some interesting study, I’m sure. Leo Berman will no doubt have Karl Rove on speed dial. Of course, what the committee does with this will subject to some debate. The committee’s “swing vote,” or alleged swing vote during the 80th Legislature, Kirk England of Grand Prairie, is now a Democrat. Of course, the worst vote of his career was his vote for voter ID in the 80th Legislature. If he doesn’t come around on Voter ID during the interim charge process, then…well, you know.
And, here’s one that will hamper the free speech of thousands of college students across the state:
7. Research the current Texas law prohibiting the use of public resources for
political advertising, and determine whether the law needs to be amended to
clarify that publicly funded e-mail systems may not be used for political
communications.
Do you realize this means that you can’t receive or transmit a political communication–even subscribe to a presidential candidate’s email list–if you use an email system provided for you–and paid for by your student service fees–as a college student? What a load.
Higher Ed has another one that’ll make you scratch your head:
1. Evaluate the cost and feasibility of requiring students who attend institutions of
higher education to be covered by a health benefit plan. Evaluate whether
institutions should have the authority to offer tuition waivers or insurance
coverage to graduate students and fellows.
There was some legislation on this in the 80th session which went nowhere. As I said when it came up, hey, let’s throw one more financial obstacle in the road for kids who want to attend college from poor and middle class families.
The Committee on House Administration’s charges actually make me mad. Why? Because there isn’t a charge there to do something about getting press credentials for bloggers. This came up last session, and should have been in the interim charges.
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