U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, is still in the maybe column in the race to replace U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. But Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, says he won’t run for that federal job; he might be looking instead at the lieutenant governor’s post in 2014.
Sid Miller
Posted inState Government
Campaign Chatter
As expected, state Sen. Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, will run for Congress next year instead of for re-election to the Texas Senate. He’s not alone: Candidates are popping up all over the state.
Posted in
Politics
Williams Pulls a Switch
Michael Williams, who jumped from the U.S. Senate race to the congressional race in the new CD-33 in North Texas, says he’ll jump again: He’s running for congress in CD-25, a district that stretches from Tarrant County all the way south to Hays County.
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State Government
House Sends Animal Cruelty Registry Bill to Conference
The debate over whether to set up an animal cruelty registry continues. In a close vote, 63 to 78, the House sent HB 1103 to conference.
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State Government
House Gives Final OK to “Pork Chopper” Bill
The Texas House gave a final OK today to the “pork chopper” bill and sent it off to the governor’s office. The bill would allow licensed hunters to hire helicopters and contract with landowners to shoot feral hogs and coyotes on their property from the sky.
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State Government
“Pork Choppers” Soon to Be Open for Business
When state Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, introduced a bill last legislative session to allow licensed hunters to shoot feral hogs from helicopters, Texas lawmakers jokingly passed out “pork chopper” buttons. They’re not laughing anymore.
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Health care
Abortion Sonogram Moves to Governor’s Desk
House lawmakers have sent the controversial abortion sonogram bill to the governor’s desk — after a last-ditch effort by disability rights advocates to change language they called highly offensive.
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State Government
House, Senate Unite on Abortion Sonogram Bill
Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, and Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston joined forces this morning to ask the House to accept all of the Senate’s amendments to the abortion sonogram bill, virtually ensuring it’s headed to Gov. Rick Perry’s desk.
Posted in
Demographics
Where Are Perry’s Emergency Items?
With fewer than five weeks left in the regular session, none of Gov. Rick Perry’s emergency items — voter ID, sanctuary cities, sonograms for women getting abortions, a federal balanced budget amendment, and eminent domain protection — have made it to his desk.
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Health care
Patrick: No Holdup on Abortion Sonogram
Holdup? What holdup? Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, says he’s got the votes to send abortion sonogram legislation back to the House — but the timeline for doing it depends on how quickly the Senate passes the budget.