News

SENATE APPROVES BUDGET BILL
The Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed its version of the state budget in the form of SB 1, a bill that would spend $106.4 billion in state revenue over the next two years. Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson of Flower Mound led the budget writing efforts, and told members that in spite of a reduction in available funds this session, the Senate's budget still meets the state's critical priorities "This is a lean budget, but it's also a smart budget," she said. "It responsibly meets the needs of our state and it preserves our principles of fiscal responsibility that have guided us through tough budgets in the past, and I believe it helps us come out stronger on the other side."

SENATE PASSES TAX REFORM BILLS
The Senate passed two bills this week intended to reduce the tax burden on property owners and businesses. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has made tax reform a priority this session, and commissioned a statewide travelling interim committee to study the issue of rising property taxes. Patrick designated the legislation arising from that study Senate Bill 2, indicating it as one of his highest priorities for the session. Bill author and interim committee chair Senator Paul Bettencourt of Houston said Tuesday that property tax growth is out of control. "We need real reform now," he said. "Homeowners pay in many cases eight, nine, ten percent more a year and many commercial property owners are paying fifteen to twenty percent more per year, year after year."

The season of Lent in upon us. This time of waiting in the liturgical year is all about preparation in anticipation of Easter. Very often is it also synonymous with sacrifice or "giving up" something. In the past I have given things up that I love, things like sugar, chocolate or Diet Coke, but I don't do that anymore.
A few years ago I heard a sermon that changed my perspective on Lent. It said that rather than focusing on giving something up Lent should be viewed as a call to action, a time to do something to help your fellow man.
There is a popular movement on Facebook called 40 bags in 40 days. It is a Lenten challenge to fill 40 bags of clothing, toys, and household items that are in good condition and donate them to the less fortunate. I think that is a great idea and a couple of years ago my friend and co-worker Lindsey took that idea and ran with. Lindsey started a Lenten food drive to benefit Helping Hands of Jackson County.

By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
Downtown Edna is getting a bit of a facelift, thanks to the Texana Arts Council, The Texana Center for the Arts, and artists from Austin and Galveston.
David Winters and Corey Mullins of Enhanced Space, an art company out of Austin, have been working tirelessly on the a mural on the east-facing wall of the Texana Center for the Arts. Winters, who owns the company, has a B.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and has done work for clients such as Whole Foods.

The Texas Senate passed major tax relief legislation to reduce the burden on homeowners and businesses. In passing Senate Bill 2, authored by Senator Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) and co-authored by Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), the trigger rate for an election was lowered to five percent from the current eight percent when a local government entity attempts to increase its tax collections. The bill requires an automatic election if the five percent rollback rate is exceeded, and also creates a Property Tax Advisory Board at the office of the Texas Comptroller.

SENATE PASSES TAX REFORM MEASURES
The Senate passed two bills Tuesday intended to slow the growth of property taxes and gradually phase out the state franchise tax. The first measure, SB 2 by Houston Senator Paul Bettencourt, comes after statewide interim committee hearings where people testified to out-of-control property tax growth and problems with challenging appraisals. "We need real reform now," he said. "Homeowners pay in many cases pay eight, nine, ten percent more a year and many commercial property owners are paying fifteen to twenty percent more per year, year after year."

(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today released a special edition of Fiscal Notes highlighting long-term financial obligations facing Texas state government. Prior to the 2017 legislative session, Hegar sent a letter to lawmakers outlining some of these obligations which, if left unaddressed, could negatively impact the state’s credit rating and limit the amount of revenue available for general spending.

The report examines four of these obligations:

COMMITTEE CONSIDERS EASING HANDGUN LICENSE COSTS
Texans seeking a license-to-carry (LTC) permit would see a much smaller fee under a bill considered by the Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday. The current fee of $140 to apply for a license that permits concealed and open carry of handguns in the state is among the highest in the nation, says bill author and Jacksonville Senator Robert Nichols. "These fees impose an undue burden on people's constitutional right to bear arms as it relates to concealed carry or license to carry," he said. "This will take Texas from having one of the highest fees in the nation to one of the lowest in the nation and still covers what I believe to be the real cost of running the program."

SENATE SENDS SB SIX TO HOUSE
The Senate approved a bill Wednesday that would require people in public buildings, including schools, to use the bathroom that corresponds with the sex on their current birth certificate. Dubbed the "bathroom bill" by media reports, the measure drew flak from opponents who say it unfairly targets transgender Texans. Bill author and Brenham Senator Lois Kolkhorst said the bill wasn't about hurting people, but rather is needed to keep men out of women's restrooms. "The heart and the soul of this bill, I think, for me as a woman is the privacy, the safety and the security for all people, and the people that have bad intentions, we can prevent them before they act upon them" she said.

BATHROOM BILL MOVES FORWARD
Following a marathon 20 hour hearing, a bill that would require a person to use the bathroom corresponding with the gender on their birth certificate in public buildings is on its way to the full Senate. The Senate State Affairs Committee heard hours of testimony about SB 6 on Tuesday, with supporters saying it's necessary to keep sexual predators out of women's restrooms and critics saying it discriminates against transgender individuals. Bill author and Brenham Senator Lois Kolkhorst said the bill was carefully crafted to find a fair solution to the issue. "Senate Bill 6, the Texas Privacy Act, is a bill that many of us have spent a great deal of time on carefully crafting to find the balance of privacy, decency, respect and dignity to protect women, children and all people for that matter," she said in her opening remarks on the bill.