Smoking ban
The House bill to ban smoking in most public places got to the floor for debate Friday before it was delayed until next week.
Designed as a measure to protect people from dangerous second-hand smoke, the bill would ban smoking in restaurants and workplaces.
But the bill was in danger of having one of its key provisions snuffed out when an early vote exempted bars from the ban.
Local smoking restrictions would not be affected.
Under God
The House voted to put the words "under God" in the Texas pledge of allegiance.
Thousands of Texas school children recite the state pledge every day, and Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, said adding God allows Texas to simply mirror the national pledge, which added "under God" in 1954.
But it didn't come without a brief fight from a small group of Democrats who wanted Riddle to add the words "with freedom, and justice for all" as well. Riddle refused.
"We see today the real purpose of this bill. It's not to create a parallel pledge," said Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth. "It is to promote one religious perspective that is exclusive, that is not inclusive."
In 2003, the Legislature required public school students to say the U.S. and Texas pledges and observe a minute of silence each day. A student may be excused from saying the pledges if a parent or guardian makes a written request.
Under the bill, which now goes to the Senate, the Texas pledge would be: "Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God and indivisible."
Revenue cap
The Senate approved legislation Friday that would give voters the ability to reduce local property taxes and reduce the revenue cities and counties can raise without voter consent.
Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said the Senate is trying to give local taxpayers "a greater say in how much money their local governments take from them and how much those governments spend."
The bill by Sen. Kevin Eltife, a Tyler Republican, reduces the rollback rate from 8 percent to 5 percent, lowering the threshold for voters to trigger a rollback election as a result of increased revenue collections by a city or county.
The revenue cap would apply only to cities and counties where voters approve a one-quarter cent local sales tax increase for an equal reduction in local property taxes.
Next, the proposal moves to the House.
House mayhem
With deadlines looming and tempers flaring, Texas House members Friday argued over a litany of local bills waiting for passage amid threats that much of the legislation would be killed or delayed and left to die.
Among thousands of proposals under consideration before the legislative session ends May 28 are lawmakers' local measures dealing with everything from water and utility lines to police and fire pension funds. The Legislature is soon coming upon deadlines set out in its rules for voting on those bills.
Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick stood silently and listened with the rest of the chamber as Democratic Rep. Yvonne Davis of Dallas spoke of partisan divisions in the House and took aim at some of Craddick's leadership team. She said there had been suggestions that some bills were being stalled in a retaliatory action by Craddick lieutenants.
After her speech, many fellow lawmakers applauded. Craddick spoke privately with certain legislators, and a short time later, the mayhem calmed when it was announced - after requests from some Republican lawmakers seemingly trying to make peace - that additional time slots would be set aside next week to consider local bills.
Compiled from Associate Press reports.
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