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Bill OK'd allowing guns in workers' cars; Dewhurst to be a rodeo cowboy
COMPILED FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Bill is OK'd for guns in workers' cars
The Texas Senate unanimously approved a bill Wednesday that would allow Texans to bring guns and ammunition to work, even if their bosses said no.
Guns and shells would have to be kept out of sight in a locked car.
Under the measure, employers could still bar employees from possessing guns in offices or company vehicles and in fenced parking lots to which access is restricted.
House tentatively approves film bill
The Texas House tentatively approved its first substantive bill this legislative session Wednesday with a measure to use more financial incentives to lure movie and TV producers back to the state.
Currently, the governor's Texas Film Commission can award grants for the lesser of 5 percent of a production's in-state spending or a specified amount, depending on the type of project.
The legislation by Democratic Rep. Dawnna Dukes of Austin would give the film office power to establish a maximum amount of a grant and would change some qualifications that a production company would have to meet.
Shield law bill advances in Senate
A Senate committee unanimously passed an updated version of journalistic shield law legislation Wednesday.
The substitute presented by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, reflected a recent compromise between journalists and district attorneys on a House version of the bill. Jeremy Warren of Ellis' office said the language was identical to that agreed upon by both sides.
After a marathon meeting between district attorneys and members of the news media last week, the opponents agreed, and the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee unanimously passed it along to the full House.
Dewhurst to be a rodeo cowboy
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who has an affinity for cutting horse competition, will soon be inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. The pending honor was recognized in the state Senate, over which Dewhurst presides, in a resolution Wednesday.
Dewhurst, a part-time cattle rancher, is to be inducted Friday during a ceremony in Belton. Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, authored the resolution honoring the Republican leader.
"We get a lot of honors in politics, but I know the fact that you like being a cowboy; this is a big deal," Fraser said.
Committee passes transportation bill
The Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee passed a bill Wednesday that would allow referendums in certain larger Texas counties on raising local taxes or fees for road and rail projects.
The bill, approved by the committee 7-2, has a companion state constitutional amendment that would have to pass before county commissioners could call such votes. The bill contains six possible revenue increases, including a local gas tax of up to 10 cents a gallon, increased fees for government-owned parking facilities and some vehicle fees.
