The Texas House is currently debating a more than $330 billion dollar budget for the state's next two fiscal years. While Texas lawmakers consider thousands of bills each session, passing a budget is technically the only thing they're required to do. As TTN's Blaise Gainey reports, debate on the House floor started early this afternoon.
The majority of the day so far has been filled with procedural moves and considering amendments to the budget. Most notable was one amendment that wiped millions of dollars from the proposed budget for a few things, including the Texas Film Incentive Project. But from what I’m hearing, that money will be added back sometime in the future when the the Texas House and Senate meet to hash out their differences. That'll happen in what's called a conference committee once the House passes its version of the state's next 2-year budget. I’m Blaise Gainey, in Austin.
The Texas Senate has advanced a bill that would make it easier for landlords and homeowners to remove tenants for nonpayment of rent. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider says Senate Bill 38 passed its third reading and is now on its way to the House for consideration.
Republican Senator Paul Bettencourt framed his bill as needed to make it easier to remove squatters. But he acknowledged Democratic concerns that the bill would undermine tenants’ protections against unfair evictions. “There should be no right that a squatter has to stay in a property when they don’t own it, and we’re also going to be making changes in the eviction process, but with the floor amendment, I think it’s a very good balance between the rights of the property owners and the rights of the tenants.” The bill is a top priority of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who released a statement saying it “creates a fair, efficient, and predictable civil eviction process to remove unlawful occupants, including squatters.” I’m Andrew Schneider in Houston.
