Tagged: 83rd Legislature

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Texas Legislature
4:53 pm
Wed April 10, 2013

Senate Passes Bill Requiring Welfare Recipients To Be Drug Tested

Credit Ryan Poppe / TPR
Texas State Capitol in Austin.

On a unanimous vote, a bill authored by Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, to require all welfare recipients to take a drug test passed the Texas Senate. 

The bill requires every Texas Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipient go through a drug-screen, which could include a one-on-one interview or questionnaire.

Nelson said her bill also provides $300 million towards rehab.

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Texas Legislature - Business
12:34 pm
Wed April 10, 2013

Lawmakers Consider Bills To Open Texas To Electric Car Maker Tesla

Credit Ryan Poppe / TPR
Elon Musk at the state capitol to urge state lawmakers to open the state to his dealerships.

Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla Motors and creator of commercial space exploration company SpaceX, spoke at the capitol urging lawmakers to approve a set of bills that allow his car company to be able to sell their cars in Texas.

During his time at the capitol, the billionaire car maker also met with Gov. Rick Perry about the issue.

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Violence In Schools
5:45 pm
Tue April 9, 2013

Mass Stabbing In Houston Sparks More Talk About Handguns On Campus

Credit Oleg Volt / Wikipedia Commons
Another incident of mass violence sparks more talk about handguns on campus.

Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Grandbury, said today’s mass stabbing in Houston could have been prevented if students and faculty were allowed to carry guns.   

Birdwell has authored a bill in the Senate that would allow students and faculty that possess a concealed handgun license to carry their weapons onto a school campus. 

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School Vouchers
2:31 pm
Tue April 9, 2013

Cardinal Testifies In Favor Of School Voucher Bill, Still Unlikely To Pass

Credit Ryan Poppe / TPR
With the House banning voucher funding for private and charter schools, it is very unlikely that this new effort will yield any results.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, testified in favor of Sen. Dan Patrick's bill that provides students with tax credits or vouchers to attend a private school.

"We have parents who are committed to their child’s education and want to get them out of poor performing schools," DiNardo said. "How could any of us look these parents in the eye and say that their children should be denied an opportunity for a better future simply because the system we have now, which in many cases is failed, is the only option we are going to allow them."

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