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Van Taylor, R-Plano, talks with a member on the House floor on May 16, 2011."> </a> <div class="photo_links"> <a href="//web.archive.org/web/20150508044010/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/Taylor1_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg" title="State Rep. Van Taylor, R-Plano, talks with a member on the House floor on May 16, 2011." class="lightbox enlarge">Enlarge</a> <cite>photo by: Bob Daemmrich</cite> </div> <div class="photo_caption">State Rep. Van Taylor, R-Plano, talks with a member on the House floor on May 16, 2011.</div> </div> <div class="text_column"> <header> <h1><a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/senate-passes-ethics-reform-generation/"> Senate Passes Ethics Reform of a Generation? </a></h1> <ul class="meta separator"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/reynolds-john/">John Reynolds</a>, <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/julian-aguilar/">Juli谩n Aguilar</a> and <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/matthew-watkins/">Matthew Watkins</a></li><li><time datetime="Thu, 30 Apr 2015 23:06:00 -0500" title="2015-04-30 23:06"> April 30, 2015 </time></li></ul> </header> <div class="summary"> <p>Bill author <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/directory/van-taylor/">Van Taylor</a> said SB 19 was one for the history books. Others, including <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/directory/john-whitmire/">John Whitmire</a>, disagreed.</p> <a class="permalink" href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/senate-passes-ethics-reform-generation/"> <i class="icon-share-alt"></i> Full Story </a> </div> </div> </article> <article> <div class="media story_page"> <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/house-works-weekend/"> <img src="//web.archive.org/web/20150508044010im_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/02/10/IMG_9754_jpg_260x1000_q100.jpg" alt=""> </a> <div class="photo_links"> <a href="//web.archive.org/web/20150508044010/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/02/10/IMG_9754_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg" title="" class="lightbox enlarge">Enlarge</a> <cite>photo by: Todd Wiseman</cite> </div> </div> <div class="text_column"> <header> <h1><a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/house-works-weekend/"> The House Works a Late Friday Shift </a></h1> <ul class="meta separator"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/reynolds-john/">John Reynolds</a>, <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/aman-batheja/">Aman Batheja</a> and <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/eva-hershaw/">Eva Hershaw</a></li><li><time datetime="Thu, 30 Apr 2015 23:04:00 -0500" title="2015-04-30 23:04"> April 30, 2015 </time></li></ul> </header> <div class="summary"> <p>The workload in the chambers picks up on the budget, contracting reform and taxes.</p> <a class="permalink" href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/house-works-weekend/"> <i class="icon-share-alt"></i> Full Story </a> </div> </div> </article> <article> <div class="media story_page"> <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/inside-intelligence-about-those-special-session-ru/"> <img src="//web.archive.org/web/20150508044010im_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo_1_png_260x1000_q100.png" alt=""> </a> <div class="photo_links"> <a href="//web.archive.org/web/20150508044010/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo_1_png_800x1000_q100.png" title="" class="lightbox enlarge">Enlarge</a> </div> </div> <div class="text_column"> <header> <h1><a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/inside-intelligence-about-those-special-session-ru/"> Inside Intelligence: About Those Special Session Rumblings... </a></h1> <ul class="meta separator"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/reynolds-john/">John Reynolds</a></li><li><time datetime="Thu, 30 Apr 2015 23:02:00 -0500" title="2015-04-30 23:02"> April 30, 2015 </time></li></ul> </header> <div class="summary"> <p><span>For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about the odds of a special session this summer and for a Magic 8 Ball assessment of House-Senate relations.</span></p> <a class="permalink" href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/inside-intelligence-about-those-special-session-ru/"> <i class="icon-share-alt"></i> Full Story </a> </div> </div> </article> <article> <div class="media story_page"> <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/calendar/"> <img src="//web.archive.org/web/20150508044010im_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/Capsized4_jpg_260x1000_q100.jpg" alt=""> </a> <div class="photo_links"> <a href="//web.archive.org/web/20150508044010/http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/images/Capsized4_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg" title="" class="lightbox enlarge">Enlarge</a> <cite>photo by: Todd Wiseman</cite> </div> </div> <div class="text_column"> <header> <h1><a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/calendar/"> The Calendar </a></h1> <ul class="meta separator"><li class="byline"> by Texas Weekly </li><li><time datetime="Thu, 30 Apr 2015 23:00:00 -0500" title="2015-04-30 23:00"> April 30, 2015 </time></li></ul> </header> <div class="summary"> <p><span>Key meetings and events for the coming week.</span></p> <a class="permalink" href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/calendar/"> <i class="icon-share-alt"></i> Full Story </a> </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="rail cell w-4"> <div class="quotes"> <section class="sidebar_block"> <header> <h2><a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/quotes/">Quotes of the Week</a></h2> </header> <div class="content prose"> <p class="quote">What do we need to do for this body to protect the women in this state?</p> <p class="cite">State Rep. <strong>Donna Howard</strong>, D-Austin, after her colleagues voted down language that w<span>ould have created a statewide task force to study sexual assaults on college campuses in Texas</span></p> <p class="quote">It shows the importance of living up to our civic duty of serving on a jury — that even though we’ve got five weeks left in determining the fate of the people in the room as far as government is concerned, that I’ll be here for this.</p> <p class="cite">Gov. <strong>Greg Abbott</strong> on showing up when called for jury duty this week</p> <p class="quote">It looks better to say the ad is from Americans for Good Government than from John Smith.</p> <p class="cite">Former Federal Election Commission lawyer <strong>Larry Noble</strong> on the rise in super PACs funded by a single donor</p> <p class="quote">I do not come to you tonight with the ability to speak Spanish. But I do speak a common language. I speak Jesus.</p> <p class="cite"><span>Likely GOP presidential candidate <strong>Mike Huckabee</strong> to the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference meeting in Houston this week</span></p> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid index_bottom" style="padding-top: 1em;"> <section id="rearview" class="cell w-6"> <header> <h2><a class="plain" href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/rearview/">The Week in the Rearview Mirror</a></h2> </header> <article> <div class="content"> <p>Gov. <strong>Greg Abbott</strong> showed up for jury duty on Monday, chatting with other potential jurors about the weather, parking woes and his puppy, Pancake. He waited about two hours before being told he was not selected.</p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p>The House approved a $4.9 billion tax relief package split between a first-ever reduction in the state sales tax rate and a reduction in the business franchise tax rate. Next up is an attempt to find a compromise on tax cuts with the Senate that is emphasizing property tax cuts over trimming sales tax revenue.</p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p>A panel of judges on the <span>U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on Tuesday in the legal challenge to Texas' voter ID law. Questions centered on whether the state intentionally discriminated against minorities with the law as well as state lawmakers' decision not to address criticisms of the law.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p>The Texas Senate approved a broad-based ethics bill this week, adding items during floor debate to strengthen legislation that had been significantly weakened in committee. One change garnering attention would require political candidates to take a drug test.</p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><span>The Texas House has given initial approval to a major boost in transportation funding from sales taxes, setting the stage for a showdown with the Senate over the best way to pay for Texas roads.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><span>The Senate Education Committee passed legislation on Thursday that would create a free, high-quality pre-K program for Texas. The action on the high-priority item for Abbott comes about a week after it came under criticism from an advisory panel of grassroots conservatives allied with Lt. Gov. <strong>Dan Patrick</strong>.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p>The Senate this week approved a <span>controversial bill authored by state Sen. <strong>Larry Taylor</strong>, R-Friendswood that would make it harder for homeowners and companies to recover certain damages from their insurance companies.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p>A move by Houston Democratic state Sen. <strong>Rodney Ellis</strong> to <span>repeal a program that requires drivers convicted of certain traffic offenses to pay annual surcharges to keep their driver's licenses received backing this week from a couple of Tea Party conservatives in the Senate — <span>Sen. </span><strong>Don Huffines</strong><span>, R-Dallas, and Sen. </span><strong>Bob Hall</strong><span>, R-Edgewood.</span></span></p> </div> </article> </section> <section id="people" class="cell w-6"> <header> <h2><a class="plain" href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/texas-weekly/vol-32/no-17/people/">Political People and their Moves</a></h2> </header> <article> <div class="content"> <p><span><strong>S. Javaid Anwar</strong> of Midland was appointed by Gov. <strong>Greg Abbott</strong> to the Higher Education Coordinating Board for a term to expire on </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1592951238"><span class="aQJ">Aug. 31, 2015</span></span><span>.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><span><strong>Veronica Muzquiz Edwards</strong> of San Antonio and <strong>Alan L. Tinsley</strong> of Madisonville was appointed by Abbott <span>to the Texas State University Board of Regents. </span><strong>David Montage</strong> of Beaumont was reappointed to the board. Their terms expire </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1592951241"><span class="aQJ">Feb. 1, 2021</span></span><span>.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><strong>Carey Patrick</strong>, <strong>Ronald Hopping</strong> and <strong>Rene Peña</strong> were appointed by Abbott to <span>the Texas Optometry Board</span> for terms to expire on Jan. 31, 2021. In addition, <span><strong>John Coble</strong> was named board chairman.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><span><strong>Patricia “Patti” James</strong> of Houston and <span><strong>Claude “C.D.” Siems</strong> of Houston were appointed by Abbott to </span>the Private Security Board for terms to expire on </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1592951246"><span class="aQJ">Jan. 21, 2021</span></span><span>. In addition, James was named board chairwoman.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><span><strong>Greg Compean</strong> of Richmond and <strong>Larry Allen</strong> of Mesquite were named by Abbott to the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC) for terms to expire </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1592951250"><span class="aQJ">Feb. 1, 2021</span></span><span>.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><span><strong>Cliff Thomas</strong> of Victoria and <strong>Elaine Mendoza</strong> of San Antonio were selected Thursday as chairman and vice chairwoman, respectively, of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. Their terms <span>run through </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1592951266"><span class="aQJ">Feb. 1, 2017</span></span><span>. Thomas succeeds <span><strong>Phil Adams</strong> of Bryan-College Station as chairman.</span></span></span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><strong>Katharine Priddy McAden</strong> has been promoted to state director for U.S. Sen. <strong>Ted Cruz</strong>, R-Texas. She was operations director for Cruz's 2012 Senate before taking the job of deputy state director.</p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><strong>Deaths:</strong> <strong>Bruce Alger</strong>, 96, who when elected to represent a Dallas area congressional district in 1954 became the first Republican congressman from Texas in more than 20 years. He was known for extreme conservative views in his 10-year congressional career.</p> <p><strong>Nelson Salinas</strong>, 37, who was governmental affairs manager at the Texas Association of Business specializing in public and higher education issues. Prior to that, he served stints <span>in the offices of state Reps. <strong>Dora Olivo</strong>, D-Rosenberg, <strong>Roberto Gutierrez</strong>, D-McAllen, and<strong> </strong></span><strong>Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles</strong><span>, D-Alice.</span></p> </div> </article> <article> <div class="content"> <p><em>Disclosure: <span class="il">The</span> Texas State University System, the <span>Texas A&M University System and the Texas Association of Business</span> are corporate sponsors of <span class="il">The</span> Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150508044010/http://texastribune.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=2b92b3a9f0&e=fc328993e9" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p> </div> </article> </section> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wrapper-r"> <footer id="site_footer" class="wrapper-r"> <div id="footer" class="clear grid"> <div class="cell w-3"> <div> <h2 class="visuallyhidden">Texas Weekly</h2> <p> <span class="volume">Volume <span class="value">32</span></span>, <span class="issue">Issue <span class="value">17</span></span> </p> <p><time>01 May 2015</time></p> <p>Contributors: <span class="name">John Reynolds</span></p> </div> <div> <p><em>John Reynolds, Editor</em></p> <p>Phone: 512-716-8656</p> <p>Email: <a href="/web/20150508044010/http://www.texastribune.org/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c5afb7a0bcabaaa9a1b685b1a0bda4b6b1b7aca7b0aba0ebaab7a2" class="value"><span class="__cf_email__" 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