Legislative Highlights

[UNTflyer]

PASSED, SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOV. RICK PERRY

--Wrongful Convictions: Increases compensation for those who were convicted and sent to prison for crimes they did not commit.

--Texas Movies: Expands the ability of the state's movie and film office to grant financial incentives to lure productions to Texas.

--Hurricanes-Electricity: Allows utilities to issue low-cost bonds to recover costs after hurricanes and other disasters, reducing the financial impact to electricity customers for rebuilding and restoration.

--Journalist Shield Law: Provides limited immunity to journalists from having to testify and reveal confidential sources and documents in court.

--Interior Designers: Prohibits someone not licensed or registered with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners as an interior designer from using the title "licensed interior designer" or "registered interior designer."

--Crossbow Hunting: Allows all hunters, not just disabled hunters, to use crossbows during bow hunting season. Crossbows already were allowed during open hunting season.

--Military Kids: Makes it easier for children of transferring military members to enroll in new schools by allowing Texas to join an interstate compact on educational opportunities for military children.

--University Expansion: Allows for the expansion of Texas A&M University-Central Texas, Texas A&M University-San Antonio and University of North Texas at Dallas campuses as stand-alone institutions; removes barriers to the use of tuition revenue bonds for expansion.

PASSED, BECOMING LAW WITHOUT GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE

--Booster Seats: Requires that children under age 8 be secured in a booster seat when riding in a passenger vehicle. Raises the current age limit from 4.

PASSED, AWAITING ACTION BY GOVERNOR

--State Budget: A $182 billion two-year spending plan that includes $12 billion in federal economic stimulus money pays for scores of state services but covers mostly education and health care.

--Supplemental Budget: A $2.4 billion package to cover unexpected costs in the current state budget, including money for the Hurricane Ike-ravaged University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

--Top 10 Percent: Scales back the law allowing automatic college admissions for students in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class.

--Disabled Veterans: Provides homestead property tax exemptions for disabled veterans.

--Human Trafficking Civil Penalties: Allows victims of human trafficking to sue their traffickers and seek punitive damages from the traffickers and the organizations involved.

--Teen Tanning Bill: Bans anyone under 16.5 years old from using a tanning bed.

--Smokeless Tobacco Tax: Changes the tax on chewing tobacco to a weight-based system in order to fund a medical school loan repayment program for doctors who work in underserved areas. Includes tax break for small businesses.

--Business Tax: Gives tax break to some 40,000 small businesses by raising the franchise tax exemption from $300,000 in revenue to $1 million.

--State Schools: Increases oversight and security of the state's large institutions for people with mental disabilities.

--Electronic Textbooks: Allows school districts to purchase approved electronic textbooks and materials.

--Military Tuition: Expands tuition exemptions for Texas military veterans and their spouses.

--UNT Law School: Allows the University of North Texas at Dallas to establish a new public law school.

--School Accountability: Changes high school graduation and grade promotion requirements; requires students to pass standardized tests to be promoted to the next grade but reduces some of the high stakes currently placed on the testing.

--School Supplies: Adds backpacks and school supplies to the annual August sales tax holiday weekend that already includes clothing purchases.

FAILED

--Voter ID: Would have required Texas voters to present photo identification or two non-photo alternative forms of ID before casting a ballot.

--Casino Gambling: Would have allowed Las Vegas-style casinos, slot machines at race tracks and casinos on American Indian reservations.

--Smoking Ban: Would have imposed a statewide ban on smoking in most public indoor spaces, including bars and restaurants.

--Smoking Age: Would have raised the legal age limit to buy tobacco products from 18 to 19.

--Needle Exchange: Would have allowed public health officials to establish a needle exchange program, permitting people to hand in dirty needles in exchange for clean ones.

--Guns on Campus: Would have allowed concealed handgun license holders to bring their guns to college campuses.

--Guns to Work: Would have allowed people to carry firearms to work and then store them in their parked vehicles outside.

--Strip Club Fees: Would have imposed a new admissions tax on sexually oriented businesses and repealed a $5-per-person admission fee on strip clubs that a judge ruled unconstitutional.

--Medical Marijuana: Would have permitted use of marijuana for medical purposes.

--Government Employee Birth Dates: Would have exempted government employees' birth dates from release under open records law.

--Sobriety Checkpoints: Would have allowed police to set up sobriety roadblocks in large counties and cities.

--Mercury Warnings: Would have required fish markets and grocery stores to post signs warning pregnant women that certain fish could contain high levels of mercury that can cause birth defects.

[UNT90]

PASSED, SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOV. RICK PERRY

--Wrongful Convictions: Increases compensation for those who were convicted and sent to prison for crimes they did not commit.

Explains why Dallas County is going broke.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--Too many lawyers just wanting to win a case (guilty or not) or police wanting to "solve" a case even if the evidence is bad. A few may be understandable but some are really crazy deals.

[UNT90]

--Too many lawyers just wanting to win a case (guilty or not) or police wanting to "solve" a case even if the evidence is bad. A few may be understandable but some are really crazy deals.

Nothing to do with police or lawyers. Has everything to do with witness identifications. Very unreliable. Hell, sometimes I can't even remember what my girlfriend looks like, at least that's the excuse I use.

[eulessismore]

Nothing to do with police or lawyers. Has everything to do with witness identifications. Very unreliable. Hell, sometimes I can't even remember what my girlfriend looks like, at least that's the excuse I use.

Be careful when picking her up at the airport.