Category: Legislature

Reporting news out of the activities in Austin

Houston’s Red Light Cameras run out of film, meanwhile…

I received word this afternoon that Houston’s City Council passed a settlement agreement with American Traffic Solutions to end the red light camera program. The city has been mired in a court battle for more than a year about a charter amendment passed in November 2010 mandating the city end the program. The battle was over …

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TSA smackdown of the Texas State Senate

Transportation Security Officers

As the state legislative session began winding down last week, I started following certain bills of interest, including HB 1937, which, as I discussed before, would prohibit the TSA from touching “private parts” during screening. Much to my surprise, the bill, which passed  unanimously out of the House, was withdrawn before being brought to the vote Tuesday.  With …

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Texas to reign in the TSA???

Susie Castillo's TSA Complaint (Click to Enlarge)

Earlier this week, 2003 Miss USA winner Susie Castillo reported an incident involving TSA agents at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.  She was “randomly” selected by screeners to go through one of the new body scanners, to which she promptly declined for alternate screening methods. Anyway, after “opting out,” I proceeded to follow a very nice older …

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Do you want to go faster? Legislature says “YES”

Speed Limit Sign

The Texas Legislature passed two bills over to the State Senate this week, relating to speed limits in the state. While I haven’t been closely watching the legislative session this year, its interesting to see what they’re working on. The first of these bills got national attention, and is somewhat misunderstood is actually part of …

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Today’s Election Day: Get out there and VOTE!

With the ratification of the US Constitution in 1787, the framers set a course of a then unheard of form of Government, a Republic. Under that Republic, it is up to the people to select Representitives (and later by the 17th Amendment, Senators) to represent our interests on a National level. Today represents the one …

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Countdown to the Election

Today marked the beginning of early voting here in Texas.  I took advantage this year, particularly in light of the warehouse fire that destroyed most of the voting equipment here in Harris County. My location of choice was the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on West Gray: Being this was the first day, and it was after …

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Texas Legislature to Make Cameras see RED? (Continued)

As we come to mid-month, more news from Austin on all of the action to stop or slow the spread of the disease known as red light cameras. Two more bills have been filed, House Bill 1570, and Senate Bill 195. House Bill 1570 is identical to the previously discussed Senate Bill 125, requiring that …

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Legislature to pull the plug on Tasers?

More news coming out of the Austin. Legislator Coleman introduced House Bill 1304, which institutes a moratorium on Taser purchases and use during calendar year 2008. With the current number of Taser related incidents that have happened around the state, it might sound like a good idea. In fact, it, like the Houston Police Department’s chase …

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Could The Wrecker Races Soon Be Over?

We’ve all seen them, along a freeway or on a street. Four or five tow trucks lined up to try and get a piece of the business at a scene of an accident. We’ve seen the drivers of those trucks snake their way down the emergency lane past the backed up traffic just to get …

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Would Houston Slow Down for Cameras?

Phoenix suburb Scottsdale, Arizona recently conducted a 9 month test of a "Photo Radar" system on loop 101 (Phoenix's version of 610).  The city has now passed a resolution to turn the cameras back on full time, considering the system a success. In the ZDNet and Arizona Republic stories, it says that the cameras activate when …

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