txcaucus

Texas Republicans have led the way to protect private property rights in the wake of the Kelo vs. New London Supreme Court decision. After passing a bill last session to protect private property from eminent domain for economic development, Lone Star State Republicans are working to further strengthen those protections this session. To that end, the House passed HB 2006 by Representative Beverly Wooley (R-Houston) which takes on definition creep that has occurred over time, and improves compensation to homeowners. “For the last 70 years, private property rights in Texas have been eroded,” Wooley said. “House Bill 2006 restores private property rights of Texans by narrowing the definition of public use to allow for the taking of a person's property only for traditional Texas public uses; requiring that a condemning entity act in good faith; and by providing that a property owner receive adequate and just compensation reflective of the property's market value.” The last ...

Across our nation, out-of-control courts and hyper-sensitive bureaucrats have been undermining Americans’ religious freedom. Nowhere is this more dangerous than in our schools. When courts re-interpret freedom of religion as freedom from religion, individuals’ right to worship is threatened. When bureaucrats seek to remove all religious symbology from our public places, they do an injustice to the history that has made America what it is. This session, House Republicans have fought hard to preserve and protect religious expression and the proper understanding of the effect that religion had on shaping America. This week, House Republicans continued their efforts, passing HB 1287 by Representative Warren Chisum (R-Pampa). This bill allows public school elective courses to study the bible in its historic and literary role in Western Civilization. “The bible is a cornerstone document in American history,” Chisum said. “It’s the moral foundation that strengthened our founding fath...

In a move to create an accountability system that improves, but doesn’t detract from our education system, the Texas House passed SB 1031, sponsored by Representative Rob Eissler (R-Houston) replacing the TAKS test with end-of-course exams. “An end-of-course exam will allow us to focus on the context, and not teach to the test,” Eissler said. “End of course exams will also be a great way to build the college culture among all students, and help to find a new job (if you need a cover letter you can look here https://mootools.net/forge/profile/Jason_Newton .” The bill will phase-out the TAKS test for grades 9-11 and phase in the following end-of-course assessments starting with 9th grade students in the 2011-2012 school year. Representative Frank Corte, Jr. (R-San Antonio), the House Republican Caucus Chairman, said this legislation doesn’t water down accountability measures that Texans have demanded, but in fact, strengthens them. “While an accountability-based system for m...

While many Texas cities have turned to automatic cameras to ticket drivers passing through red lights, Texans want to know that safety – not money – is the overriding factor in this new method of traffic enforcement. In recent years, red-light cameras have popped up all over Texas. And they’re all unregulated. At least until now. Representative Jim Murphy (R-Houston) sponsored two key pieces of legislation that would regulate red-light cameras and prevent cities or contractors from turning them into a cash cow. “It is vital for the State to exercise its right to regulate red-light cameras to ensure that they are used appropriately, fairly and uniformly across the State,” Murphy said. SB 1119 creates a statutory framework for regulating the cameras, while a related bill, SB 125 takes out the financial incentives for the cameras. SB 125 dedicates a portion of the proceeds of tickets to fund trauma care hospitals – the very hospitals which deal with many victims of accidents...

When a couple decides to become foster parents and take in some of our state’s most troubled kids, they don’t give up their right to free speech. Nor do they give up their right to worship. So why is it that some State bureaucrats want them to give up their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms? Sound far-fetched? That’s exactly what some ill-advised bureaucrats have tried to do in one recent case in Texas. A foster parent – who was a model of compassion – was told that he either had to get his firearms out of the house or get kicked out of the foster system. In a time when the state’s foster care network is struggling to find enough good homes, bureaucrats were pursuing their anti-gun agenda to the detriment of children. “Texas should be in the practice of embracing and encouraging those families who open their homes to foster children,” said Representative Dan Flynn (R-Van), saying that responsible, law-abiding gun owners should not be discriminated against when it ...