Legislative Roundup

San Antonio Express-News

05/07/2003

Moment of silence bill passes House

AUSTIN — Legislation that would require schoolchildren to observe a minute of silence each school day was approved by the House Tuesday, 132-4.

House Bill 793, by Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, would require students to "reflect, pray, meditate or engage in any other silent activity that is not likely to interfere with or distract another student."

The bill also requires students to pledge allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags.

The legislation, already passed by the Senate, now goes to Gov. Rick Perry to sign it in to law, veto it or allow it to become law without signing it.

Voting against the bill were Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp, R-Lampasas; Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth; Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin; and Rep. Elvira Reyna, R-Mesquite.

Ethics legislation due more scrutiny

AUSTIN — Efforts to weaken a bill that would have made sweeping changes to state ethics laws have delayed a House vote on the legislation for several days.

As passed out of committee, House Bill 1606 wouldn't have allowed legislators to vote on bills that directly affect their financial interests, would have beefed up electronic filing of campaign contributions and required more disclosure from lawmakers.

HB 1606 was supposed to reach the House floor last week but opponents forced the delay, citing provisions to curb conflicts of interest and limit a practice called "continuance," which legislator lawyers use to postpone trials.

A House ethics committee appointed by Republican Speaker Tom Craddick approved the bill last month after a series of public hearings. But the changes made of late have come behind closed doors as lawmakers tinkered with the bill.

Contingency fee measure defeated

AUSTIN — The House voted down a bill Tuesday that would have banned local governments from entering into contingency fee contracts with private attorneys. The proposal by Rep. Joe Nixon, R-Houston, would have exempted bond attorneys, however.

Contingency fees generally are payments to lawyers based on a percentage of the monetary award in lawsuit.

House members rejected the measure 86-18. Several legislators said they don't want to tell school districts and county and city governments how to conduct their business.

"I think it's definitely a Big Brother bill," said Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio.

Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, said it was an attempt at "micromanaging" local officials.

Some legislators said local governments already can avoid contingency fee contracts if they wish.

Nixon said the measure, which would have lawyers paid based on an hourly rate, was intended to be something of an "ethics bill" to prevent extraordinarily high legal fees.

Compiled from wire reports.