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Senate Finance Committee Chairman talks Tax Cuts, Education, Water & more

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas –

“We’ve really bent the curve for the growth of state spending. This idea that’s out there that we’ve spent every dime we can get our hands on is simply not true.

“I’d say, in a state growing as fast as ours, anything that’s below 10% is well below population and inflation. This budget is growing well below population and inflation,” said Senate Finance Chairman Tommy Williams, analyzing the State Legislature’s work during the first 5 months of 2013.

“I think when you look at it as a whole, we accomplished a tremendous amount this Session … But there’s a bigger story that needs to be told here.

— Senator Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands,) Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, was the Senate’s lead negotiator and a key player in writing the 2014-2015 Texas State Budget.

Join Insider’s Jim Cardle as he & Sen. Williams discuss the details of the 2013 Session, and further details of the Texas State Budget here.     Continue Reading.

Your E-Mail Privacy & Texas: 1st-in-Nation Bill Sent to Gov. Perry

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas –

“I am proud of what we were able to accomplish with HB 2268. With technology ever evolving, bad actors will use every means available to further their pursuits,” said State Representative John Frullo (R-Lubbock) of his legislation, which technology experts across the country say represents the nation’s strongest E-mail Privacy Bill.

“House Bill 2268 expands the tools that law enforcement have at their disposal, while affording Texans additional protections concerning our 4th Amendment rights.

“We task law enforcement with staying up-to-date on these new activities in order to protect all of us.”                – State Representative John Frullo (R-Lubbock)

HB 2268 currently sits on Gov. Rick Perry’s desk awaiting signature, where he has until June 16th to sign or veto the bill.

Frullo & Senator John Carona’s bill passed both houses of the Texas legislature without a single “nay” vote, and requires Texas state law enforcement to secure a judge’s warrant prior to demanding access to private e-mails, regardless of the age of the e-mail.     Continue Reading.

McCaul’s statement opening the Hearing, the Bill & Amendment texts, as well as the live video feed is available HERE.

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. —

“Last week the House Homeland Security Committee, which I chair, unanimously approved legislation I introduced to compel the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategy for gaining operational control of our borders.

“Most Americans will agree that we have an immigration problem, and my legislation addresses what I believe should be a prerequisite to reforming our immigration system.

“It’s my belief that we cannot address the other aspects of illegal immigration, and how we deal with the illegal immigrants already here, until we secure our borders.  We must not repeat the mistakes of the past when the promise of border security went unfulfilled.”

— Congressman Michael McCaul (TX-10) is Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security. His Bill, H.R. 1417, addresses only Border Security, is independent of efforts to reform our immigration system, and is discussed in further detail here.       Continue Reading.

“I’ve talked with our Parliamentarian, and we’re within about 15 or 20 bills passing of where we were this time last Session.”

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas –

“At the beginning of the Session, I had breakfast with the Governor, Lt. Governor & Speaker, and they were concerned there were some issues where there had not been transparency, and that we had not made sure the public was aware of what was (being spent and) available to them on line. So we filed three bills,” said State Representative Dan Flynn, Co-Chairman of the House Transparency in State Agency Operations Committee.

“You know, we found that one of our universities gave away a $500,000 loan, and yet it was not reported. Now we know that’s stopped.

“As you bring these things to the attention of taxpayers and various entities, we’re finding, you know what? Had that been transparent in the past, it wouldn’t have happened. Now in the future, we’ll have some changes being made,” Flynn tells Insider’s Jim Cardle.

Watch the video here.     Continue Reading.

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. —

Texas Congressman Kevin Brady of Houston asks Acting I.R.S. Commissioner Steve Miller 4 times,

“Mr. Miller, who in the I.R.S. is responsible for targeting conservative organizations?”

Watch Cong. Brady, a senior member of the House Ways & Means Committee, as he goes on the offensive for answers from the I.R.S., which has been targeting conservative organizations for intense scrutiny.   Continue Reading.

“It’s the kind of behavior we associate not with the greatest democracy in the world, but with corrupt tin-pot dictators.”      — Watch the short video of Cornyn’s Senate Floor speech here.

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. —

“Back in 2011 and 2012, my office was contacted by some constituents who were active politically in organizations like the King Street Patriots, True The Vote, the Tea Party, particularly in Waco and San Antonio. They were concerned that they were being targeted by the federal government, specifically the Internal Revenue Service, for their political activity.

“They were concerned that the activities of the Internal Revenue Service seemed excessive, unreasonable, and improper.

“… I wish I could take some comfort from the President’s (recent) comments.”

— U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) earlier today called on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Acting Commissioner Steven Miller to resign, and condemned the agency for specifically targeting groups in Texas, including the King Street Patriots, the San Antonio & Waco Tea Parties, and True the Vote.

You can watch video of his speech here.     Continue Reading.

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Everyone expected the Texas Legislature, particularly the House, was in for an interesting week … and they didn’t disappoint.

The House deadline of midnight Thursday for bills to either be voted on by the full House, or die, came & went, while discussions swirled on whether the Senate or House’s version of funding a Texas Water Plan would bust the Budget Cap.

This week’s featured Elected Officials, pictured below are:     (Click here for more.)

Continue Reading.

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Things are picking up in the Texas Legislature. Don’t forget to check back at week’s end for an update on more Legislative action, and be sure to visit Texas Insider at the end of every week to see who makes our “Who’s Who” Legislators List.

This week’s featured Elected Officials are:

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, State Rep. Cindy Burkett, author of HB 148 making the practice of ballot harvesting illegal, which recently passed the House, Bryan Hughes, whose Cell Phone Privacy Bill (HB 1608) has 100+ co-authors and would protect Texans cellphone records, Public Health Committee Chair Lois Kolkhorst, Economic & Manufacturing Sub-Committee Chair Jim Murphy, as well as Ways & Means Vice Chair and Appropriations Education Sub-Committee Chair John Otto. Click here for more.   Continue Reading.

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas –

“That’s what is behind all the Tax Reform we’re doing, economic growth. Giving tax cuts and giving tax relief to anyone that would receive more favorable treatment (after the bill passes) than they do today.

“These are all the different things we’re looking at, to not only reform the tax code and make it fairer & simpler, but also to give relief, which means a tax cut,” said Texas House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Harvey Hilderbran.

“But we’ve got to be responsible and work within the current State Budget to either replace it with another source, or prove up that the economy will grow fast enough as a result of that policy change.”

 – Don’t miss the 2nd of our 2-Part Series, as the chairman of the House Tax-writing Committee visits with Texas Insider about the remainder of the 2013 Legislative Session.  Watch Part II here.     Continue Reading.

Bipartisan senators group takes 1st Step, addresses broken immigration policy

Texas Insider Report: HOUSTON, Texas – “In Texas, we are confronted daily with our nation’s failed immigration policies, and conservatives now have an opportunity to show the nation that we can lead in offering efficient, pro-family, market-based solutions to our nation’s broken immigration policy.”

“Although I still have concerns with the guest worker program quotas that the labor unions successfully negotiated behind closed doors, Texas Immigration Solution will continue to offer its support to legislators as they continue.”

– Brad Bailey, co-founder and CEO of Texas Immigration Solution.

Earlier this week the Texas Immigration Solution praised the U.S. Senate’s ‘Gang of 8’ for introducing an immigration reform bill that addresses our nation’s outdated immigration policy. For more details, click here.    Continue Reading.