Texas Tribune Jim Malewitz Here’s something folks rarely see in Austin, or other statehouses, in these politically prickly times: a bipartisan effort to crack down on voter fraud. In the waning days of the 85th Texas Legislative Session, a group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers — backed by party leaders — are pushing to tighten…
read moreHouston Chronicle Sky Canaves AUSTIN — The House voted 129-11 on Wednesday in favor of the Senate’s version of a bill that will force freestanding emergency rooms and other out-of-network providers into mediation with customers who dispute surprise bills under a state program launched in 2009. Senate Bill 507 also requires that bills sent to…
read moreTexas House Republican Cacus Austin) The Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 28, which will put the franchise tax on a steady track towards a complete repeal. HB 28 uses excess state revenues to cut the rate of the tax, providing proportionate tax relief for all Texas businesses paying the tax. House Bill 28…
read moreHouston Chronicle Sky Canaves AUSTIN — Health insurers are under pressure from Texas legislators to halt a practice that allows them to change the terms of coverage for prescription drugs with a pair of bills in the House and Senate that would extend earlier protections. Patient advocacy groups and doctor and nurse associations long have…
read moreHouston Chronicle Todd Ackerman Body-snatching images flashed across Dr. Tom Oliverson’s mind when he first heard of a case last year in which a Harris County judge allowed an unidentified man’s organs to be harvested after attempts to find relatives who could provide donor consent proved futile. The Cypress anesthesiologist has served on numerous teams…
read moreTexas House Republican Caucus (Austin) Today, the Texas House of Representatives approved legislation that prohibits sanctuary city policies in Texas. Senate Bill 4 ensures federal immigration laws that are already on the books are followed and enforced by prohibiting local entities from adopting sanctuary city policies which threaten public safety. “The purpose of this legislation…
read moreCommunity Impact Emily Donaldson In Texas, affordable housing projects are competitive to build. Each project seeking federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development applies through a statewide point system for selection. Currently, the points system takes into consideration developer support from a county commissioner’s court, local neighborhood associations and a representative in…
read moreThe Shorthorn Madelyn Edwards A Texas lawmaker proposed a bill which would give students applying for college more information about debt accrual and possible salary amounts based on majors. Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, authored House bill 378 to link Texas Consumer Resource for Education and Workforce Statistics to the ApplyTexas website, which is the site…
read moreTexas House Republican Caucus (Austin, Texas) Today, the Texas House Republican Caucus Chairman, Tan Parker, announced the appointment of Representative Jim Murphy as the Caucus Floor Leader for the 85th Legislative Session. Representative Murphy served in the same capacity in the 84th session. In announcing the appointment, Chairman Parker stated, “Putting together a strong leadership…
read moreAustin, Texas – State Representative Tom Oliverson, MD (Cypress) filed House Bill 1757, legislation that will allow law enforcement officers to impound a vehicle if a driver does not have a valid driver license or some form of liability coverage. The bill only applies if the license or insurance of the driver cannot be found…
read more