Two crucial finance bills will hit the Texas House floor Thursday. HB4 – the Supplemental Appropriations Bill – and HB 275 – the Rainy Day Bill – would help close a $4.3 billion hole in the current budget. HB 275 is a controversial piece of legislation on which the governor’s office and the House Appropriations Committee only recently reached a deal. It uses $3.2 billion of the state’s economic stabilization fund (a.k.a. rainy day fund), a touch subject for thousands of Texans urging lawmakers to use the fund’s remainder to help whittle down the state’s future budget shortfall. However, tomorrow’s action could help lessen cuts to the future budget, as lawmakers will have more money to work with.

Senate Criminal Justice Committee to vote on ‘guns on campus’ bill

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee will vote on SB 354 at the desk of Chairman John Whitmire, D-Houston, as soon as the full Senate adjourns. This bill would allow  concealed handgun license holders to carry their weapons in college campus buildings throughout the state. Survivors of the Virginia Tech shooting, the 1966 University of Texas shooting, and others have spoken out against the legislation. They call the vote a hasty move, though it is expected to pass.

Racino supporters gather on Capitol lawn

A real “dog and pony show” will spread out over the south lawn of the Capitol just after noon. More than 500 advocates for slots at racetracks and federally-recognized Indian reservations will gather with several of those quick-stepping animals to show the popularity of the sport. Entertainer Lyle Lovett will be a part of the crowd. HJR 111 was up for consideration earlier in a House committee, and the chairman says he plans to role several pieces of gambling – including casinos – legislation into one before the committee votes. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has said he does not support such measures and doubts the Senate will even take up the items.

Senate Finance Committee takes up Medicaid recommendations

The Senate Finance Committee will take up SB 1 recommendations from its public safety and Medicaid subcommittees in the morning. One of the most heated topics in the last week is the Medicaid group’s decision to discontinue funding $19.3 million to the Texas HIV Medication Program. This service provides more than 14,000 low-income Texans living with HIV and AIDS money for their life-saving drugs.

Virtual classrooms bill in Senate Education Committee

The Senate Education Committee will consider SB 1483, which deals with virtual classrooms. This was one of the highlights of Gov. Rick Perry’s State of the State speech at the beginning of the session. Supporters say the program is a way for the state to save money and for students to take course they might not normally have the chance to take, especially in rural school districts. This would happen through an online or computer-based system.

Courtesy: M2K/Syntec Seating Solutions

A law to require lap-shoulder seat belts on all new school buses purchased by Texas districts was supposed to go into effect back in September. But KXAN discovered a dramatic cut – almost two-thirds – to the funds that would go toward reimbursing schools that installed the seat belts.

Since then, the Texas Education Agency has restored the full amount… or at least it says it will find enough money for the originally allocated $10 million. This was a program it originally slashed after the governor told all state agencies to reduce their budgets by 5%.

Parents of bus crash victims and survivors fought hard against TEA to make sure the money would be available. But staffers with Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, who authored the legislation, say, because of the enormous state budget shortfall, once that money runs out, there probably won’t be anymore to dish out for a while.