Houston Democrats

From the Houston Chronicle:

May 29, 2005, 10:49PM

SCORECARD

A look at some bills that made it, and some that didn't, in the regular session of the 79th Legislature, which ends today.

Passed, signed

• Asbestos lawsuits: Limits the number of lawsuits for asbestos- and silica-related illnesses, allowing only those who have serious illnesses to sue companies.
• FOI education: Requires all elected and appointed public officials to undergo open government training.
• Military spouse unemployment: Provides unemployment insurance for soldiers' spouses who voluntarily give up their jobs because of a military transfer.
• Hunting protection: Allows property owners to continue hunting on their land or leasing it out to hunters even if the land is annexed by a municipality that bans the discharge of firearms.

Passed, awaiting Gov. Perry

• Abortion: Requires a parent to provide written consent for unmarried girls under 18 to get an abortion. The same bill also restricts doctors from performing abortions on women who have carried a child for more than 26 weeks unless having the baby would jeopardize the woman's life or the baby has serious brain damage.
• Inmate AIDS: Requires that Texas prison inmates be tested for the AIDS virus before they are released.
• Probation: Attempts to ease crowding at Texas prisons by reducing probation terms for felons from 10 years to five. After a probationer has served the five years, a judge would annually review the case to determine whether to terminate the sentence.
• Teacher paperwork: Requires the Texas education commissioner to reduce written reports and paperwork required of school districts, principals and teachers.

Failed

• Private school vouchers: Would have provided taxpayer money for some students living in urban school districts to attend private school.
• Video gambling: Would have legalized and taxed video slot machines.
• Gay foster parents: Would have restricted gays from becoming foster parents.
• Lewd cheerleading: Would have banned "overtly sexually suggestive" routines by cheerleaders at school-sponsored events.
• Medical marijuana: Would have created a defense to prosecution for patients who are being treated by a licensed physician and who use marijuana to relieve effects of a legitimate medical condition.
• Body mass index: Would have required school districts to measure the body mass index of students and include the information in regular report cards.
• Cell phones while driving: Would have banned adult motorists from using a cell phone while driving unless it is used with a hands-free device.
• Underage drinking: Would have made it illegal to serve alcohol to 21-year-olds before 7 a.m. on their birthday in an effort to prevent early-morning birthday binge drinking.
• Keg registration: Would have required that beer kegs be labeled with a registration number and mandated that keg purchasers fill out a form with their name, address and phone number and sign an agreement not to allow minors to drink its contents.
• Death penalty moratorium: Would have abolished the death penalty in Texas.
• Cable franchise: Would have made it easier for phone companies to get into the cable business without complying with current state rules and fees.
• Red light cameras: Would have banned cities from using cameras to issue civil citations for red-light runners.

From staff and wire reports

More about the end of the legislative session from Off the Kuff and The Red State