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Tuesday, June 3, 1997

Highlights Monday from Austin

AUSTIN (AP) - The 1997 Legislature may be remembered more for what it didn't do than for what it did.

Make no mistake, there were substantive reforms passed.

The state will have a drought management plan for the first time; uninsured children should have greater access to health insurance; nursing home operators face increased penalties for violations; Texans will vote on using their homes as collateral for loans; minors will face penalties for smoking; and state colleges have been sent a message about treating all students equally when it comes to admissions.

But from the failure of a sweeping property tax cut plan to the "Memorial Day Massacre," in which 52 bills died due to a technical objection, the 75th Legislature was left pondering what didn't get done.

"It was a hollow session based upon the lofty goals we set at the beginning," said Rep. Scott McCall, R-Plano. "We didn't hit the bar on many of them, but I think the people of Texas will be just fine by our lack of follow through. The state will go on."

Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock said it was a session "known more for its steady progress than it was for its flashy headlines."

The Legislature opened with ambitious plans for rewriting the state's tax code. It was the subject of a yearlong campaign by Gov. George W. Bush, who said the state could no longer rely on property taxes to provide the majority of funds for public schools.

In the end, however, lawmakers settled for using a $1 billion budget surplus to give homeowners an additional $10,000 homestead exemption, a savings of roughly $140 per year.

"I would warn Texans that we have not solved the school funding issue or the property tax issue for the longterm," Bush said. "This is a good step, but this is not a solution to what was debated in the halls of the Capitol."

Elsewhere:

TAKE A HIKE

Most of the state's top elected officials will take a $1,000-a-month pay hike in the budget being considered by George W. Bush, although the governor and Railroad Commissioner Carole Rylander plan to turn it down.

BILL SIGNINGS

Gov. George W. Bush signed a bill allowing cities and counties to use local tax money to finance sports or civic venues. The governor also signed a bill giving insurance companies incentives to extend coverage to uninsured children.

WRATH OF GUV

Gov. George W. Bush said it was a "bad mistake" for senators to kill a bill meant to ban gambling machines with casino-like payoffs. Bush said the machines encourage casino gambling. Opponents of the bill said charities rely on the machines to raise money.

PARTY STOPPER

Rep. Kent Grusendorf, R-Arlington, interrupted end-of-session glad-handing and celebration to once again urge members to consider changing their rules. He complained that the current rules blocked, delayed and killed good legislation.

LAW TROUBLES

State Rep. Gilbert Serna, D-El Paso, was arrested by Austin police Saturday and booked on a Class B misdemeanor charge of theft by check out of Guadalupe County. He was released after posting a $1,000 bond.

AND...

The Legislature adjourned until 1999.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Our Father, as we come to the end of this session, let all of the words we have to eat be digestible. Let all of our hangups be drip dry. Let all of the wild oats we've sown experience crop failure. And may the penalty of our sins be suspended by point of order. Amen."

- Rev. Gerald Mann, of Riverbend Baptist Church in Austin. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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