government

Sausage Making: HB1062? nee, HB2094

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I previously emailed Rep. Farrar about House Bill 1062. She pushed for similar legislation two years ago, and got stomped by the distributers lobby. She left a comment hinting she was going to introduce a more feasible bill, but didn’t offer the details. I ran into Brock Wagner soon thereafter. He had just met with … Read more

Texas State Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr., Don’t Let This Bill Die

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Did you contact your Representative yesterday?  Excellent!  Today, we are contacting our state Senator…

The Texas State Legislature has once again convened (for the 81st time), and there is another attempt to pass a minor, simple, and obvious bill that will set right the current inability of small brewers to sell their product from their breweries – a right that was restored to the craft vintners of the state in 2005.

Whenever this bill arises, it is usually killed in committee, thanks to big money distributors (Eagle among them).  See I Love Beer for more information on what you can do, and please contact your state senator!  The more light that shines on an issue, the harder it is for a legislative committee to keep it from seeing the house floor.

Open Letter:

Representative Gallego,

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Texas State Representative Jessica Farrar, Don’t Let This Bill Die

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The Texas State Legislature has once again convened (for the 81st time), and there is another attempt to pass a minor, simple, and obvious bill that will set right the current inability of small brewers to sell their product from their breweries – a right restored to craft vintners of the state in 2005.

Whenever this bill arises, it is usually killed in committee, thanks to big money distributors (Eagle among them).  See I Love Beer for more information, and please contact your state representative!  The more light that shines on an issue, the harder it is for a legislative committee to keep it from seeing the house floor.

Open Letter:

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Republicans Scared?

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Can the Republican State Senators provide three examples of “election day vote fraud” in the past two elections? Why are they trying to fix something that isn’t broken? Why are they using the inauguration news cycle to hide their actions? (Similar to the current Israeli incursion.)

Just when it appeared that the Texas Legislature was putting partisan politics behind it with a consensus speaker in the House to replace the autocratic Tom Craddick, GOP state senators spoiled the session kickoff last week with a bare-knuckled power play.

Determined to clear the way for a controversial measure to require voters to present photo ID at polling places, Republican senators led by Tommy Williams of The Woodlands and Dan Patrick of Houston pushed through a rules change to suspend the normal two-thirds margin needed to bring legislation to the Senate floor.

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