Posted on 05/24/2007 10:15:22 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
AUSTIN -- Key negotiators were still working Wednesday night to hammer out a compromise version of a toll-road moratorium bill that Gov. Rick Perry won't veto.
Earlier Wednesday, Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, said a compromise between the House and Senate versions of a transportation bill had been negotiated, but key House members quickly insisted that a deal had not been reached.
The compromise version would require both chambers' approval.
Perry vetoed a toll-road moratorium bill last week, citing concerns that it would cost the state federal funding of transportation projects. Different versions of a second moratorium passed both chambers last week. If Perry were to veto that one, it would likely be after the end of the legislative session and too late for lawmakers to override it.
Perry has threatened to call a special legislative session on transportation if he doesn't receive a bill to his liking.
Meanwhile, lawmakers remain determined to get a moratorium passed to block development of Perry's proposed Trans-Texas Corridor.
House and Senate negotiators were haggling Wednesday over an amendment that Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, added to the House version of the bill. The amendment added a special arrangement called "facilities agreements." Critics say such agreements constitute a huge loophole through which private toll roads could still be built even while under the two-year moratorium.
Early Wednesday, Kolkhorst indicated that she plans to work with Perry to learn his concerns about the amendment.
"I think that if he can give me assurance that TTC 35 won't be built [with facility agreements] before Sept. 1, 2009, I think we can work out a compromise," Kolkhorst said.
Rep. Wayne Smith, R-Baytown, confirmed that the amendment was the main sticking point between the two versions.
Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, has been a leading defender of allowing North Texas toll projects to continue. She said Wednesday that she had spoken with a House negotiator on the toll-road bill and expressed concern that a full ban on facilities agreements could hamper some North Texas projects that had been exempted from the moratorium.
"I would rather see no bill than one that keeps us from continuing with our projects," Truitt said. "We are strangled with traffic."
Perry spokesman Robert Black said the governor will wait to see the final version of the bill before deciding whether he will sign it. Perry would not sign a bill that he believed would paralyze the state's efforts to address its serious transportation problems, Black said.
"We need to build roads," Black said.
By Frank Summers, Milam County judge
Statewide the support for the governor's planned Trans Texas Corridor (TTC) is just not there. The fact that the moratorium was passed to allow for some breathing room and time to take a close look at the issue is proof that there is a great deal of public concern about the current process. He has even threatened a special session if things do not go his way.
It is hard for me to believe that the governor does not understand that the general public has a great deal of concern about his plan and how it is being handled. The statutes related to open meetings and open records acts have blatantly been ignored in the TTC process. If city or county officials had proceeded as the state has on TTC somebody would be in jail, or at least under investigation.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
This is just absolute horse-biscuits from here to Chrismas...
You know I’d like to someday not see a need for a special session for all this grandstanding...
Thats really what this is all about...
All I know is I have my state rep locked and loaded and ready fire downrange this summer...
He is a solid NO on any of the TTC stuff...
I wish everyone had this type of elected official...
The wheel that squeaks the loudest is not necessarily the largest.
Well, lets tell him he can build roads...
Just not this TTC or other toll roads...
Put the burn on him to VETO that idea...
There’s plenty of fundage to build roads...Every single year...
Just not one of these revenue generating corridors for him and his buddies...
BTTT
Gov. Rick Perry is bought and paid for by Centra. He’s doing everything he can to get the corridor built.
Is he just holding out for a better offer from Centra or does he actually have integrity? That would be rare amongst politicians these days.
We must fight every effort to privately-fund road projects, and make their construction, funding, and operation a function of government alone. It’s the conservative thing to do.
Well, maybe if she got off her arse to spend more time on getting funding for the Hwy 114, Hwy 360, Hwy 121, projects that working on her post elective office retirement plans we'd get something. After hearing about her condo deal in Austin (she rents herself her own condo and charges taxpayers the maximum rate she can), I have no respect for this ... idiot!
bump.
Same story as the immigration fiasco, politicians don’t give a hoot what the people of the state/country want. Only what they want.
Thanks for the ping!
Isn’t that un-ethical???
Can we raise a stink about that???
I’m all for throwing a few of the slugs out of there on their arses...I don’t care who they are...
If the condo deal is common knowledge, its either being excused, or not a problem legally...
A lot of them do it. They buy a condo/house under the spouses/kids name and then pay large rents during the time they are in session. The rent more than covers the mortgage. www.dallasobserver.com did a story about it months ago.
Yeah that makes sense now...I had heard a Republican official did that as well...I had thought that that was something wrong...
It’d almost be cheaper, more acceptable (In Texas) to stay at a nice hotel during the session and work from there, and come home to the district on the weekends if need be...
Not that I really care, but all that leasing, and renting, max-ing the money spent and all that was just a bit too much...
Kinda makes you wonder why we put up with their ideas of tax and spending TOO damn much of our money...
You’re welcome. :-)
They could put all that wasted money into something like, oh, let’s say, roads?
Who in sam hell voted for this multi billion dollar fiasco?
People from the valley to the north of Dallas are just plain po’d at the gall of these people.
Land that’s been in families for years is now subject to imminent domain in the interest of economic progress.
This is all about money...plain and simple.
That man ought to be dumped outta office on his keaster.
These people act like lil dictators rather than public servants.
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