Free Republic

The state representative of a district where support for the Trans-Texas Corridor is hard to find filed legislation this week in hope additional time would allow for a better plan. Rep. Rick Hardcastle, R-Vernon, filed House Bill 3831 in the Texas House of Representatives, which aims to halt the transportation project until improvements have been made on Interstate Highway 35 in Cooke County through the cities of Valley View and Gainesville just south of the Red River. The improvements include widening of the current lanes on I-35 and the construction of additional lanes, which are currently under review by regional...

Estes say there could be cost savings if some of the 7,700 Mexican prisoners were re-housed A state senator has introduced a bill that would allow the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to look at building prisons in Mexico for Mexican nationals currently imprisoned in Texas. Sen. Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls) said he filed Senate Bill 1119 because state prisons are at or near capacity. He cited TDCJ statistics that show that the state is looking at a $62 million price tag to rent space from county jails. "The long run cost savings to Texas could be astronomical as there...

Candidates begin filing papers to run in 2004 primary election AUSTIN (AP) — Candidates for president, Congress, the Texas Legislature and other offices began filing papers for the 2004 primary election Wednesday, even as a dispute simmered over which congressional districts will be used. Democratic U.S. Rep. Martin Frost of Arlington filed to run in the district he has represented for 25 years. Frost said he was confident a federal court will uphold existing congressional boundaries and toss out a GOP redistricting plan approved this fall. The Republican map, which Democrats claim violates minority voting rights, decimated Frost's heavily minority...