Contents tagged with legislature
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How a bill really becomes a law: A primer on the legislative process
As time winds down on the 82nd Texas Legislature, lawmakers are working extra-long hours trying to push their bills through the legislative process before a series of deadlines—intended to stretch out a few extremely stressful days to a few fairly stressful weeks—prevents the bills from becoming law. When a bill doesn’t make it to its next stage, it is considered dead, and the past two days marked two very important deadlines in the House. If your bill didn’t make it to second reading on Thursday, May 12, or to second and third reading on Friday, May 13, your bill has been killed and there is very little you can do about it.
Backing up a bit, the whole process seems designed to kill more bills than pass them. Depending on your generation, you either learned the step-by-step legislative process from your high school government class or the School House Rocks tune “I’m Just a Bill.” Away from the textbooks and animation, the real-life convolution of political forces, interest groups, and desire for re-election (of both the candidates and their supporters) means that things often run a bit differently in the Texas Legislature, and understanding how it actually works takes years of observation under the Capitol dome or a little insider’s knowledge.
Here’s the process how it stands on paper:
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Capitol Update: Senate passes budget
Capitol Update: Senate passes budget
posted 05.05.11
It turns out that the Senate didn’t need 21 votes to move the budget along. A combination of rules allowed it to be brought up with priority … more
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Capitol Update: Senate stalls on budget debate, passes revenue measure
Capitol Update: Senate stalls on budget debate, passes revenue measure
posted 05.03.11
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Impending legislative deadlines could doom many bills
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“Health care efficiency” bills head … more
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Capitol Update: Physicians testify against independent practice for nurse practitioners
Capitol Update: Physicians testify against independent practice for nurse practitioners
posted 04.21.11
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Senate committee approves budget
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Family physician testifies in House … more
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The budget session
The budget session
By Kate Alfano
Having passed the halfway point in the 82nd Texas Legislature, the dominant issue of this session has been and continues to be the budget. Lawmakers came into … more
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Texas Family Physician - Vol. 62 No. 2, Spring 2011
Go to the TFP archive
View the virtual issue
President’s Letter
Member News
Perspective
CONTENTS
Cover: Medina Valley’s medicine manMeet the 2010-2011 Texas Family Physician of … more
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Capitol Update: View the second edition of Capitol Report
Capitol Update: View the second edition of Capitol Report
posted 04.12.11
TAFP News presents the second edition of the Capitol Report news webcast. Join Academy communications staff Jonathan … more
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Capitol Update: House approves budget
Capitol Update: House approves budget
posted 04.04.11
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Senate committee approves health care payment reform bills
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House committee approves IMG licensure bill
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TAFP past … more
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Capitol Update: House budget passes committee, retains stark cuts
Capitol Update: House budget passes committee, retains stark cuts
posted 03.24.11
Members of the House Appropriations Committee approved the 2012-2013 House budget bill on March 23, and expect … more
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Capitol Update: Agreement on Rainy Day Fund doesn’t avert steep cuts
Capitol Update: Agreement on Rainy Day Fund doesn’t avert steep cuts
posted 03.17.11
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TAFP past president testifies on corporate practice of medicine
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Thanks to the Physicians of … more