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Category: Politics

Let them make movies!

A film company will be allowed to use a state building or grounds as long as it doesn't significantly interfere with business. The state can't charge anything for it, but they can ask for reimbursement for any resulting costs. I'm not sure why they're putting it in law that the state can't charge more than cost. Seems we'd want the revenue.

Compensation for Lottery Commissioners

Right now, commissioners for the Texas Lottery don't get any pay. This law would allow them to receive an amount not to exceed $175,000 per year. It stipulates that they have to be a full-time employee, though, and have to devote full time to official duties. Thank you very much.

Junior Colleges to Provide State Training

If a junior college in the area can provide some training, then a state agency can't contract out for that kind of training.

Barking Dogs are a Nuisance

The odd thing about this law is that it only applies to an unincorporated area of a county with a population of 275,000 or more that is adjacent to a county with a population of 3.3 million or more. Seems if dog barking is a nuisance, it's a nuisance anywhere.

Register that Keg!

This law would require kegs of alcohol to be registered (I'm not sure with whom). Then someone who buys (rents?) the keg has to give a whole bunch of information like name and address and a statement that they are 21 years or older and do not intend to allow anyone under 21 to drink the alcohol in it. They can't transfer the keg to anyone else, and can't remove the registration sticker. It would be a criminal offense to remove the registration sticker.

But I gotta go!

A retail establishment under certain conditions would have to let someone with certain ailments use the employee's bathroom if they don't have a public restroom. If an employee denies access, they could be fined $100.

Internet Safety for Kids

This would require that the Texas Education Agency make available an Internet safety curriculum to school districts.

Give Us Football!

This one urging cable television providers and the NFL Network to work out their differences caused a "waste of taxpayer dollars" ruckus at my office. I don't mind the legislators dipping their feet into football. Let's make the lawmaking accessible to sports nuts.

I just voted early. It's weird to be able to vote for someone to be the boss of where I work. It's even weirder that everyone else in the state, no matter where they work, can vote for my new big boss.

I haven't said anything about the election on my blog. It's tricky. Current big boss is running for governor. One of the candidates for future big boss has criticized current big boss. That candidate is also, reportedly, close with current big boss' opponent.

So enough about people. I voted for Austin to build a new central library. That'll rock if it passes!

A federal judge ruled that some of the language in Austin's smoking ban is constitutionally vague, so he overturned that part of the ban. It boils down to this: Bar owners used to be required to tell smoking customers that they can't smoke and refuse to serve them if they did. Now, the only things bar owners have to do is put up "No Smoking" signs and not put out ashtrays.

The weird thing is, people are acting like the whole law was overturned. It's still against the law for people to smoke in bars. It doesn't change the fact that the majority of Austin voters decided that it should be against the law. Yet now that bar owners aren't required to make them stop, smokers are considering it a victory.

I'll say it again: It's still against the law for people to smoke in bars. Sheesh.

• Judge delivers split decision on smoking ban
• Smoking ban battle reignites

I'll be voting May 13th. Austin TX Proposition 1 is freaky. Among other things, it requires the following at taxpayers' expense:

• private citizens' emails to public officials to be placed on the city website in "real time," including emails or electronic communications between private citizens and public officials in all City departments, and limit the ability of citizens to keep private the details of these communications, unless legal exceptions apply
• the heads of all City departments, all city manager's staff and all city council members and their staff post online in "real time" information about meetings and phone calls with private citizens

Real time? REAL TIME? Please. The paper here is calling it "Orwellian." I agree.