#TXLEGE: Good stuff happening all around today!!!

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
Galatians 6:9

Nothing's done.  And there's a long way to go.  But today must be encouraging.

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Citizens Property Tax Rally:

HUNDREDS of taxpayers showed up this afternoon to demand the lege pass the property tax reform package AND come up with a substantial relief package.

Speakers called upon the lege to finish the job on both subjects OR for Governor Abbott to call a special session.

We still suspect this gets done during the regular, but there's a part of us that wants to take this to a special.

What else would Abbott include on the call?!?

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House unanimously passes (at least) two GOOD Sexual Assault bills:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  We get it.  This issue has been a political football.

Get over yourself; these are good bills.

HB 8 (Neave) addresses the disgraceful rape kit backlog.  This is a blot on our state.  The bill passed unanimously, as it should have.

HB 1735 (Howard) creates good rules to deal with sexual assault on college campuses.  The language on due process is some of the strongest we've ever seen.  It should be the new national standard.  The bill also creates much better processes for survivors.

We haven't written about this bill (due to time), but we've supported this bill since it came onto our radar screen last month.

The bill passed on a voice vote.

Anyone who has problem with this author supporting a Donna Howard sexual assault bill can step on a Lego.

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Senate Passes Ban on Taxpayer Funded Lobbying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's out of a chamber!!!

What else do we need to say?!?

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Senate to hear bill on Austin's "Major League" Soccer stadium:

SB 1771 (Bettencourt) would knock out Austin's soccer stadium nonsense, it would also establish a good precedent for other sports stadium giveaways.

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Note on the sexual assault bills: The house is passing a whole bunch of bills on the topic today.  We're only familiar with the ones listed above.  We know nothing about the others.

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Bottom Line: We still have a long way to go, but there's a lot from today to like....