(Talk1370.com) -- The Texas House has approved its version of the state's budget for the next two years, though some changes will have to be ironed out with the Senate. That and more in your Morning Headlines for April 11.
House Passes Budget Plan: After a marathon session, the Texas House has given its approval to its version of the state budget for the next two years. The $337 billion dollar spending plan largely aligns with the version passed by the Senate last month, but there are a few changes that will need to be ironed out in a conference committee. 19 Republicans and 7 Democrats voted against the budget. More than 300 amendments to the budget were withdrawn or set aside; just 25 made it into the final version of the bill. Passing a balanced budget is the one and only constitutional requirement that lawmakers have to fulfill during each legislative session.
NTSB Report In I-35 Pileup: We’re learning more about that deadly 18-vehicle pileup crash on Interstate 35 last month that killed five people and injured 11 others. The National Transportation Safety Board released details from its preliminary investigative report Thursday, showing that the truck being driven by 37-year old Solomun Araya failed to slow down, struck the rear of two vehicles, and continued driving into a queue of traffic for a tenth of a mile. All five of the people who died in the crash were in those first two vehicles struck by Araya. NTSB officials say their investigation is ongoing; a full report on the crash is expected some time in the next 18-24 months.
Austin To Require Residential Air Conditioning: Austin City Council members gave their approval Thursday to a new set of technical building codes - including a new requirement that all homes and habitable rooms in the city, including rental homes and apartments, will need to have working air conditioning. The 2024 Technical Building Code requires those habitable spaces to not rise above 85 degrees; the new requirements will take effect on July 10. Once the code goes into effect, property owners who violate the rules could face citations and fines from the city’s code enforcement office.
2026 Texas AG's Race Draws First Contender: We’ve been telling you about Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s decision to challenge Senator John Cornyn in next year’s Republican primary; now, the race to fill Paxton’s seat as AG is shaping up. John Bash, a former U.S. Attorney and lawyer for Elon Musk, is the first person to throw his hat in the ring. Bash served as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas under the first Trump administration; he’s also served Texas as a constitutional law expert, appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to work on the state’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. His wife, Zina, is a former senior counsel to Paxton. Under state law, Paxton doesn’t have to resign his office to run for Senate, so he’ll remain as AG through the 2026 election cycle.
Space Shuttle For Space City: The Space Shuttle Discovery could be on its way back to Texas - that’s if legislation filed by Sen. Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz becomes law. Discovery is the only shuttle still owned by the federal government; it’s currently at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum; the “Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act” would transfer the shuttle to Houston to rest at the Johnson Space Center. Gov. Abbott issued a statement in support of the measure, calling it long overdue for a shuttle to rest at JSC.