Governor Perry Vetoes 24 Bills, But Signs Drug Testing for Unemployment Benefits

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You win some, and lose some, in the state house in Austin. Governor Perry vetoed a range of bills on Friday dealing with everythin from ethics, to equal pay, and even the limitation on sugary drinks inside of Texas schools. Meanwhile he left much of the budget intact, and approved a slimmed down version of drug-testing for benefits bill, he wanted before the session began.

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Texas Governor Okays Drug Testing for Unemployed
(KUHF Public Radio)

Will Weissert, Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas Gov. Rick Perry vetoed 24 would-be laws late Friday, wiping out proposals to prevent wage discrimination against women, tighten ethics laws, limit the power of university regents and ban the sale of sugary drinks at many public schools — but leaving the roughly $100 billion budget mostly intact.

The governor has the authority to scrutinize the budget line by line and remove what he doesn’t like. Perry didn’t do much, however, except for making good on a threat to erase all funding for the state’s Public Integrity Unit after the district attorney who oversees it was convicted and jailed for drunken driving. The unit investigates wrongdoing by elected officials.

Perry carried out other cuts to the supplemental spending plan and main budget that appeared relatively minor. His office tweeted that they added up to $500 million, though it wasn’t entirely clear what that tally included and what it didn’t.

The final burst brings to 28 the number of vetoes Perry has issued since the legislative session ended May 27, and he line-itemed parts of the budget and one other measure. Perry summoned lawmakers into a 30-day special session immediately, but they cannot override any of his vetoes because they are only allowed to work on issues he places on the agenda.

The budget uses a surging state economy to restore large chunks of the historic spending cuts of two years ago and includes a ballot initiative that will ask voters to approve $2 billion for major water infrastructure projects.
(Read more of this story at Chron.com)

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