Another great open-government bill is HB640 by State Rep. Byran Hughes (R-Mineola). This bill would require that all expenditures by each state agency, be easily available online. The posting would also have to include the purpose of the expenditure. This will let taxpayers see exactly how our money is being spent, track waste and improve efficiency.

This is a great piece of legislation. Every member of the legislature who has promised to "protect taxpayers" should be a cosponsor of HB640.

 

State Sen. Dan Patrick has introduced legislation (SB1190/SJR41) that creates a government spending commission, similar to one authorized by Ronald Reagan in 1984.  Reagan's Grace Commission made nearly 2,500 recommendations that eliminated more than $420 billion in government waste.  Patrick's "Texas Spending Commission" would have audit authority over all state agencies, seeking eliminate waste, fraud and redundancy.  In a unique turn, the commission's suggested reforms could only be voted up or down by the legislature, but not amended. 

Three right-thinking members of the legislature are recommending that more House and Senate votes be recorded, and therefore subject to public review. State Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas), State Rep. Brian McCall (R-Plano), and State Rep. Tony Goolsby (R-Dallas), have filed several pieces of legislation that would mandate more sunlight in the legislative process.

The House's State Affairs Committee is expected today to hear testimony regarding a series of bills that would significantly open the legislative process to taxpayer and voter scrutiny. In the past, many important votes have been held as "voice votes," allowing lawmakers the luxurious shield of not having to defend actions that are either unpopular or costly, or both. Requiring the legislature to take more recorded votes is good for Texas' voters, taxpayers and future.

The Drudge Report is today noting that the U.S. Comptroller, David Walker, will tell 60 Minutes on Sunday that Medicare is on a course to bankrupt the United States. He says that the president's prescription drug plan, "is probably the most fiscally irresponsible piece of legislation since the 1960s." Way to go, President Bush. Oh, and all the Republican lackeys who went along with it. Great job, fellas!

A recent study by the Goldwater Institute has demonstrated that low-tax and low-spending states are more successful at reducing poverty than their high-tax, high-spending counterparts. As President Reagan noted, a rising tide lifts all boats.

The Athens Review (Texas not Greece) reported today that Senator Robert Nichols, a Republican freshman representing Northeast Texas, has filed two bills to benefit homeowners.  First, SB575 would cap appraisal increases at 5 percent for homeowners, though it would not apply to rented property.  Second, SB576 would prohibit governments from confiscating private property in order to create parks and hike and bike trails.