BILLS ON HOLD AS TX DEMS WALKOUT:

When 53 Democratic representatives from the Texas House went missing in action on May 12 they not only eliminated the possibility of a vote on the controversial redistricting bill they were protesting, they also placed on hold all other bills in line for House action. Among them was Senate Bill 14, the comprehensive insurance regulation bill that passed the Senate in April and was sent to the House for consideration. The House Insurance Committee published its report on a committee substitute for SB 14 and sent it to the Calendars Committee on May 11. Two days earlier the House refused to consider SB 5, the Senate’s school finance plan that would have increased and expanded the state sales tax in exchange for lower local school property taxes. The expanded sales tax structure would have included a tax on the commissions received by independent insurance agents, which have not previously been subject to sales tax in Texas.