Published: July 01, 2009 08:27 pm      

Legislature gets back to work

AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas Legislature convened a special session Wednesday and immediately took steps to extend the life of several key state agencies.

It was another matter‚ whether to extend the state’s authority to enter certain public-private road building contracts‚ that could end up getting shoved off track as lawmakers try to wrap up the special session before the July Fourth holiday weekend.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry called the Legislature back to Austin to address three issues: preventing the agencies from expiring in 2010, authorizing $2 billion in bonds for road building and the transportation contracts. Lawmakers failed to approve those items in the regular session that ended June 1.

The Senate quickly passed the bill extending the Department of Transportation, the Department of Insurance and three other smaller agencies until Sept. 1, 2011. The House is expected to pass the bill as early as Thursday.

Those agencies were supposed to be part of the normal renew and review process under Texas law during the regular session. But they got shoved aside when partisan bickering over a voter identification bill and a standoff on transportation funding stalled bills in the final days before lawmakers left town.

The road bonds issue also is expected to get easy approval on Thursday. The bonds were already approved by voters statewide in 2007.

“Those are our top priorities,” Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said.

But there were several signs Wednesday lawmakers may not be interested in Perry’s desire to extend transportation officials’ ability to enter new public-private contracts. Known as Comprehensive Development Agreements, they have been used to finance, build and operate toll roads and other projects.

Several senators from North Texas were surprised to learn that three such projects already under way include one being built with federal stimulus money but drivers on a restricted lane will still pay tolls.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, suggested the bill may not pass his committee and there were similar signs it would struggle to get a House vote as well.

“I’m going to try, but it’s the first two (bills) that we have to pass,” Ogden said.

A similar version in the House was left pending in a committee as Rep. Joe Pickett, the House sponsor, said he wasn’t confident it could pass there, either.

Dewhurst said the Senate may be open to a version of the contracts bill that is limited only to a few projects set to be finalized in the next two years before lawmakers return for the 2011 session.

Opponents of such contracts worry they take control away from local governments. Supporters say they are needed to finance road projects that might not otherwise get built.

“If the CDA financing option is not available, Texas drivers will face one of two options: massive gas tax increases to pay for these roads or maddening traffic gridlock that is unimaginable even on today’s congested roads,” said Bill Noble, executive director for Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation.

Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, leader of the House Democrats, questioned whether the contracts are more important than expanding subsidized childrens’ health insurance or reforming Texas’ property insurance market, issues Perry refused to put on the special session agenda.

“The only reason we’re doing this is for private toll roads? That can’t be right,” Dunnam said.

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