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The latest round of vetoes, made public Friday morning, includes House Bill 1015, which would have required the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to notify a court sentencing a convicted felon when he or she has spent 75 days in a state jail. Supporters of the legislation said it would have kept offenders from falling outside of judges' radar and heightened awareness of rehabilitation programs, which tend to be less costly to the state than jail.
. . . Another veto hit House Bill 1119, which would have directed the Texas Department of Transportation to work with researchers at Texas A&M University to study "fallen or damaged mile markers" along interstate highways in Texas. HB 1119 backers said it would have prompted mile-marker replacements that could help first responders find stranded motorists. Abbott said it would have been redundant.
. . . Abbott also vetoed House Bill 973, which he said would have doubled the compensation for emergency services commissioners in Harris County. The governor called the bill an "unnecessary expenditure of taxpayer money and an inappropriate departure" from laws already in effect.
The fourth veto struck House Bill 3291, an effort to make it easier to prosecute those who possess, purchase or sell oil or gas without proper permits from the state, according to its supporters, who appear to have included Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick. In his veto statement, Abbott said he supports increased criminal penalties for oilfield theft, but said HB 3291 contained "overly broad language" that could lead to prosecutions that have nothing to do with that crime.
