https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2007-03-16/456323/
A proposed Darfur divestment bill is headed to the Senate floor, possibly next week, after winning committee approval Monday. The legislation calls for teacher and state employee retirement funds to remove their pension investments from publicly traded companies doing business in Sudan. The Senate bill, authored by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, carries a number of bipartisan co-sponsors, as do similar divestment bills moving through the House. Gov. Rick Perry has also thrown his support behind divestment legislation. A.S.
Rep. Rob Eissler, chair of the House Public Education Committee, has filed a bill to phase out, or "sunset," the state's educational accountability system. If the bill passes, an interim committee will take another look at what educational measures are important for Texas students to know, a logical step to take before replacing the exit-level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills with end-of-course exams. That, of course, is another bill that has yet to pass the Lege this session, but that could have a big impact on Texas schools. K.R.
Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, unveiled three bills last Friday to address regional growth concerns around the Highway 130 corridor. One would give smaller cities the ability to apply limited-annexation powers near the corridor. A second would give constrained zoning authority to Williamson and Travis counties along the corridor. And a third would give Austin limited annexation power along the corridor and also create an infrastructure district to help fund city services out to the area, as long as residents in the area approve the bonds. K.R.
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