Cap Metro Board Nears Bus Operation Vote
The board of directors of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will vote today on whether to abolish StarTran, the subsidiary company it formed in 1991 to manage its bus driver and maintenance crews.
From the Statesman:
The 800 or so workers now employed by StarTran — and thus more or less part of the Capital Metro fold — will be truly in the private realm. The workers could be offered lower wages and benefits by that employer, unless the Capital Metro board contractually requires that compensation remain stable and pays the contractor accordingly. And those workers will still have the right to strike.
House Busy As Special Session Nears End
The Texas House is getting back to work today - after taking it easy last week.
Lawmakers have three days to sort through a list of contentious items, including a measure that would require local law enforcement to inquire about immigration status, a measure that takes aim at federal airport security procedures and key bills on the budget and windstorm insurance.
From the AP, via the Houston Chronicle:
Should lawmakers not get to the rest of their work, Perry could call them back for a second special session — but has so far not said if he would do so. "There's still time to get the work done in this session," said Mark Miner, a spokesman for the governor.
Obama To Select Texas U.S. Attorneys
After years of delay, President Barack Obama is about to announce his nominations for vacant federal prosecutors seats in Texas. The nominations could come as soon as next week. They would have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Texas lawmakers have criticized the Obama administration as being slow to fill the positions.
"I'm a little dumbfounded by their inactivity and their unwillingness to move forward," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "They haven't made this a priority." But an Obama administration official said U.S. attorney nominees for Texas would be announced soon. Of the 93 U.S. attorney posts in the country, 12 remained unfilled. According to Main Justice, an organization that focuses on the Justice Department, the four vacancies in Texas are in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and Lufkin.
