Light Rail bill heard in Committee
A Senate Committee considered a bill Monday to create a commuter rail district in the Rio Grande Valley.
House Bill 2510 by Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez, D-Weslaco, passed the House May 8. Its Senate sponsor, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, presented the bill Monday in front of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security.
It is expected to be voted out of the committee on Wednesday.
Cities could have to post notice of red-light cameras
Cities that use cameras to catch red-light runners would have to post signs alerting drivers they’re on camera under a bill considered Monday in a Senate committee.
House Bill 1052 by Rep. Bill Callegari, R-Houston, was left pending in the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security. The bill has passed the House.
The Senate sponsor is John Carona, R-Dallas.
Valley medical school bill passes Senate
The Senate has approved a bill that could pave the way for a free-standing medical school at the University of Texas at Brownsville.
Senate Bill 420, by Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, would allow the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System to establish at UT Health Science Center in South Texas that includes a medical school and other health-related degree programs.
The bill was referred Monday to the House committee on Higher Education.
The original bill said Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties would be served by the medical school. Sen. Lucio said he added an amendment at the request of Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, that adds Brooks, Jim Hogg, Kenedy and Zapata counties to the bill.
