Published: July 02, 2009 09:18 pm      

Legislature hoping to wrap up special session

AUSTIN — The Texas Legislature adjourned a two-day special session Thursday, finishing two of the issues assigned to them by Gov. Rick Perry while a measure to allow the state to continue contracting for privately built toll roads never made it out of committee.

“Two out of three ain’t bad,” said Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls.

They passed bills to keep five important state agencies operating for the next two years and a measure authorizing the state to spend $2 billion in bonds to build new roads.

For weeks, state leaders said they would finish before the holiday weekend, even though special sessions can last up to 30 days.

“I’m delighted that we were able to finish in two days,” House Speaker Joe Straus said, shortly after adjourning. Straus said lawmakers just didn’t have the appetite for delving into complicated transportation policy during a special session.

The unanimously approved agency bill will save the Texas Department of Transportation, the Department of Insurance and three other agencies from abolition. That’s because state law requires the Legislature to regularly review and reauthorize state agencies, but lawmakers failed to renew them during the regular session that ended June 1 because of partisan bickering.

Both chambers also passed a bill Thursday that authorizes the state to spend $2 billion in bonds to build new roads. The road bonds were already approved by voters statewide in 2007, but the Legislature still needed to authorize the spending.

House lawmakers added a provision that would prohibit the money from being used to turn existing free roadways into tollways.

The failed measure that would allow the state to continue contracting for privately built toll roads was an upset for Perry, whose office tried unsuccessfully to broker a compromise in the final hours.

Contracts known as Comprehensive Development Agreements have been used to finance, build and operate toll roads and other projects. But opponents of such contracts worry they take control away from local governments.

“With more than 1,000 people moving to Texas each day and a growing economy, improving transportation in our state continues to be a top priority of mine,” Perry said in a statement. “I had hoped to reduce uncertainty regarding several major transportation projects across the state.

“Although the CDA bill did not pass, we will continue to work with legislators and local officials to find transportation solutions for our state.”

Rep. Phil King, a Weatherford Republican, said he and others have been flooded with constituent e-mail opposed to the CDAs.

Sen. John Carona, chairman of Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, says CDAs can be looked at again in 2011.

“No major project is going to be left behind between now and 2011,” he said.

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Associated Press Writer Jim Vertuno contributed to this report.

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The bills are HB 1, SB 2 and SB 3.