Daily - The Austin Chronicle (2024)

9 Minutes and 30 Seconds

9 minutes and 30 seconds. That's how long a member can ask questions of a bill author from the back mike, and that's how long, exactly members have been asking about each and every House Local and Consent Bill this morning."Slow day," said Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, as he wandered past the media desk.It is, of course, completely coincidental that the House is supposed to be taking up the voter ID bill tomorrow (which Democrats are furious ever got out of calendars.) So far, there have been fascinating conversations about navigation commissioners in Matagorda County, the historic impact of MUDS on planning philosophy in Houston, whether there's macadamia nuts in macadam (no, there's not) and the the size of Rep. Rolando Guiterrez's uvula.Its not a secret that this is the age-old art of chubbing (wasting time on a bill by long-winded Q&A's) to keep voter ID off the floor. That was really blown when Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, announced that there will be barbecue off-campus and anyone could come "If you don't have any bills up in the next hour or two."Conservative estimates suggest that, if this pace keeps up, that could apply to any lawmaker with no bills up before 6pm.

'The Whole Shootin' Match' Screens Tonight

When local microcinema Screen Door Film programmed Eagle Pennell's The Whole Shootin' Match as part of its ongoing Texas Cinema Series, they had no idea it would turn out to be a memorial screening for cast member Lou Perryman, who was was brutally murdered last month. Prior to the screening, a reel highlighting Perryman's prolific career will be screened, and we can only imagine the post-film discussion – with co-star Sonny Carl Davis, composer Chuck Pinnell, and film historian Alison Macor, moderated by the Chronicle's Louis Black –will continue the celebration of his life.The event takes place tonight at 7pm in the Jones Auditorium, Ragsdale Center, 3001 South Congress Ave., on the St. Ed's campus. As with all other Screen Door screenings, the event is free and open to the public. For more info, visit www.screendoorfilm.com.

Budget Pronouncements

The running joke around the legislature this session is that if they can at least pass the budget, it'll be a good session.So Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst calling a press conference yesterday afternoon to announce that, yes, the conference committee had locked the next biennium's budget, brought that one target closer. Current ETA? Back to the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees Tuesday, chambers for full debate probably Thursday. After the meeting, Legeland also caught up with House Appropriations Committee Chair Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, who didn't say exactly how much money was in there, just that there was a little more than the House version.[video-1]

Casino El Camino: Buffalo Burger

Big, juicy patty topped with a heap of blue cheese and slathered in a spicy and flavorful buffalo wing sauce. Yes!

Tribute to Townes

As mentioned this week in Off the Record, Steve Earle delivered a powerful in-store performance at Waterloo Records on Monday, rattling off stories and songs from what he called "the migratory path" of Townes Van Zandt. This footage from the Chronicle's Richard Whittaker is a bit rough, but it should tide you over until Earle returns to the Paramount on June 19.[video-1][video-2]

UI Changes Change and Change Again

"I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process." – Vincent van GoghThe unemployment insurance compliance terms in Senate Bill 1569 are on the House floor today, and unsurprisingly causing controversy and parliamentary maneuvering. Rep. Ken Legler, R-Pasadena, had an amendment that would require unemployment benefit applicants to take a drug test: Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, had an amendment to the amendment that would instead propose an interim study.Legler opposed it, so there was a vote, and the Strama amendment to the amendment was adopted 73-71.Ah, but Legler wasn't done.

The Lineup

MP3: Robert Harrison "Build Havanna"

Robert Harrison of played before his largest audience ever last Tuesday, roughly 4.57 million. Filling a role that was originally written for the Kinks’ Ray Davies, the local songsmith performed a stripped-down revision of “Build Havana” as part of a music-themed episode of ABC’s Cupid, a new romantic comedy from Veronica Mars creator and former Austinite Rob Thomas.“I really like the whole approach of the rental audience," muses Harrison, who's currently producing the debut from Miranda Dotson. "There was this beautiful group of attentive, attractive young people. They loved me … and then I came back and played Hole in the Wall, which I like in its own way.”[audio-1]

Fraser: 'I Just Want a Bill Back'

It seems to me that Rep. Betty Brown, R-Terrell, has gone completely kamikaze on the voter ID bill. She announced yesterday that she would try to amend Troy Fraser's SB 362 to force voters to show a photo ID at the polling place, no exceptions. Fraser's bill calls for photo ID in addition to a voter registration certificate, but also allows voters to substitute that with two forms of non-photo ID.Given that the central argument against voter ID is that it would shut out the poor and others who have difficulty obtaining photo ID, it seems unlikely that Brown's amendment could get the support of enough moderates to pass, but who knows?I just talked with Fraser, and he declined to criticize Brown's move: "I’m not going to second-guess the House. If they want to vote for it, that’s fine, I just want a bill back."