Apr
28
Written by:
Mark Lavergne
4/28/2011 9:32 PM
The Texas House today passed the Texas Youth Commission sunset bill.
The House made a few amendments to SB 653, but the heart of it remains: abolish the Texas Youth Commission and the Juvenile Probation Commission, and combine their functions under the single Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
Ruth Jones McClendon (D-San Antonio), a former juvenile probation officer and administrator, supported the bill, even though in previous sessions she has advocated maintaining TYC and TJPC as separate agencies.
Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) opposed combining the two agencies, saying both TYC and TJPC have functioned well in recent years following the discovery in 2006 and 2007 of rampant abuse and mistreatment of TYC inmates. He called combining the two agencies "governmental creep just for the purposes of governmental creep," observing that the most recent version of the bill creates a transition team, a board, and an advisory team.
Madden said the legislation would be the next step for Texas becoming a national model for juvenile justice. It was passed to engrossment on a voice vote.
Meanwhile, the Texas Railroad Commission sunset bill was popped on a point of order, the San Antonio Express-News reported today. The House Committee report changes its name to the Texas Oil and Gas Commission per Sunset Advisory Commission recommendations, but takes it back to three commission members. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) tried to change it back to a single elected commissioner, per Sunset recommendations, but was unsuccessful.