Latest news with #SJR3
Associated Press
29-04-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Texas poised to ask voters to approve $3 billion to study dementia
Texas voters will likely get a chance to decide whether to spend $3 billion in state funds on dementia research after the House preliminarily approved Senate Joint Resolution 3 on Monday. Both chambers voted earlier this session to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, to study dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other brain conditions. Modeled after Texas' cancer institute, the new initiative was a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and received bipartisan support from the majority of lawmakers. But it's not up to them whether taxpayer dollars can be used to fund this project. That decision will lie with the voters, who, after SJR 3 is finally approved by the House, will be asked at the next election whether they want to allocate $3 billion of general revenue to this work. 'I don't know (any one) in this House who doesn't have a family member or a friend or a neighbor … impacted by dementia or Alzheimer's,' said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a Houston Democrat. 'This Constitutional Amendment gives us the funding to do the research so that we can give those persons who are impacted with these dreadful diseases a better quality of life.' SJR 3 passed 123-21. Despite the popularity of the bill, the funding measure's fate was briefly in question, as Democrats attempted to hold constitutional amendments hostage over the creation of a school voucher program. Both chambers have signed off on a $1 billion private school voucher program, finally breaking through years of resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans. In a last ditch effort, Democrats asked that the proposal be put to voters and vowed to vote against all constitutional amendments until their request was granted. Since constitutional amendments need a two-thirds majority to pass, it's one of the few times Republicans need Democrats allied to their cause. The dementia funding measure was one of the constitutional amendments up for a vote during this so-called blockade, which forced several pieces of legislation to be postponed. The bill was punted a few days, but after a clash Friday in which Republicans aligned to kill uncontroversial Democrat bills, some Democrats seemed to back off the blockade enough to approve this and other constitutional amendments. After lengthy back and forth over the enabling legislation last week, the funding vote Monday was quick and to the point. Thompson and Rep. Tom Craddick, a Midland Republican, who both have pushed for a bill like this for several years, implored their colleagues to vote for the measure. 'We're one of the leading states with Alzheimer's in the country,' Craddick said. 'This could be the way we can solve it … This isn't a party vote. This is a vote for the people in the state of Texas.' ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texans will vote on establishing dementia research center. Here's how much it would cost.
Texas voters in November will decide if the state should fund a multibillion-dollar center to study the prevention and treatment of dementia, a group of cognitive impairments associated with aging that affect hundreds of thousands of Texans each year. The state House passed Senate Joint Resolution 3 on Monday, a proposed constitutional amendment that would allocate $3 billion in surplus state revenue to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Lawmakers agreed to create the proposed center — contingent on voters approving the funding — when the House passed Senate Bill 5 last week. More: Texas Senate OKs plan for $3 billion dementia research center. Here's how it would work. Dementia is a broad group of cognitive impairments associated with aging that affects a person's memory and ability to reason and often hampers a person's day-to-day functioning. The most common form is Alzheimer's disease, which afflicts nearly half a million Texans, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. It has no cure. "I don't know no one in this House that doesn't have a family member or a friend or a neighbor who's not impacted by dementia or Alzheimer's," Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, told members before Monday morning's vote. "This constitutional amendment gives us the funding to do the research so that we can give those persons who are impacted with these dreadful diseases a better quality of life." SJR 3 and SB 5 are authored by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, and passed the Senate in March. Thompson and Midland Republican Rep. Tom Craddick, the two longest-serving Texas House members, are among those sponsoring the legislation in the lower chamber. "This could be the way we finally cure Alzheimer's and other dementia problems," Craddick said Monday. "This isn't a party vote; this is a vote for the people in the state of Texas." #txlege: Texas 'school choice' clears final hurdle. Voucher program heads to Gov. Abbott's desk. Despite the strong bipartisan support for dementia research, the resolution's fate was uncertain before it was brought up on the House floor. Democratic lawmakers blocked the passage of another Republican-authored constitutional amendment proposal last week when 50 Democrats abstained from a vote on the measure as a show of force amid continued disagreement with Republicans on school vouchers. Proposed constitutional amendments require a two-thirds supermajority to clear each legislative chamber before they can appear on a statewide ballot. The 88 Republican members do not comprise two-thirds of the 150-member House, meaning at least 12 Democrats need to back an amendment proposal for it to pass. 'Burn it all down': Hardline conservatives declare war on Texas House GOP leadership The House passed SJR 3 by a 123-21 vote, with hardline Republicans making up the bloc that voted against the proposal. Opponents of the proposal have said dementia research is not the role of an already-bloated government, and that the Legislature should use the state's excess revenue to reduce property taxes instead. Texas constitutional amendments do not require the governor's signature and advance automatically to an election after gaining the Legislature's approval. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas voters to decide if state funds $3 billion dementia institute
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas poised to ask voters to approve $3 billion to study dementia
Texas voters will likely get a chance to decide whether to spend $3 billion in state funds on dementia research after the House preliminarily approved Senate Joint Resolution 3 on Monday. Both chambers voted earlier this session to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, to study dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other brain conditions. Modeled after Texas' cancer institute, the new initiative was a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and received bipartisan support from the majority of lawmakers. But it's not up to them whether taxpayer dollars can be used to fund this project. That decision will lie with the voters, who, after SJR 3 is finally approved by the House, will be asked at the next election whether they want to allocate $3 billion of general revenue to this work. 'I don't know [any one] in this House who doesn't have a family member or a friend or a neighbor … impacted by dementia or Alzheimer's,' said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a Houston Democrat. 'This Constitutional Amendment gives us the funding to do the research so that we can give those persons who are impacted with these dreadful diseases a better quality of life.' SJR 3 passed 123-21, with one member abstaining. Despite the popularity of the bill, the funding measure's fate was briefly in question, as Democrats attempted to hold constitutional amendments hostage over the creation of a school voucher program. Both chambers have signed off on a $1 billion private school voucher program, finally breaking through years of resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans. In a last ditch effort, Democrats asked that the proposal be put to voters and vowed to vote against all constitutional amendments until their request was granted. Since constitutional amendments need a two-thirds majority to pass, it's one of the few times Republicans need Democrats allied to their cause. The dementia funding measure was one of the constitutional amendments up for a vote during this so-called blockade. The bill was punted a few days, but when it came back up for a vote Monday, enough Democrats voted with Republicans to approve the proposal. After lengthy back and forth over the enabling legislation last week, the funding vote Monday was quick and to the point. Thompson and Rep. Tom Craddick, a Midland Republican, who both have pushed for a bill like this for several years, implored their colleagues to vote for the measure. 'We're one of the leading states with Alzheimer's in the country,' Craddick said. 'This could be the way we can solve it … This isn't a party vote. This is a vote for the people in the state of Texas.' Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill to create dementia research institute approved in House, but could face $3 billion funding hurdle
The Texas House on Wednesday passed a Senate bill that would create a $3 billion Texas research fund for dementia, but another measure to activate the funding for it could face obstacles in the chamber on Monday. Senate Bill 5, by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, creating the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, was approved by House members, 127-21. 'To me this is a dream come true,' state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, told members before the final vote. Thompson, who has worked on previous efforts for such a research fund for the past eight years, urged her colleagues to pass it because every lawmaker has constituents with relatives whose lives have been impacted by Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, dementia and other brain diseases. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick signaled his prioritization of such a fund last fall. On Monday, House members are scheduled to vote on Senate Joint Resolution 3, which would require voter approval. If voters approve the constitutional amendment, the initial $3 billion in state surplus revenue would be transferred to the fund and a board appointed by Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott would be set up to approve research proposals. Going forward, the institute would receive up to $300 million annually. This funding is intended to attract physicians, researchers, and experts in the field of dementia to Texas. This institute would research all brain diseases, not just dementia. Despite the overwhelming support for the Senate bill, SJR 3, however, could fall victim to the dispute over school vouchers. House Democrats threatened early last week to kill all constitutional amendments for the rest of session unless the House votes to put school vouchers before voters in November. A constitutional amendment requires approval of at least 100 votes from the House's 150 members to pass the chamber before going before Texas voters. With 62 Democrats in the House, Republicans need at least 12 Democrats to make any constitutional amendment happen. The House passed the vouchers bill on Thursday with every present Democrat voting against it. Amid the Democrat blockade, Republicans postponed all five constitutional amendments that were up for consideration on Tuesday and on Wednesday, SJR 3 was postponed and another constitutional amendment, HJR 72, failed to reach the needed 100 votes. Even so, members across the aisle are also signaling disapproval. Some Republicans have criticized the $3 billion pricetag for running counter their tenet of downsizing government. State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midloathian, urged lawmakers to vote the bill down because he said it does nothing more than to expand the state's bureaucracy. The $3 billion should be returned to taxpayers, who were overcharged on their taxes, he said. 'Every Texan would love to find a cure for dementia,' Harrison said. 'But I do not know what part of stop-growing-government-and-give-people-back-their-money, that this body doesn't understand.' State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, who is also an anesthesiologist, countered that while he too is against expanding government, there is a danger if the public relies solely on private enterprise, namely the pharmaceutical industry, to fund all medical research. Too often, he said, the industry oversells the promise of a drug that they've developed only to double back later and insist that it wasn't as effective after all. 'The only solution to that problem is to provide an independent, non-conflicted source of funding,' Oliverson said. 'Medical research should never be like the arts, where essentially the patrons, the ones that fund it, are the ones that decide what art is.' Alzheimer's, a degenerative brain disease, is the most common form of dementia, accounting for about 80% of cases, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that 459,000 Texans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, about 12% of the state's population over the age of 65. While a 2023 study shows that the eastern and southeastern United States have the highest prevalence of Alzheimer's, Texas is one of three states that has the highest estimated number of older residents who are at risk of Alzheimer's. The symptoms — memory loss and the inability to perform simple tasks — tend to develop in the mid-to-late 60s and occur when clumps of abnormal proteins block the communication of brain cells. Symptoms can be mild at first and worsen over time. Of the nearly 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer's, nearly two-thirds are women, and dementia care costs Americans more than $300 billion a year. The cost of caring for someone with Alzheimer's is estimated to be $1 trillion by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate committee passes bill to alter Utah Supreme Court appointments, but is change necessary?
A judiciary amendments bill sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Chris Wilson, R-Logan, passed the Senate judiciary committee on Monday morning, bringing it one step closer to becoming law. The bill has passed every committee so far, but the votes have not been unanimous, as it is facing opposition from Democratic lawmakers. SB296 would change the nomination process for Utah's Supreme Court Justice, mirroring the process used by the United States Supreme Court to appoint its head justice. 'When a vacancy occurs for the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice, the president is responsible for nominating replacement, then it goes to the Senate's confirmation process to be either confirmed or rejected. Involving the executive and legislative branches ensures that the system of checks and balances is utilized as our Founding Fathers intended,' Wilcox said during his bill presentation. Under Utah law, the five court justices appoint the chief justice. Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant has held the position for the past 13 years. 'By applying the same process to the appointment of the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court. Where the governor appoints (and) the Senate confirms, we establish a deliberate process that enhances transparency with citizen input during our confirmation hearing,' Wilcox added. 'Our state will preserve the system of checks and balances.' The bill passed 7-2, with Salt Lake City Democratic Rep. Grant Amjad Miller and Verona Mauga opposing it. Though he opposed it, Miller did say it was not outside the confines of the legislative constitutional power. It would just change the function of the judicial branch. 'I think that there is a lot of merit in allowing individuals that are part of an organization to govern and administer their own hierarchy,' he said. 'In the political realm of the legislature, our own caucuses determine our own leadership. And I suppose we could put it up to the governor to determine our leaders of our caucuses. That would shake things up in an interesting way, that would certainly be political.' 'In my philosophy, the less sort of interplay of politics that we have with the judiciary the better.' An almost entirely unanimous bill throughout its legislative journey, SJR3 aims to dissolve Salt Lake City's county justice court. Its sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper, stated that the court has experienced a 'diminishing' number of cases in recent years. Last year, a bill further reduced the court's caseload by transferring cases to other city courts. Cullimore noted that this bill was made at the county's request. The bill passed 8-0 during the House Judiciary committee meeting o, Monday morning. Still Michael Drexel, the assistant state court administrator at the Administrative Office of the Courts, cautioned that, 'If Salt Lake County Justice Court closes, we will have the largest county in the state of Utah in the same situation that we have in Cache County. ... Every time a municipality wants to close their justice court in the absence of an inter-local agreement — which nobody is obligated to enter into — the state district courts become the catch all for all of those traffic cases, small claims cases, things that will further congest the calendars that are already very busy for district court judges dealing with the highest level questions in the trial courts.' He further warned that if legislators don't find a structural solution to the issue at hand, they will end up overburdening district courts. Estimating that if justice courts were to shut down over time, district courts would have to take on the equivalent workload of 23 additional judges.
