Some legislators must think the "local options" bill too radical an experiment in participatory democracy:
Rep. Joe Pickett, chairman of the House transportation committee, said a transportation funding bill reported out of his committee earlier this week is unlikely to reach a vote on the House floor. The bill is the House companion to a senate bill authored by Sen., John Carona, R-Dallas. Though they have serious differences in their approaches, the two bills would each give counties in Texas' largest urban areas the right to call tax elections in which voters would be asked to pay more to fund highway and rail projects.
"To get to the floor in this session, I would say the chances are very tough," Pickett said, noting that while he supports the bill it needs to be scheduled for a vote by the full House if it is going to pass. He says that's an unlikely prospect.
