Thread: Texas House votes 130-11 to approve border security bill

Texas House votes 130-11 to approve border security bill
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Posted: 47 mins ago

AUSTIN (AP) -- Plans to hire hundreds of new state troopers for the Texas-Mexico border is part of a sweeping border security measure that has cleared the state House.

The Republican-controlled lower chamber on Thursday formally sent the bill to the Senate on a 130-11 vote. Its members continued making quick work of heightening border security, which is a priority under new Gov. Greg Abbott.

But closing a $300 million gulf with the Senate's proposed plan over how much to spend on more troopers and border technology still remains.

Though it contains many facets, the most-watched is replacing National Guard troops deployed to the border last summer with state troopers.

Outnumbered House Democrats, who long have hotly opposed "militarizing" the border, mostly sat out this fight and let the bill pass without fireworks.

http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1179975