Chad’s Morning Brief: Texas House and Senate Close In on Budget Deal, Marco Rubio Talks Foreign Policy, and Other Top Stories

Here is your Morning Brief for May 14, 2015.

Budget Deal Soon?

Texas House and Senate negotiators are reportedly closing in on a budget deal that could put other pieces of legislation into motion. According to the Houston Chronicle, the deal would bring together the Senate and House budgets and cut property taxes along with the business tax.

By early Wednesday afternoon, negotiators reportedly were close to agreement on tweaks to property-tax cuts and changes to proposed business-franchise tax cuts that possibly would satisfy both legislative chambers.

The potential deal: Increase the standard property tax homestead exemption by $10,000 and cut the business-franchise tax by 25 percent.

That gives the House the business-tax cut it wanted, and gives the Senate a property-tax cut it wanted. Details still were being worked out.

A House proposal for sales-tax cuts is off the table, according to senators who said they had been briefed on the discussions.

As part of the deal, the Senate and House then would move forward to pass bills on expanded border-security funding, removing the Public Integrity Unit ethics watchdog unit from Travis County to the Texas Rangers and open-carry legislation.

While a deal is reportedly close to being done, just remember there is no deal until it is signed off on. I also noticed that while open carry is mentioned as legislation that will be moved on, campus carry is not. I have also heard from sources that campus carry is much closer to being dead than alive. Though anything could still happen.

Will there be a deal on the budget before the end of the session? We will wait and see.

The Rubio Doctrine

According to the Washington Examiner, Senator Marco Rubio shared his views on foreign policy which included growing the size of the military.

Rubio, who has made foreign policy a hallmark of his campaign, revealed the "three pillars" of his doctrine: American strength, protection of the American economy in a globalized world and moral clarity regarding America's core values. Rubio noted that the United States' foreign policy is equivalent to domestic policy more so now than ever before.

"While America did not intend to become the world's indispensable power, that is exactly what our economic and political freedoms have made us," Rubio said. "We cannot bring about peace and stability on our own, but the world cannot do it without us."

On American strength, Rubio said he believed fiscal issues must not get in the way of growing the size of the military and strengthening the intelligence agencies. He argued for the extension of the controversial provision of the Patriot Act that gives the government access to records and other items under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Rubio has spoken often about his foreign policy experience and has claimed that he and other Senators would have more experience than a Governor at foreign policy. With more and more Republican voters saying that national security and terrorism should be the number one priority, Rubio could be heading into a very popular position.

Other Must Read Links:

Hillary Clinton Slams 20-Week Abortion Ban

Did Rubio Flip on Iraq?

Jeb Bush Backs Away From Iraq Comments

GOP Seeks Debate Strategy

Hillary Clinton Supporters in Texas Get Ready

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard on our KFYO YouTube page after the show and online at kfyo.com.