Highlights Friday from the Texas Legislature

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "A sweeping overhaul of the state's tax system floundered Friday as critical deadlines loomed and lawmakers showed little progress in their attempts to negotiate a new way to pay for public schools.

Gov. Rick Perry met during the afternoon with House Speaker Tom Craddick, who has proven to be a formidable negotiator and shown little willingness to waiver on a proposed House tax plan.

The House and Senate have approved separate proposals for paying for reduced school property taxes and increased education spending. Members of each chamber were appointed to a conference committee to work out the differences and produce one bill for Perry to sign into law.

But with the end of the session drawing near, hope waned.

Monday is the last day of the 140-day legislative session. But a series of deadlines this weekend for considering bills makes passage of a plan in the final hours extremely difficult, unless certain legislative rules are suspended.

Even then, there's the risk of a filibuster from any senator who wants to stop the legislation."