April 20, 2015 3:57 PM

Texas House approves heavily amended bill to take PIU from Travis County prosecutors

Over a dozen amendments accepted, most of them offered by Democrats. Vote to engrossment was 94 to 51

After a somewhat subdued debate on a bill to remove the Public Integrity Unit from the Travis County District Attorney's Office, the Texas House on Monday afternoon approved the measure on a vote of 94 to 51.

The debate was almost nothing like the argument had in the Senate over removing the PIU from Travis County. In that exchange, the Democrats were rolled on every point they made.

In the House, a collaborative process played out. In fact, the bill’s author, Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, accepted more than a dozen amendments – most of them offered by Democrats.

Despite the changes, many in the minority party continued to say the “fox will be guarding the henhouse” under the proposal to give the Texas Rangers the first move in investigations of elected officeholders. For instance, Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, said he would still be voting against the bill. "As one of the few former prosecutors in the Legislature, I believe HB1690 will create worse conflicts than we have today,” Moody said.

By Scott Braddock