CPRIT Reform Bills Considered In Texas House; Executive Director’s Power To Be Replaced By Panel

News broke late Wednesday in Texas that pending CPRIT reform bills, which have already passed the Texas Senate, are now making their way into the state’s House of Representatives, ushering in sweeping reforms on how the embattled cancer research grant organization will operate in the future. After the Texas Senate quickly passed SB 149 in early April, the House Public Health Committee listened to hours of testimony on Wednesday on both SB 149 and SB150, which were presented by State Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland and the legislator tasked with carrying Sen. Jane Nelson’s SB 149 bill into the House. Rep. Keffer issued some strong remarks on the flaws of CPRIT’s executive staff and decision-making structure in the past, indicating that some of the biggest changes to CPRIT will come in the way of leadership and oversight.

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/05/02/cprit-reform-bills-considered-in-texas-house-executive-directors-power-to-be-replaced-by-panel/

UPDATE: CPRIT Oversight Committee April 29th Open Meeting Indefinitely Postponed

The CPRIT Oversight committee announced today that its open meeting scheduled for April 29th has been postponed, with no plans to reschedule for the foreseeable future. Wayne Roberts, the Interim Executive Director at CPRIT, explained that the decision to not hold a public meeting for the month April is the result of the still-pending vote in the Texas legislature on a new set of sweeping reform proposals

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/04/22/update-cprit-oversight-committee-april-29th-open-meeting-indefinitely-postponed/

Former U.S. Representative Pete Geren Named to CPRIT Oversight Committee

Read about how Former U.S. Representative Pete Geren has been Named to the CPRIT Oversight Committee.

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/04/19/former-u-s-representative-pete-geren-named-to-cprit-oversight-committee/

State Senate Economic Development Committee Approves Audit of Texas Enterprise Fund

The Economic Development Committee of the Texas state Senate voted on Wednesday to approve an audit of the Texas Enterprise Fund. According to the AP, the bill, which was sponsored by Democratic Senator Wendy Davis, seeks to require that the fund be fully audited no later than January, 2015.

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/04/11/state-senate-economic-development-committee-approves-audit-of-texas-enterprise-fund/

Texas GOP Puts Pressure On Veteran CPRIT Oversight Committee Members to Resign

Both a prominent Texas GOP lawmaker and Governor Rick Perry himself are suggesting that CPRIT oversight committee members who were with the organization prior to the Peloton debacle might serve CPRIT best by resigning.

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/04/10/texas-gop-puts-pressure-on-veteran-cprit-oversight-committee-members-to-resign/

Attorney Tom Luce Resigns From CPRIT Oversight Committee Amid Organization’s Reform Efforts

Read about how Attorney Tom Luce Resigns From CPRIT Oversight Committee Amid Organization’s Reform Efforts.

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/03/29/attorney-tom-luce-resigns-from-cprit-oversight-committee-amid-organizations-reform-efforts/

National Committee On Food Safety Taps Texas Tech Professor

A Texas Tech professor has been tapped by the Secretary of Agriculture to join a national committee on microbial criteria of food, and will make expert recommendations on how to improve national food safety.

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/03/20/national-committee-on-food-safety-taps-texas-tech-professor/

CPRIT Oversight Committee Schedules Open Meeting To Discuss Proposed Overhaul

An open meeting set by the CPRIT Oversight Committee for March 21st will give citizens a chance to ask pointed questions and challenge the sweeping charges set forth in the committee’s new proposed legislation.

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/03/18/cprit-oversight-committee-schedules-open-meeting-to-discuss-proposed-overhaul/