Public Records from Governor Give No Insight into Veto of Safe Passing Bill

As we process our disappointment over Governor Perry’s veto, we are still wondering… why? A Public Information Act request to the Governor’s office, submitted by Leslie Luciano of Bicycle Sport Shop in Austin, has not provided any clues. As the records of phone calls on the day of the veto show, more than 2,000 people called the Governor’s office about SB 488, and less than 100 of those calls were in opposition! With this evidence of overwhelming public support for improving the safety of vulnerable road users, the Governor was evidently not reacting to his constituents’ demands. Neither was it an unpopular bill with legislators, as it was approved by large majorities in both the Texas House and Senate. So we are still left to wonder what inspired Governor Perry, who is himself a cyclist, to veto a bill that could have saved the lives of Texans every year.