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The Texas House on Tuesday approved a bill that would severely restrict how much money lawmakers and their legislative caucuses are allowed to raise when they leave the state to stall legislative action.

House Bill 18 from Republican Rep. Matt Shaheen of Plano would prohibit lawmakers from accepting daily political contributions beyond their per diem allocation — currently $221 a day, as set by the Texas Ethics Commission — should they leave Texas to deny their chamber the minimum number of present members required to conduct business. Absent members with cash to spend in their campaign accounts would also be barred from spending any of it on travel, food or l

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