Gov. Rick Perry on Saturday defended his veto of a bill that would have required a waiting period before former Harris County employees could lobby the county, saying a “piecemeal” approach to Texas ethics law isn’t good public policy. ...


Perry’s veto message, issued Friday, cited a state constitutional prohibition on criminal penalties that apply in only one part of the state. Perry said Saturday that “to piecemeal pull out one county, and say we’re going to pass from Austin an ethics bill for this county, is not good public policy.”