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NEWS AND NOTES – DECEMBER BRINGS OPPORTUNITY
The following is a collection of news and notes from your State Capitol involving opportunities that affect House District 32.
WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Wreaths Across America Program which was started in 1992 with the donation and laying of 5000 Christmas wreaths in the Arlington National Cemetery by Morrill Worcester. Though the program initially started as the Arlington Wreath Program, recent years has seen it cultivate into a nationwide project.
The Wreaths Across America story began over 20 years ago when the Worcester Wreath Company from Harrington, Maine initiated a tradition of donating and placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation’s fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. Recognition of the service and sacrifice of our veterans, and their families, is especially poignant during the traditional holiday season.
This year the program has set a goal of providing wreaths to over 600 veteran’s cemeteries across the United States. The goal of 600 veteran cemeteries represents nearly a 50% increase from the 425 cemeteries which received wreaths in 2010. Of those 600 cemeteries, it is estimated that more than 400,000 wreaths will be placed on gravestones and will include the assistance of over 150,000 volunteers. The wreath laying officially takes place on the second Saturday in December, which this year falls on the 10th.
An extremely important part of Wreaths Across America project is to reach out to kids across the country each year and to stress the importance of “Remembering, Honoring and Teaching” about the fallen servicemen and women who have served their country so faithfully. The themes are Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve including their families who sacrifice, and Teach our children the cost of the freedoms we enjoy each day. Through their webpage, Wreaths Across America provides a number of educational programs directed at middle school students. One of the programs is the Million Memories Project which seeks to preserve the memory of veterans as a way to remember their lives and teach future generations the value and cost of the freedoms that they enjoy. Additional information about the Wreaths Across America Project or their educational programs can be found at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON YOU CAN SAVE A LIFE
One of the greatest gifts you can give this holiday season is to save a life. During the winter holidays, blood centers often experience a decline in blood donations and thereby a shortage in blood supplies. In order to maintain the blood supply for the Coastal Bend, the blood center requires 120 donors a day to donate blood.
Each year approximately 4.5 million people nationwide would die without the lifesaving blood transfusions made possible by generous donors. A single blood donation made this holiday season can be used to save up to three lives.
District 32 is serviced by two blood donation centers, which are the Coastal Bend Blood Center and the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center. The Coastal Bend Blood Center provides services to fourteen medical centers in its ten-county service area of Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio. The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center provides blood, plasma, platelets and other blood components to 100 hospitals and clinics in forty three South Texas counties including the Victoria/Calhoun area.
If you would like to donate this holiday season, you can get additional information by contacting the Coastal Bend Blood Center at 1-800-299-4943 or the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center at 1-800-442-7770.
If you have any questions regarding the Wreaths Across America Project or would like more information on being a blood donor please don’t hesitate to contact either my Capitol or District office. My offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS UPON US
Many of us across District 32 celebrated Thanksgiving with family, friends and many of the foods we have all come to relate to Thanksgiving. It is important however, for us all to remember those who may be without and that is why I ask that you give back by being charitable to and helping those who are less fortunate and very much in need this year.
District 32 is served by two important food banks; the Food Bank of Corpus Christiwhich serves eleven coastal counties which include Aransas, Nueces and San Patricio, and the Food Bank of the Golden Crescent which provides for CalhounCounty. The food banks are two of the 19 food banks located throughout the state that make up the Texas Food Bank Network. The network provides food to charities and service organizations in all 254 counties in Texas.
The Texas Food Bank Network member organizations provide emergency food for an estimated 2,064,300 different people annually. The food banks are an extremely important source of food, accounting for 80% of the food used by pantries, 47% of the food provided by kitchens, and 45% of the food served by shelters. It is important to remember that the individuals that need help from the food banks come from a broad cross-section of households. The Texas Hunger Study Report outlines that 36% of households requiring assistance include at least one employed adult and that 33% had to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care.
There are many ways that you can help feed the hungry not just this Holiday Season but year-around. You can donate either food or money to the food banks or even coordinate a food/fund drive.
Here are some helpful tips to organizing your own food/fund drive:
-Plan Ahead
Determine a leadership committee who will be responsible for planning your event. Remember that coordination of a successful event should not fall on the shoulders of just one person, but a team of dedicated volunteers who believe in the cause.
- Set an Attainable Goal
Decide how many pounds of food or dollars you’d like to collect. A good rule of thumb: set a goal for each participant and multiply this number by your total head count.
- Organize a Kick-Off Event
Invite participants, potential sponsors and even the local news media. Your local food bank may have supplies available to assist in fundraising, such as barrels for collection of non-perishable food items and brochures about their mission.
- Keep It Fun and Simple
Have a pizza party for participants and consider gathering prizes from local merchants to use as incentives. Create challenges among individuals or teams. Display daily or weekly totals in highly visible areas to encourage participation.
If you would like to donate food, the food banks are always in need of nutritious, non-perishable foods such as: meals in a can (stew, chili, soup), tuna / canned meat, peanut butter, canned foods with pop-top lids, low sugar cereals, 100% fruit juices in single serving boxes, canned fruit packed in juice, and canned vegetables (low salt).
The food banks can be located at:
Food Bank of Corpus Christi
826 Krill Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78408
361-887-6291
Food Bank of the Golden Crescent
3809 E. Rio Grande
Victoria, TX 77901
361-578-0591
While food donations are welcome and appreciated, the most cost-effective and convenient way to give is to make a monetary donation on-line. Both the Food Bank of Corpus Christi and the Food Bank of the Golden Crescent are able to accept credit card donations by way of their websites:
www.foodbankofcorpuschristi.org (Nueces, Aransas, San Patricio counties)
www.victoriafoodbank.org (Calhoun County)
Every dollar donated translates into 16 lbs. of food. Monetary donations give each food bank the flexibility to put resources towards specific food areas that may be more depleted than others.
If you have questions regarding the giving opportunities mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
NOVEMBER BALLOT INCLUDES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS (RECAP)
Next week on November 8, Texans across our State will have the opportunity to support or oppose the ten constitutional amendments passed by the 82nd Texas Legislature. Each of these Constitutional amendments are changes to the Texas Constitution. Constitutional amendments are first proposed by the legislature in the form of a joint resolution. The joint resolution then must pass both the Texas House and the Texas Senate by a two-thirds vote. Once the joint resolution passes the legislature, it must be approved by a majority of voters across the state to become a part of our state constitution.
Below is the language and order of the ten propositions as provided by the Texas Secretary of State:
• Proposition Number 1 (SJR 14) – The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran.
• Proposition Number 2 (SJR 4) – The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $6 billion at any time outstanding.
• Proposition Number 3 (SJR 50) – The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds of the State of Texas to finance educational loans to students.
• Proposition Number 4 (HJR 63) – The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment of an unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted area and to pledge for repayment of the bonds or notes increases in ad valorem taxes imposed by the county on property in the area. The amendment does not provide authority for increasing ad valorem tax rates.
• Proposition Number 5 (SJR 26) – The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to allow cities or counties to enter into interlocal contracts with other cities or counties without the imposition of a tax or the provision of a sinking fund.
• Proposition Number 6 (HJR 109) – The constitutional amendment clarifying references to the permanent school fund, allowing the General Land Office to distribute revenue from permanent school fund land or other properties to the available school fund to provide additional funding for public education, and providing for an increase in the market value of the permanent school fund for the purpose of allowing increased distributions from the available school fund.
• Proposition Number 7 (SJR 28) – The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.
• Proposition Number 8 (SJR 16) – The constitutional amendment providing for the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of open-space land devoted to water-stewardship purposes on the basis of its productive capacity.
• Proposition Number 9 (SJR 9) – The constitutional amendment authorizing the governor to grant a pardon to a person who successfully completes a term of deferred adjudication community supervision.
• Proposition Number 10 (SJR 37) – The constitutional amendment to change the length of the unexpired term that causes the automatic resignation of certain elected county or district officeholders if they become candidates for another office.
For those wishing to vote early this year, early voting officially started on Monday, October the 24th and will run through Friday, November the 2nd. If you are unable to make it to a polling location to vote, then mail in ballots are available. It is important to remember that your request for a mail in ballot must have been received by November 1st. Additional information on the November 8th election can be found on www.votexas.org which is administered by the Secretary of State. If you would like to have the opportunity to read the amendments as passed by the legislature you can go to www.legis.state.tx.us.
If you have questions regarding any of the proposed constitutional amendments mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE SERVICE MEMBERS
The 82nd Texas Legislature approved sufficient funding to make new awards for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program for the 2012-2013 biennium. The purpose of the program is to encourage students to participate in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs at civilian colleges. A student must meet specific eligibility criteria in order to receive an initial scholarship award. In addition to the eligibility criteria, a student must enter into an agreement requiring a four-year commitment as a member of the Texas Army National Guard, member of the Texas Air Force National Guard, or a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States.
Annually, the governor and the lieutenant governor may each appoint two students, and each state senator and each state representative may appoint one student to receive a conditional Texas Armed Services Scholarship. A maximum of 185 students may be appointed statewide. A student may received up to $10,000 for the 2011-2012 academic year, and dependent on funding available, students may receive continued scholarship awards.
My office has started accepting scholarship applications from students who reside in House District 32. Each state representative has been asked to nominate one student to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Eligibility for Nomination
In order to be considered for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship, a student must meet two of the following four academic criteria at the time of the application:
Is on track to graduate high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP) or the International Baccalaureate Program (IB);
Has a current high school GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale;
Achieve a college readiness score on the SAT (1590) or ACT (23);
Is currently ranked in the top one-third of the prospective high school graduation class.
Once a student is nominated, a number of criteria must be met for the nominated student to be eligible for receipt of an initial scholarship. The student must be a member in good standing of the ROTC. A selected student must also enter into a written agreement with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board agreeing to complete four years of ROTC training and graduate no later than six years after the date the student first registers at an institution of higher education.
No later than six months after graduation, the selected student must provide the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with verification of a four-year commitment to be a member of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air Force National Guard, Texas State Guard, U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Merchant Marines; or a contract to serve as a commissioned officer in any branch of the United States Armed Forces. A selected student must meet all prescreening requirements of the Texas Army, the Texas Air Force National Guard, Texas State Guard, U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Merchant Marines, or the appropriate branch of the armed services. The student must repay the scholarship if the student fails to meet the requirements for obtaining the scholarship.
This is an exciting opportunity for any student seeking to enter the armed forces by way of a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at a civilian college. If you are a student who would like to be nominated for this scholarship program, please submit a cover letter along with proof that you have met the required academic criteria to either my Capitol office in Austin or my District office in Corpus Christi.
If you would like any additional information on the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program, please don’t hesitate to contact my Capitol or District office (512-463-0672; 361-949-4603). The scholarship is administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Questions can also be directed to the board’s Office of External Relations which can be reached at 512-427-6117.
As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
TEXAS TAKES ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IN THE BATTLE AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
During the 81st Legislative session, I had the fortune to serve as the Chairman of the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence committee. While serving as Chairman of the committee, I was shocked to learn of the human trafficking issue currently present within the State of Texas. It quickly became clear to me that this is an issue that Texas needs to focus on and strive to shutdown in all its forms. During the 82nd Texas Regular Legislative Session, I filed and passed House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 68, which was signed on June 17, by Governor Rick Perry.
HCR 68 officially requests that the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House create a joint interim study committee. The committee would be comprised of Texas House and Texas Senate members, who would meet during the interim to investigate and review the issue of human trafficking in the State of Texas. It is important for the State of Texas to take a lead role in combating human trafficking due to the state’s large geographical size, busy ports, as well as Texas’ location on the U.S./Mexico border along with three other states.
The U.S. State Department estimates that 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year by criminals. It is also estimated that approximately twenty percent of those individuals go through the State of Texas. Also, Houston and El Paso are listed among the “most intense trafficking jurisdictions in the country” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for one of three purposes:
• Labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purposes of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.
• A commercial sex act through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.
• Any commercial sex act, if the person is under 18 years of age, regardless of whether any form of coercion is involved.
Federally funded human trafficking taskforces across the country opened over 2,500 suspected cases of human tracking between 2008-2010. This was based on information entered into the Human Trafficking Reporting System (HTRS). Approximately eighty-two percent were cases of suspected incidents which are defined as sex trafficking. Out of the 2,500 suspected incidents, over 1,200 of those incidents were involving adults and an excess of 1,000 were allegations of prostitution or sexual exploitation of a child. Eleven percent of the opened cases were classified as labor trafficking.
Currently, there are four regions throughout Texas that supply data to the HTRS. According to the data compiled since 2007, 480 human trafficking victims have been reported in Texas. Out of the 480 victims, 189 were not United States citizens, 220 were Americans being trafficked domestically and 71 were from a country of origin that was unknown.
It is important to know that human trafficking is not exclusive to one segment of society. Human trafficking involves victims of all races, age groups, both males and females and United States Citizens, as well as non-citizens. Individuals seeking to force people in to human trafficking do not discriminate amongst their victims and often prey upon those who are most vulnerable.
As the discussion of the Human Trafficking issue moves forward, I will keep you informed. Please do not hesitate to call my offices if you have any questions regarding HCR 68. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS – PUT YOUR PLAN IN PLACE
Just one week left in the 82nd Legislative Session, as bills try to make it across the finish line before the official May 30th deadline, hurricane season looms just around the corner. Being prepared for hurricane season can help keep your family safe. The 2011 hurricane season officially begins on June 1 and will end on November 30, 2011. It is during this time that most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Basin and pose a threat to the United States.
All four counties in District 32-Aransas, Calhoun, San Patricio and Nueces-are included among the 14 Tier One counties along the Texas coast. This means that these counties are most likely to be affected if a hurricane makes landfall. It is important that our area, as well as all Texans, prepare for hurricanes by staying informed, creating a disaster plan and following necessary steps to keep their families safe.
When hurricanes make landfall or get close to land, they can affect the lives of thousands of Texans along the coast and across the State of Texas. There are various tips on being prepared in case of a hurricane. Some of the tips include the preparation of a family disaster plan. A family disaster plan includes planning for hazards that could affect your family as well as home. Vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind should be reviewed. You should locate safe rooms or places in your house to store items if a hurricane hazard develops. It is important that families determine evacuation and escape routes from your home and places to meet in case of an emergency. Also, have an out-of-state friend as a family contact so that all family members have a place of contact. Don’t forget to plan for taking care of your pets in case of evacuation.
In addition, families need to create a disaster supply kit. A disaster supply kit includes gathering blankets, pillows, seasonal clothing and special items for infants and the elderly. Please have flashlights, batteries, telephones, radios and sufficient tools in case of an emergency. It is important to have a good first aid kit with medicines and prescription drugs ready and organized.
Living along the coastline also means preparing for hurricanes by retrofitting your house. It is important to strengthen the outside of your home so wind and objects do not tear openings in your roof or walls. Some people may want to find out about flood insurance. The National Flood Insurance is a pre-disaster flood program designed to reduce flood disasters. The National Flood Insurance program can be called at 1-888-CALL-FLOOD, Extension 445.
In addition to getting your family, pets and homes safe and prepared, there are various state websites for hurricane preparedness and evacuation, including telephone numbers. Some important contacts include Statewide Road Conditions which can be called at 1-800-452-9292 and going to Texas Online – The Official Portal of Texas .
You can also go to my campaign website which will provide you links, websites to various sources for hurricane preparedness, planning for an evacuation, tips on hurricane preparedness as well as state and federal government resources. Also, if you are elderly or disabled and need hurricane evacuation assistance, you can call 2-1-1. This service will assist you in hurricane evacuation.
Overall, being prepared for a hurricane and living in a coastal region is very important. Please again feel free to check out the campaign website electtoddhunter.com as well as the information that we’ve provided in this article. Hopefully, this will be a quiet season and a safe one.
As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
STATE CAPITOL NEWS AND NOTES: HOUSE ADDRESSES EMERGENCY ITEMS AND SUNSET BILLS
The following is a collection of news and notes from your State Capitol involving issues that affect House District 32.
SANCTUARY CITIES
At the start of the 82nd Legislature, Governor Rick Perry declared a hand full of emergency items for members of the Texas Legislature to address. One of those emergency items was the issue of sanctuary cities. This issue was declared an emergency item because currently in the State of Texas a city may adopt rules policies, commonly referred to as “sanctuary city” policies, which prohibit local law enforcement from inquiring about a person’s immigration status. These policies may also prohibit the sharing of information regarding a person’s immigration status with the federal government.
On May 9th the Texas House took up and passed on second reading House Bill (HB) 12 which was filed this session to address the public concern that a city, or other local governmental entity, may create a sanctuary for illegal immigrants by impeding the enforcement of state and federal immigration law. HB 12 seeks to address these public concerns by prohibiting certain local governmental entities from undertaking certain actions that would restrict the enforcement of state and federal immigration law and by allowing the filing of a related citizen complaint.
TEXAS HOUSE TAKES UP TWO MORE SUNSET BILLS
In 1977, the Texas Legislature created the Sunset Advisory Commission to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and inefficiency in the states government agencies. In order to maintain an efficient and fiscally responsive government, state agencies are required to undergo this sunset review process approximately every twelve years. Once the sunset review process is done, state agencies are then required to be approved by the Texas Legislature in order to continue functioning. This week the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation and the Texas Department of Insurance will be reviewed by the Texas House.
The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation was created in 1995 by the Texas Legislature to serve as a self-sustaining nonprofit corporation to help low-income Texans obtain affordable housing. To achieve its mission, the Corporation carries out the following key activities:
• issues bonds to finance the purchase of single family homes by qualifying low-income first-time homebuyers and Texas educators, firefighters, corrections officers, emergency medical personnel, and law enforcement personnel;
• seeks out grants and donations to help support affordable housing initiatives;
• provides grants to nonprofits and rural governmental entities to build or rehabilitate homes or provide supportive services to multifamily residents;
• provides support to the Texas Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce, and provides grants to local organizations providing foreclosure counseling services;
• partners with nonprofit organizations and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed homes, vacant land, and other properties; and
• provides loans to assist affordable housing developers with initial construction and start-up costs.
The next agency to be reviewed is the Texas Department of Insurance. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) regulates the insurance industry in Texas to ensure that Texas consumers have access to competitive and fair insurance products. TDI’s major functions include:
• regulating insurance companies’ solvency, rates, forms, and market conduct;
• licensing individuals and entities involved in selling insurance policies;
• providing consumer education on insurance and helping consumers resolve complaints;
• investigating and taking enforcement action against those who violate insurance laws or rules; and
• providing fire prevention services across the state through the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
If you have questions or comments regarding any of the agencies up for sunset, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
THE END OF 82ND REGULAR SESSION DRAWS NEAR: DEADLINES TO WATCH
The start of May marks the final month of the 82nd Regular Legislative session. Every odd-numbered year the Texas Legislature meets for 140 days straight to hear and potentially pass any necessary legislation. This year, the 82nd Legislative Session began on January 11th, which puts the final day of session this year on May 30th. For those involved in the legislature, the final day of session is commonly referred to as “Sine Die”, which is a Latin phrase meaning “without day” or without any future date being designated.
Entering the final thirty days of the legislative session means that a number of deadlines will soon come to pass for the legislative members and their staff. The first such deadline is Monday the 9th of May which represents the 119th day of session. This day marks the last day for House committees to report out any House Bills that the committee heard throughout the session. The following day, on May 10th the last House Daily Calendar with House Bills and House Joint Resolutions must be distributed for a 36 hour layout by 10 p.m. that evening. The 36 hour layout is necessary because May 12th marks the last day that the House can consider all House Bills or House Joint Resolutions on 2nd reading, which were placed on the Supplemental or House Daily Calendar.
On May 13th the House will consider House Bills that were placed on the Consent Calendar by the Local and Consent Committee. The bills that are placed on the Consent Calendar will go before the House on their 2nd and 3rd reading for the last time during the 82nd session. Bills that are sent to the Consent Calendar are those in which no opposition is anticipated and which received no nay votes in order to get out of the committee.
As these deadlines go by for House Bills, the House members will then begin to turn their focus on to Senate Bills. May 21st represents the 131st day of the session and the last day for committees to report out any of the Senate Bills or Senate Joint Resolutions. With just seven days left, the House will consider on 2nd reading the Senate Bills and the Senate Joint Resolutions which were placed on the Supplemental or House Daily Calendar.
On the 137th day of session or May 27th of this year, the House will have to concur or go to conference on any Senate amendments. May 29th will then be the last day for the House to adopt Conference Committee Reports. If the House and Senate do not adopt the report, then the measure will fail and the bill dies. The following day or the 140th day of session, the House and Senate are limited to only making minor corrections to legislation. Upon the final adjournment on May 30th, the House and Senate will officially end the 82nd Regular Session.
If you would like to follow any of the bills as these deadlines approach, these websites serve as a great resource:
• The Texas Legislature
• The Texas House of Representatives
• The Texas Senate
If you have questions or comments regarding any of the agencies up for sunset, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
HOUSE TAKES UP A WEEK OF SUNSET BILLS
This week, in the Texas House, at least three more state agencies are seeking the necessary votes in the House in order to continue their existence for approximately twelve more years. Three agencies, up for sunset, are the Texas Forest Service, the Railroad Commission of Texas, and the Texas Department of Transportation.
The sunset review process is an important component in maintaining a slender state government in Texas. In 1977, the Texas Legislature created the Sunset Advisory Commission to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and inefficiency in the states government agencies. In order to maintain an efficient and fiscally responsive government, state agencies are required to undergo this sunset review process approximately every twelve years. Once the sunset review process is done, state agencies are then required to be approved by the Texas Legislature in order to continue functioning.
The first agency up this week is the Texas Forest Service (TFS). The TFS was established nearly 100 years ago under the Texas A&M University System. The agency has always been responsible for forest resource management and wildland firefighting. But in the last 20 years, TFS has been directed to perform those duties statewide. The additional duty of responding to other disasters such as hurricanes and floods has tested the agency’s ability to continue delivering high quality services.
TFS is indeed unique. Though housed under the area of higher education, it is not an academic institution but is a state agency with a vital public safety function. The role of the TFS is an essential one, as the wildfires currently burning across the state show. To-date, nearly two million acres of land have burned across the state from West Texas ranchlands to the piney woods in East Texas.
The next agency up this week is the Railroad Commission of Texas (Commission). The Commission unlike the name would imply, no longer deals with the State’s rail system. Instead, the main function of the Commission is to oversee and regulate the State’s oil and gas industry. The Commission serves as the State’s oldest regulatory agency. It has served this function for over 120 years. Many things in the oil and gas industry have changed over time and as such so has the regulatory authority of the Commission. The Commission’s role now includes economic oversight of oil and gas production and a greater focus on environmental protection.
During most of its existence, the Commission has primarily interacted with oil and gas producers and citizens familiar with the oil and gas industry. Based on today’s modern day technology, the Commission deals with new regulations and new groups.
The last agency up this week is the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). It began in 1917 as the State Highway Department. Since its founding, TxDOT has grown from its original responsibilities of granting financial aid and directing county road construction programs. Today it has a broader mission of developing and building a 21st century transportation system to address the State’s growing transportation needs.
To accomplish its mission of providing safe, efficient, and effective means for the movement of people and goods throughout the state, TxDOT:
• plans, constructs, maintains, and supports the State’s transportation system, including roads, bridges, public transportation, railroads, airports, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and ferry systems;
• develops and operates a system of toll roads using public and private-sector partners and financing options; and
• Manages operations on the state highway system, including improving traffic safety, issuing oversize/overweight permits, providing rest areas and travel information, and regulating outdoor advertising.
If you have questions or comments regarding any of the agencies up for sunset, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
STATE CAPITOL NEWS AND NOTES
The following is a collection of news and notes from your State Capitol involving issues that affect House District 32.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING STUDY PASSES OUT OF THE HOUSE
On April 5th, 2011 the Texas House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 68, otherwise known as the Human Trafficking Study bill. This is a bill that I was very proud and pleased to be able file for the 82nd session. The House voted in favor of HCR 68 with 146 yeas 0 nays. HCR 68 , requests that the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House create a joint interim study committee. The committee would be comprised of Texas House and Texas Senate members, who would meet during the interim to investigate and review the issue of human trafficking in the State of Texas.
During the 81st Legislative session, I served as the Chairman of the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence committee. While serving as Chairman of the committee, I was shocked to learn of the human trafficking issue currently existing in Texas. It quickly became clear to me that this is an issue that Texas needs to focus on and strive to shutdown in all its forms. Now that the bill has passed out of the House, it has been sent to the Senate. I am very hopeful that it will meet with the same unanimous support from the Senate that this legislation found in the House.
BILLS CONTINUE TO BE HEARD IN COMMITTEES
As the session continues, committees continue to hold public hearings on the bills which have been filed for the 82nd Legislative Session. The bills range from those that are intended to affect purely local issues to those that are meant to address issues affecting the whole state. One such bill is House Bill (HB) 742 which is being considered by the House committee on Public Education. The purpose of HB 742 is to address the issue of children who have a food or severe food allergy and ways to keep them safe while they are attending school.
HB 742 indicates that upon enrollment that a parent or legal guardian disclose to the school district that a child has a food allergy or a severe food allergy. Many times food allergies create a safety concern for children. This would enable the school district to take the necessary precautions regarding the child’s safety. The bill also requires the school district to preserve the confidentiality of the information regarding a food allergy.
CLOCK CONTINUES TO TICK AWAY AT THE 82ND LEGISLATIVE SESSION
April 11th marks the fifty day countdown to the end of the 82nd Regular Legislative Session. The 82nd Regular session will officially end on May 30th, 2011 on the day generally referred to as “Sine die”, which is a Latin phrase meaning “without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing”. The Texas House and Senate will begin taking more and more bills up for a vote in the days ahead. I highly encourage everyone to contact my Capitol or District Offices on any bills that you want to bring to our attention.
In order to help you follow any of the bills that have already been reported out of committee or any of the other bills which have been heard in any of the committees, these websites serve as a great resource:
• The Texas Legislature
• The Texas House of Representatives
• The Texas Senate
If you have questions or comments regarding any of the information mentioned in this article or any bills which have been filed, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
D5 Creation