Rep. Coleman was a joint author to House Bill 51 by Rep. Dan Branch, which would let seven public universities compete for a new pool of state funds if they can attract major research grants, major endowment gifts, and top research faculty and staff.

“Texas currently has only two public universities classified as tier one institutions, even though we have the second highest population in the nation,” said Representative Coleman.  “We are lagging far behind other states with similar populations.”

“Texas students deserve more nationally recognized research institutions,” said Representative Coleman. “The development of more top tier universities would open up seats of excellence available for Texas students, and would make our state more nationally and globally competitive.”

Richard’s appeal was based on announcements made by the United States Supreme Court the morning of the scheduled execution.  Although Richard was executed that night, the Court of Criminal Appeals (over which Judge Keller presides) later granted two stays of execution based on the same arguments Richard’s lawyers attempted to present.

If passed, HR 480 calls on the House of Representatives to form a committee to investigate Judge Keller for “gross neglect of duty and willing disregard for human life.”   If the House finds cause for impeachment, a trial would then be held in the State Senate.

“It’s one thing for a banker to close shop at five o’clock sharp,” said Rep. Lon Burnam, the principal author of the resolution. “But a public official who stands between a human being and the death chamber must be held to a higher standard.”

Rep. Burnam will discuss his resolution to form a committee to investigate the impeachment of Judge Keller.

WHO:  Rep. Lon Burnam
WHAT: Press conference to discuss the impeachment of Judge Sharon Keller

WHEN:  Monday, 27, 2009 - 12:00 pm or upon adjournment of the house

WHERE: 2W.6 - Speaker’s Conference Room, Texas State Capitol, 1100 Congress Ave

Austin, TX 78701

The State of Texas has received a special Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) from the United States Department of Health and Human Services to help persons affected by Hurricanes Ike, Dolly, Katrina and Rita.  Approximately $40 million of the grant may be used to reimburse uncompensated care to hospitals that delivered services to uninsured evacuees of Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Dolly.  These services would not otherwise be reimbursed.

Funds for uninsured evacuees of Hurricanes Ike and Dolly are limited and claims will be paid only until the funds are exhausted. Providers have been notified by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) about the available funding and given details on how to submit claims for reimbursement.

“These hurricanes caused so much destruction to Texas,” said Martinez. “The individuals and hospitals that aided the evacuees during that time deserve to be compensated.”

For more information, contact the HHSC External Relations Division at 512-487-3300, or by email at HHSCExternalRealtions@hhsc.state.tx.us.

“As a parent, I know that so many of us struggle to balance the demands of work and family,” said Rep. Villarreal. “This bill provides a new option for safe and affordable child care for many working families.”

The state has struggled to develop policies to meet the child care needs of working parents. For example, over 30,000 children are currently on the state’s waiting list for subsidized child care.  The legislation does not aspire to meet the child care needs of all working families, but seeks to provide another option for some working families.

The bill was inspired by the working mothers at Guerra DeBerry Coody, a San Antonio public relations firm.  The company has established an on-site child care center for employees’ children and worked with Rep. Villarreal to develop state policies to facilitate such centers. The Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces recently named Guerra DeBerry Coody as one of the 15 “Top Small Workplaces” nationwide.

The statute includes a number of safety measures, including inspection by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), criminal background checks and training standards for staff, a requirement to maintain at least one adult for every four children, and limits on the number of hours per day and per week that a parent can be away from the workplace.

“This legislation is a win for everyone involved. It helps small businesses recruit and retain employees, gives parents an accessible child care option, and allows children to spend time in a safe environment near their parents,” noted Rep. Villarreal.

“My graffiti reform bill requires graffiti offenders to complete community service and gets tough on the offenders who won’t learn from their mistakes,” said Rep. Walle.  “I was proud to have the support of Chairman Pete Gallego, the members of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee and the Texas House of Representatives on this important bill.”

House Bill 1633 was amended during the committee and floor debate process and includes the following four provisions:

* Requires graffiti offenders to complete a minimum number of community service hours;
* Requires graffiti offenders to complete restitution to the property victim;
* Amends the graffiti code to include all types of paint, not just aerosol paint; and
* Enhances penalties for repeat graffiti offenders by adding a “three strikes –you’re out” policy making the third graffiti offense a state jail felony.

“Graffiti crime is a serious problem for our community and our state,” said Rep. Walle.  “My bill will force offenders to clean up their mess and give back to the community they defaced, deterring future offenses.”

Representatives from the Houston Police Department, the City of San Antonio, the Houston Food Bank, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Council to Prevent Diplomacy, the Texas Municipal League and the Texas Apartment Association registered their support for House Bill 1633 when it was heard last month in the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence.

Senator Davis said that she values the economic contributions that the Barnett Shale has made to Tarrant County, but wants to ensure that the growing industry does not negatively impact the families and neighborhoods of her district.

“It is important that this industry grows in a way that is respectful to the neighborhoods and quality of life that Tarrant County families enjoy,” Senator Davis said. “These bills are about assuring a bright future for our region — not only economically through support of the drilling industry, but also through protection of private property rights and environmental concerns.  I am pleased to have had the cooperative support of the drilling industry, municipalities and Tarrant County in formulating these bills and in moving them to passage in the Senate.”

The bills that Senator Davis passed today are:

Senate Bill 686, which would allow natural gas pipelines to be placed in TxDOT right-of-way,         giving pipeline companies more placement options and thereby reducing the number of eminent     domain cases pursued to place pipelines

Senate Bill 752, which would restrict the placement of injection wells for the disposal of      contaminated drilling wastewater by limiting the geologic formations for which the Texas Railroad             Commission can issue a disposal well permit in Tarrant County

The bills passed today are part of a package of several Barnett Shale related bills that Senator Davis has been advancing through the legislative process. Senate Bill 902, requiring the “green completion” of wells drilled in Tarrant County, will come to the Senate floor for a vote soon, and five more bills are awaiting hearings in Senate committees.

Senate Bills 686 and 752 will now go to the House of Representatives, where companion bills are being offered by Representatives Rob Orr and Kelly Hancock, respectively.

This measure, known as the Prevention Works Act, removes politics, rhetoric, and shame from what should be a bipartisan team effort to protect and support women, parents, and children.

“This bill, unlike many that line the political wars over abortion and culture, would actually reduce unplanned pregnancies, particularly among teenagers,” Senator Watson said.  “It allows parents to know what their children are being taught in school, and it helps families discuss this life-changing issue together.  It also will help teenagers confront adulthood far better equipped to face the dilemmas it presents.”

Senate Bill 1100 and House Bill 1694 would require school districts to notify parents, in writing, about the actual content of sex education classes (current law states only that parents be notified sex education is taking place and parents have the right to remove their children from those classes).  The bill also requires that schools build these classes around medically accurate information.

Prevention Works does not mandate that schools teach about contraception.  It simply ensures that students receive complete, accurate information when schools do teach about contraception.

Texas has one of the highest teen birth rates in the country.  And polls show that 90% of Texas parents favor teaching public school students age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education.

The bill also requires that Texas actually use money the Legislature has already budgeted to better fund the state’s Women’s Health Program.  For every dollar that the state invests in this program, the federal government provides an additional $9, making this an important economic development program as well as a vital health initiative.  And by making this investment, Texas could save nearly $300 million in health costs over five years.

“The cost of helping women prevent unplanned pregnancies is a fraction of the cost of providing government services to indigent women and their babies,” said Representative Strama.  “A year of family planning services costs $180 for one woman, compared to $8,500 for the first year of a Medicaid-funded birth.”

“It’s no coincidence that we’re filing this bill on Pro-Life Lobby Day,” Senator Watson said.  “Prevention Works is a real pro-life bill.  The surest way to prevent the termination of an unwanted pregnancy is to prevent the pregnancy.”

Senator Watson and Representative Strama also said that Prevention Works is meant to bring both sides of the abortion debate together in a proactive, constructive way to prevent unplanned pregnancies before they occur.  Senator Watson called on Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst to ensure the bill receives a prompt hearing so this important, pro-life legislation can move forward.

“Everyone should agree that reducing unplanned pregnancies will save public dollars while improving the health of Texas families,” Representative Strama said.  “The Prevention Works Act is common-sense, middle-ground, and cost-effective policy.”

“It seems some people truly believe that shame heaped upon young women is the best weapon in their political war,” Senator Watson said.  “I think we need a new approach – one built on communication, education, and prevention – to keep these difficult, complicated, and often tragic situations from occurring in the first place.

“We need to stop making excuses,” he added.  “Prevention works.”

While Texas does not yet face double digit unemployment, as Michigan does, the economic forecast is not rosy.  According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Texas economy will lose 111,000 jobs in 2009, and the unemployment rate is expected to rise from 6 to 8.2 percent.   The recently passed Economic Recovery Act offers $555.7 million to Texas to shore up its shaky unemployment fund, but the state must first pass a series of reforms to be eligible.  Unfortunately, even as Texas accepts stimulus funds, some continue to say the state should reject unemployment funding, simply because it requires small changes to the program.

“I’ve heard the concerns that the unemployment funding in the federal stimulus package come with ’strings attached’, and I don’t care,” said Ellis.  “To a Texan who has lost a job and worries how they are going to keep their home and pay their bills, that aid isn’t a string, it’s a lifeline — one which will help their family get through hard times.”

“It’s unfair and unnecessary to burden families and businesses with hundreds of millions of dollars in extra taxes and bond debt,” said Lucio.  “The unemployment legislation I’ve proposed with my colleagues Senators Van de Putte and Ellis is a quick and smart way to energize the economy and to help Texans struggling to support themselves.  The fact is, fixing our unemployment insurance system helps fix our economy.”

“The number of unemployed Texans has risen by 132.2% since last year, these Texans are hurting now, this isn’t an abstract ideological debate for them,” said Van de Putte. “The unemployment stimulus money can make a real difference in their daily lives. We owe it to them to pass this legislation, they can not wait and neither should we.”

“Texas can ill afford to turn down over one-half billion dollars targeted to bring relief to the tens of thousand Texas families negatively impacted by this global economic crisis,” said Deshotel.

Texas’ unemployment insurance fund faces a massive shortfall which, without swift action, could lead to an automatic tax increase on Texas businesses.  Under Texas law, the insurance trust fund has to maintain a certain balance — today, approximately $850 million.  If the fund falls below that threshold, a “deficit” tax is levied on nearly all Texas businesses.

According to the latest estimates, by September 2009 Texas unemployment trust fund will have reserves of only $100 million — about $750 million below the floor.  In addition to the tax increase, the shortfall could mean an end to important economic development programs, including Governor Perry’s Enterprise Fund.

To take advantage of the federal stimulus aid, Texas must:

* Join 21 other states — including New Mexico, Oklahoma, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia — in modernizing the way it calculates unemployment benefits.  Texas currently disregards the most recent three to six months of a worker’s earnings when calculating eligibility - a practice only needed when claims were processed manually.

* Allow those seeking part-time work to be eligible for pro-rated benefits.  When the economy bounces back, many of the new jobs may begin as part-time employment and eventually become full-time.  Nearly half of the states currently award benefits to part-time workers.

* Pass family-friendly legislation to allow benefits for spouses who quit their jobs because their wife/husband is transferred to another part of the state.  The Legislature already made this change for military spouses.

Currently, concealed handguns are not allowed on Texas college and university campuses, leaving Texas students, professors and other university employees defenseless and vulnerable to attacks by armed individuals.

“In an effort to prevent senseless tragedies in Texas like those which occurred on college campuses in Virginia and Illinois, I filed S.B. 1164,” said Senator Wentworth.  “Senate Bill 1164 will allow persons who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon to do so on college campuses in Texas.

“I have no desire to wake up one morning and read in the newspaper, or hear on the radio, or watch on television a news report that 32 Texas college students were gunned down like sitting ducks by some deranged gunman, as happened at Virginia Tech, due to a state law in Texas that makes college kids defenseless against this type of random violence which results in needless tragedy,” Wentworth said.

“Because most college students are 18, 19 or 20 years old, and because only Texans who are 21 years of age or older may be licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Texas, very few college students would be eligible to carry a weapon on campus.  Texans licensed to carry have been trained and have received a thorough background check before being allowed to carry a concealed handgun.  Only honorably discharged or active duty military may be licensed to carry a handgun without regard to age,” said Wentworth.

Since Senator Wentworth announced his intention to file a bill that would allow persons who are licensed to carry a handgun to do so on a college campus, 10 of the 31 Texas state senators have signed on as co-authors: Senators Robert Deuell, Kevin Eltife, Craig Estes, Troy Fraser, Chris Harris, Glenn Hegar, Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Eddie Lucio, Dan Patrick and Tommy Williams.

Representative Joe Driver has filed House Bill 1893 in the Texas House of Representatives, which is identical to SB 1164, and nearly one-third of the House has indicated to Rep. Driver that they support the bill.

“Each time the Texas Legislature considers any concealed handgun bill, opponents claim that the bill’s passage will return Texas to the wild, wild west,” said Wentworth.  “Although sincere, their concerns have not proven to be correct.  Texans licensed to carry concealed handguns are very law-abiding.  Out of 73,090 licenses issued in fiscal year 2008, only 348 were revoked for any reason.

“In addition, only 5,317 or 4.5 percent of Texans licensed in fiscal year 2008 were age 21-25, the age group who could both be licensed and most likely to be in college.  If you factor in the number of licensees who are not in college along with the age requirement of 21 years, as well as the number of university and college campuses in Texas, it is clear that our state’s institutions of higher education would not be filled with gun-toting students,” Wentworth concluded.  “In fact, they would be able to protect themselves from the murderous acts of people who are mentally deranged.”

“We have been successful in raising the money,” Cohen said.  “The 1.9 million Texans who are victims of sexual assault could be greatly helped by the $11 million currently collected under this fee.  This bill will move us closer to fully addressing sexual assault in Texas.”

Primarily, HB 2070 addresses constitutional concerns with two modifications from the original legislation.  First, the new bill eliminates a spending provision that previously directed funds to indigent healthcare and will now dedicate all revenue collected to the Sexual Assault Program Fund 5010.  Secondly, the fee assessed on certain sexually-oriented businesses would be lowered from $5 to $3 per patron.

Using all funds generated by the Adult Entertainment Fee directly for sexual assault programs will provide an estimated $18 million per year for the fund.  This amount will allow for a comprehensive approach to address sexual assault issues in Texas, including research, prevention, response and sex offender management and treatment.

“In the end, the focus must remain on the victim survivors and providing them with the resources they need,” Cohen said. “As a Legislator, I will continue to work with members of both parties to bring support to those who need it most.  I am confident that my fellow Legislators will, as always, vote with their districts in mind and support the thousands of women, children and men who are survivors of sexual assault.”

“As a freshman legislator, the research provided by LSG was an invaluable resource when evaluating a bill’s merit,” said Representative Valinda Bolton. “I’m honored to serve as Vice Chair this year and to continue working toward good public policies that serve all Texans.”

Returning as unanimously reelected officers are Representative Garnet Coleman as Chair, Representative Elliott Naishtat as Treasurer, Representative Lon Burnam as the second Vice Chair, Representative Dora Olivo as Legal Counsel and Representative Rafael Anchía as Secretary.

Representative Coleman stated, “Our goal is to foster sound public policy that benefits all Texas families. The board’s strong leadership will ensure that state government develops mainstream solutions to the challenges facing the state of Texas.  Representative Bolton’s leadership skills and insight will be invaluable to caucus members.”

The LSG board consists of Representative Roberto Alonzo, Representative David Farabee, Representative Pete Gallego, Representative Terri Hodge, Representative Scott Hochberg, Representative Eddie Rodriguez, Representative Mike Villarreal, and Representative Abel Herrero.  Ex-Oficio non-voting members of the board are freshman representative Marisa Marquez as well as the chairs of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus and the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, Representative Trey Martinez Fischer and Representative Sylvester Turner, respectively.

The nonpartisan LSG is an official caucus of the Texas House of Representatives.  The membership consists of dozens of members dedicated to advancing mainstream solutions to the issues facing Texas families.  To view the complete list of members, please visit the LSG website at http://www.TexasLSG.org.

Established in 1995, the LSG has worked to ensure that all caucus members have the necessary information to promote the best public policy for all Texas families.

“We gathered at the Capitol because we value the independent spirit of all to make their way in the world - to be given every chance to take advantage of the opportunities afforded us without discrimination,” said Paul Scott, Equality Texas executive director.  ”We gathered in unprecedented numbers in response to a call that has gone out across Texas and the country - a call that more and more Texans are answering - the call for each and every one of us to be treated with dignity and respect.”

By the end of the day on Monday, the bills in Equality Texas’ legislative agenda had picked up two (2) additional joint authors, four (4) co-authors, and a hate crimes study bill was scheduled for a public hearing on Wednesday.

House Bill 616, by Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth, would call for a study of the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act, which was enacted in 2001.  Since passage of the Byrd Act, there have been over 1,800 crimes of bias and prejudice reported in the DPS Crime Report, however there have been only nine (9) prosecutions under the Byrd Act.  The study would seek to identify barriers to prosecution and enhancements that would enable the Act to live up to its original intent.  Rep. Veasey’s bill, which is a part of Equality Texas’ legislative agenda, is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence on Wednesday, March 4th.  Equality Texas is continuing its lobbying and advocacy efforts in support of the bill.

Lobby Day participants represented constituents from 85 House Districts across the state. They included Texans from the major metropolitan areas of Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, as well as constituents from across the state including Abilene, Amarillo, Tyler, Huntsville, Bryan/College Station, Killeen, Waco, Corpus Christi, Pharr, McAllen, and more.

(Left to right): Elaine Laroa, Jesse Garcia, Venton Jones, Kaye Gooch, Wednesday Jackson, and Omar Narvaez.

The Tuition Revenue Bond (TRB) requests would be used to bring the University’s College of Health Professions from San Marcos to Round Rock. The funds would help construct two buildings at the Round Rock Higher Education Center in Williamson County.

“I am proud that the Texas State University System is working to greatly expand their presence in Williamson County,” Maldonado said. “These two bills would provide new opportunities to high school graduates and help to train a new generation of health professionals which Texas so desperately needs.”

House Bill 1602 would be used to build a 10,000 square foot facility that will house a research lab, a simulation lab, a conference room, and study areas for students. The building will house four departments of the College of Health Professionals: Communications Disorders (CDIS), Physical Therapy (PT), Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS), and Respiratory Care (RC).

House Bill 1603 will provide funding to build another building that would house the Center for Health Professions network, and advising center, faculty offices and 19 classrooms and seminar rooms. The building will also contain three departments of the College: Radiation Therapy (RT), Health Administration (HA), and Health Information Management (HIM).

“This legislation will not only help Texas State’s Round Rock campus continue to grow, but it will ensure that we have an educated, trained and skilled workforce entering our marketplace,” said Dr. Edna Rehbein, Director of the Texas State Round Rock Higher Education Center. “Texas State greatly appreciates Representative Maldonado’s dedication toward higher education as well as the economic development that these projects will bring to the region, and we look forward to working with her on this and future projects.”

TRB’s were first authorized by the Texas State Legislature in 1971. They can be used to purchase or construct property for state colleges or universities.

HJR 67 and HB 1546 would allow a local option election to decrease appraisal caps in Montgomery County. Voters in the county would have the option of lowering average annual increases as low as 3% for homestead residences.

“This bill provides local control over an important issue and gives citizens more say in the appraisal process,” said Creighton. “I am convinced that Montgomery County citizens need to have this option in order to see real and permanent property tax relief.”

Creighton also filed HB 1547, which would require appraisal districts to post on their website an explanation, in plain language, of the methods they use to appraise residential property. They must also indicate which method is used most frequently in the district.

“The goal of this legislation is to give taxpayers a better understanding of how their home’s value was reached,” said Creighton. “Homeowners deserve to have an explanation of the process, and it will better prepare them if they choose to go through the appeals process.”

The final bill, HB 1548, allows counties to set requirements for the board of directors of appraisal districts. If a county chooses, they can require that the board be elected officials of taxing entities within the appraisal district, such as city councilmen or school board members.

“This measure will allow the public more oversight of the board by making directors responsible to voters,” said Creighton. “Montgomery County already voluntarily uses this practice, but this legislation will allow counties around the state to ensure that future boards have improved public oversight.”

Creighton says meaningful appraisal reform is a priority of his so that taxpayers see relief from constantly rising property tax bills.

“True tax relief will not be seen until we have more transparency and public oversight in the appraisal process as well,” said Creighton.

Almost two years ago, TYC and its employees faced allegations of improprieties, including physical and sexual abuse of juveniles by TYC personnel and by other TYC juveniles. It is an agency that obviously is in need of reform. The Sunset Advisory Commission suggested merging TYC and TJPC. TJPC serves about 95% of the youth who are in the system with services ranging from home supervision to confinement, while TYC serves only 5% of the youth, committed on county decisions, primarily in secure facilities, according to the Sunset Advisory Commission report. Because of the number of youth that may be affected by this merger, Representative McClendon voted against the consolidation during the Sunset review process. She believes there needs to be further analysis of this SAC decision. Also, the appropriations for the TYC are derived from state funding, whereas the TJPC juvenile programs are funded primarily by local government with a small portion funded by the state. The TJPC agency operations are funded by state resources.

Commenting upon her role in carrying the Bills for the TYC, TYC Ombudsman, and TJPC, Representative McClendon said, “The participation during the hearing process from members and stakeholders brought forth many suggested changes. I do hope that once again the Legislators and stakeholders will come together to structure Bills upon which we all can agree.”

Representative McClendon serves as one of 12 members of the Sunset Advisory Commission: 5 Senators, 5 Representatives, and 2 public members. The SAC public hearings began in April of 2008, when the SAC began considering the legislative renewal of 27 state agencies and entities. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC), the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), the Texas Youth Commission (TYC), and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC) were just a few of those reviewed. Now that all 27 state agencies and entities have been reviewed, the Sunset Advisory Commission will be responsible for requesting drafts of a Bill for each agency or entity, based on the decisions made and voted on during the SAC hearing process. Each Bill is assigned to two Legislative members of the Sunset Advisory Commission, one to a Representative and to a Senator, to proceed with the hearings and debate in the House and Senate respectively. “This Interim year has proven to be one of the most exciting and busiest Interims I have ever experienced, due in large part to the magnitude of the important agencies under scrutiny by the Sunset Advisory Commission,” said the Representative.

Representative McClendon serves on the House Committees on Appropriations and Transportation. She also serves as Chair of the House Committee on Rules & Resolutions. In addition, she serves on the Sunset Advisory Commission, which oversees regular review of all agencies under the auspices of the State of Texas. This is her seventh term serving District 120 in the Texas House; prior to that, she served as a City Council Member in San Antonio and as a juvenile probation office director.

House Bill 1653 would offer registered builders in Texas the opportunity to acquire an option license and right to advertise themselves as “Licensed Builders,” a process similar to post-Board legal specialization certification. Licensed builders would be required to pay annual fees, maintain a certain level of capitalization, and pass an exam regarding homebuilding laws and ethics.

“Homebuilders and buyers could look to licensed builders, and know that they were dealing with someone who’d gone the extra mile to show his dedication to his clients. Licensed builders would be held to a higher standard, and through their good conduct would restore the faith of the people of Texas in their homebuilders,” Rep Veasey said.

House Bill 1405, which Rep. Veasey is a joint-author of alongside Rep. Charlie Geren (Fort Worth) would require landmen – agents who negotiate with property owners to acquire the mineral and gas rights held within their property – to be licensed by the State to operate in Texas. At present, no legal authority regulates the standards, practices of landmen, or even if the definition of who should or should not be considered a landman.

“The system we had in place served us well when most of our mineral, gas and oil exploration took place in the countryside, where one family might own hundreds of square acres of land. As exploration expands in cities, with residences much closer together, the potential for abuse and fraud is much greater. I hope that the many honest landmen working in Texas today would welcome the opportunity to be licensed, as a means of separating themselves from the unscrupulous folks who are soiling the name ‘landman.’ I am pleased to be working with Rep. Geren on this bill,” Rep. Veasey said.

The need to license landmen was brought to Rep. Veasey’s attention after conversations with his constituents, many of whom faced high pressure deals that they believed undervalued the rights related to their property, and the Rep.’s own experience when negotiating the rights related to his property.

“Preserving the Barnett Shale as a source of economic energy and growth for Tarrant County is of great concern to my constituents, and those of Rep. Geren. Establishing uniform, customer-friendly procedures will ensure the Barnett Shale, and other resources across Texas, can be appropriately monetized,” Rep. Veasey said.

State Representative Marc Veasey is serving his third term in the Texas House. He is a member of three committees: Environmental Regulation; Pensions, Investments and Financial Services; and Redistricting. Residents of District 95 are encouraged to contact Rep. Veasey at (817) 339-1430. He is available on Twitter as MarcVeasey.

“Currently, early voting hours vary significantly from week to week and from polling place to polling place,” Ortiz said. “This bill will standardize the hours at permanent locations and help people avoid confusion when they’re making plans to go vote.”

The bill requires that permanent early voting polling places remain open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. for the duration of early voting in counties with 100,000 or more people.

“During the entire first week of early voting during the November general election, the polls in some counties were only open until 5:00 p.m.” Ortiz said. “That left many Texans without the opportunity to go vote after work.”

Before filing the legislation, Ortiz consulted elections officials who conduct elections at the local level.

“As it stands, polling place hours vary from one week to the next,” said Nueces County Clerk Diana Barrera. “Rep. Ortiz’s legislation will eliminate voter confusion and help make sure more voters make it to the polls.”

Ortiz represents House District 33, which includes part of Nueces County and the City of Corpus Christi. Rep. Ortiz encourages constituents to contact his office on this or any issue of interest at (512) 463-0484, email him at district33.ortizjr@house.state.tx.us or visit the House of Representatives website at www.house.state.tx.us.

Will Krueger

Office of Rep. Solomon Ortiz, Jr.

(512) 463-0484

###

“The wonderful sense of community the City of Taylor fosters has led to its rapid growth in recent years,” Maldonado said. “Increasing economic development projects throughout House District 52 is a top priority of mine and I will continue to advocate for new businesses throughout the region. I was honored to work with the City Council and City Manager Jim Dunaway to come up with a solution to help expand Taylor’s parks and recreation, and ensure the city’s future prosperity.”

House Bill 1789 would allow Taylor to impose a municipal hotel occupancy tax that would be used solely to promote tourism within the city.

“The City of Taylor feels that the addition of this sales tax will greatly enhance the City’s abilities to expand and improve existing park facilities,” City Manager Jim Dunaway said. “We believe that the additional funding will help to dramatically increase our parks system, and will alleviate some of the future tax burden on our citizens. We are greatly appreciative of Representative Maldonado’s hard work to help us in our efforts, and we look forward to the bill moving through the legislative process.”

The revenue created from the hotel occupancy tax would be used for a variety of projects throughout the city. Some new plans include the construction of shade structures and an expansion of seating at the various venues, additional restrooms, and new fields and courts. The city will also consider expanding some of the hike-and-bike trails as well as updating several sport surfaces and their lighting structures.

Representative Fletcher said: “I am truly honored to be selected as a Chairman to this important subcommittee. With crimes that costs the United States more than $300 billion annually (According to the federal bureau of investigation) I believe with my background in the Office of the Inspector General of the Houston Police Department, I can give some valuable input to the state of Texas on these crimes that cost our state and the U.S. billions of dollars.”

The White Collar Crime Subcommittee will be examining criminal offenses that pertain to: antitrust violations, computer and internet fraud, credit card fraud, phone and telemarketing fraud, bankruptcy fraud, healthcare fraud, environmental law violations, insurance fraud, mail fraud, government fraud, tax evasion, financial fraud, securities fraud, insider trading, bribery, kickbacks, counterfeiting, public corruption, money laundering, embezzlement, economic espionage and trade secret theft.

Solomons’ constitutional amendment, HJR 76, would give citizen of Texas the right to vote on whether to prohibit foreclosures by homeowners’ associations on homesteads, whereas HB 1976, filed today, proposes sweeping reforms to the operation of homeowners’ associations, including requirements to allow homeowners access to all homeowners’ association records, meetings, and to fair and transparent elections. Solomons’ proposed changes also give homeowners powerful tools to enforce the law. “Many homeowners’ associations have abdicated their responsibilities to management companies and attorneys who can not be held accountable and use penalties and attorneys’ fees to harass and intimidate homeowners who question the use of their association dues or the arbitrary enforcement of rules or bylaws,” stated Solomons. In response, he has proposed changes that will give homeowners greater access to the courts to battle homeowners’ associations by providing court and attorney fees to homeowners if the homeowners’ associations fail to comply with statutory requirements, as well as granting the courts the authority to assess fines against the associations.

The proposed legislative changes also address a myriad of issues which have negatively impacted homeowners, including priority of payment and prohibiting bans of solar panels. Homeowners are monetarily disadvantaged by prohibitions of solar panels, the use of which could dramatically lower the energy consumption and costs to homeowners. “At a time when the entire nation is focusing on renewable energy and the reduction of negative impacts on our air quality” said Solomons, “it is beyond me why we allow homeowners’ associations to ban the right of individuals to generate their own electricity in a reliable, environmentally-friendly method.”

The bill also addresses the priority of payment issue. While homeowners’ associations are currently prohibited from foreclosing on a home for failure to pay fines or attorneys’ fees, many associations will redirect a homeowners’ payment of association dues to pay for those outstanding fines or fees, which leaves their dues in arrears. Under the law now, failure to pay dues is the only reason for which an association may foreclose on a home; thus redirecting payments allows a homeowners’ association to foreclose on homeowners who have made good faith efforts to stay current with their obligations.

Solomons offered major reforms to homeowners’ association laws last session, but they died on the last day of session. “It is estimated that there are over 20,000 homeowners’ associations in Texas impacting citizen throughout the state,” said Solomons. “While some are conscientious about their fiduciary duties to their neighbors, others tend to operate like little fiefdoms. This is a strong property rights state and I believe we should ensure that homeowners’ associations can not intimidate and harass Texans out of their homes.”