I hope you had a fantastic Texas Independence Day!
Here at the Capitol we are only a few weeks away from the 60-day mark of the legislative session. That’s a pivotal moment, as it’s the point when the legislature can begin considering bills that fall outside of the emergency items set by the governor. That restriction on the timeline should change, and I’ve filed a constitutional amendment to do just that, but in the meantime, we have to work with the system we have.
Since we as lawmakers can’t use our time to vote on most legislation, we need to spend our time wisely in other ways. That includes working on and filing bills, meeting with constituents, policy stakeholders, and government officials, and building meaningful relationships with other lawmakers.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve met with constituents involved with a wide variety of organizations – the Texas Travel Alliance, the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, Brookshires, TXDOT, the Cherokee County Electric Co-op, and more. I’ve also had the opportunity to have frequent conversations with other elected officials on the priority legislation we’re working on, including Governor Greg Abbott.
Texas Policy Summit
In between working on legislation and meeting with constituent groups, I had the honor of participating on two different panels during the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s annual Texas Policy Summit.
First, I joined Senator Kevin Sparks on a panel to discuss the importance of rural Texas - focusing on infrastructure needs and cultural distinctions that drive our rural economies and which are necessary to draw the next generation back home. That same afternoon I participated on another panel focused on young conservatives and the future of the conservative movement. You can check out those and all of the panels from the policy summit here.
I’ve known the talented folks at TPPF for years, so it was a pleasure to join them for the fantastic event and represent East Texas conservative values.
Tyler and Smith County Earns Veteran-Friendly Designation
Back home, the City of Tyler and Smith County were recently recognized for their excellence in supporting our veterans. I’m proud of the men and women who put their lives on the line to serve our country, and I’m proud to live in a place that shares that value.
While I was not able to attend the ceremony celebrating the milestone of the designation from the East Texas Council of Governments, my district director, Jack Short, attended. You can read more about it here.
Working on Legislation
Ahead of the bill filing deadline just two weeks from now, we have filed legislation that strengthens public safety, defends our liberties, and sets up our state for long-term success.
Here’s 13 of the bills we’re championing this session:
Keeping Texas Safe
HB 1527 expands tuition exemptions for peace officers. Police in the state can already receive tuition exemptions, but that access is narrowly limited to certain degree programs. This would expand their opportunities to include other degrees helpful for modern policing.
HB 1582 increases the penalty for the sexual assault of children. This bill raises the minimum punishment for sexual assault of children 14 years and younger to 20 years in prison, putting it on the same level as it currently is for children 6 years and younger.
HB 2813 will clarify and tighten the victim notification requirements of scheduled court proceedings. Under current law, loose language leaves too much room for short notices to victims, not giving them the time needed to plan for hearings. This loophole needs to be fixed.
HB 3132 establishes reporting requirements for IVF embryos. The fertility industry is largely self-regulated, with little oversight. By keeping track of more metrics, we can provide better accountability and consumer protections for Texans who are trying to start new families.
Defending our Freedom
HJR 138 is a constitutional amendment prohibiting a carbon tax. By passing this amendment now, we are cementing Texas’ commitment to oil and gas, making it much more difficult to implement any California-type tax on our energy production.
HB 2952 abolishes the income cap for the cottage industry. Under current cottage food industry laws, independent bakers and farmers are restricted to earning $50,000 or below. If we want to promote local, healthy food and free market principles, we should eliminate the income cap.
HB 2953 increases access to farm fresh eggs. Locally raised eggs are in high demand by consumers, but “grading” eggs creates unnecessary barriers for farmers. To combat supply shortages and skyrocketing prices, we must allow small-scale-farmers to sell “ungraded” eggs to restaurants and retailers.
HB 3015 expands access to direct primary care (DPC) for teachers and state employees. DPC is a great way for patients to be proactive in maintaining good health instead of waiting for issues to arise. This legislation would allow DPC subscriptions to count toward the deductible for state employees who have healthcare insurance through ERS or TRS.
HB 3047 places all legislatively-produced media in the public domain. Under current law, legislative approval is required to use any legislatively produced media, including livestreams of the legislative chambers or committee hearings. This bill would place all media produced by the legislature with taxpayer dollars in the public domain, the same as media produced by the federal government.
Setting Texas up for Prosperity
HB 2899 tightens the core curriculum requirements at universities. Universities should ensure that students are receiving a holistic education–not simply taking cop-out classes for an ‘easy A’ or ones that promote anti-American ideologies like DEI.
HB 3225 requires public municipal libraries to remove sexually explicit material from sections for minors. This legislation would require libraries to restrict access of inappropriate books so that parents can protect their children.
HB 3394 streamlines the appointment of deputy constables. Under current law, constables must go through a cumbersome process to have deputy constables approved by a commissioners court. This bill would streamline the process, making it similar to the process for appointments of deputy sheriffs.
HJR 146 would permit the legislature to begin the regular order of business after the thirtieth day of the legislative session. This amendment would help speed up the legislative process by allowing the Texas Legislature to begin consideration of all legislation sooner in a regular session rather than the current 60-day limit.
Coming Up…
East Texas comes to Austin! Last night we informally kicked off the East Texas Chamber Delegation’s trip to the Capitol with a reception hosted by Tyler Junior College. Following a wonderful time of visiting with the folks from back home - in real Texas - we made our way to the Capitol for the infamous night tour of the Capitol (and more importantly - the dome!) with our State Senator Bryan Hughes. We look forward to the next two days of policy briefings and legislative updates with the East Texans who made the trip, and are very grateful for everyone who is sacrificing valuable time to be here in Austin.
In legislative news, we now have hearings scheduled for HB 2 and HB 3, the big public education funding and school choice bills. Those will take place on March 4 and March 11, respectively. After the Public Education Committee approves the bills, they’ll be sent to the Calendars Committee and then to the floor for a vote before the entire chamber.
On the committee front, we are holding our first two committee hearings this week, so expect news on that front in our next update. In the meantime, if you have ideas of how we can create more efficiencies in state government and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, please email our office at District6.Alders@house.texas.gov.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve.