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Legislative Accomplishments in 2007

PASSED: HB 3430 to let the sun shine on government spending

I authored HB 3430 to create a “one stop shop” on the Internet where Texas taxpayers can find a detailed accounting of all state government expenditures. Besides making government more transparent to the people who pay for it, HB 3430 gives taxpayers the ability to identify and expose wasteful spending and encourage the government to direct funds to areas of greatest need. You can access the web site at: www.window.state.tx.us/wherethemoneygoes.

PASSED: Legislation helping military veterans attend college

Under the Hazelwood Act, veterans who have exhausted their federal GI Bill benefits are exempt from tuition and fees at Texas public colleges and universities up to 150 credit hours. However, with the cost of higher education continuing to rise, GI Bill benefits are not always adequate to cover a semester’s tuition and fees, especially for veterans in graduate school. I authored HB 1300, which passed as an amendment to SB 1640, to allow veterans to begin accessing their Hazelwood benefits concurrently, if their GI Bill benefits do not cover the entire cost of tuition and fees. This legislation was proposed by Tom Peterson, a former Marine and Iraq war veteran, who helped pass the legislation while working as a staff member in my office at the Capitol.

PASSED: Legislation strengthening the renewable energy industry in Texas

In 2005, the Texas Legislature passed a law - known as “Subsection (m)” - allowing utility companies to count the voluntary purchases of renewable energy by Texas consumers toward the utilities’ obligatory renewable energy purchases under state law. The effect of Subsection (m) was that Texas consumers who voluntarily chose to purchase renewable energy in an effort to be responsible global citizens were not actually increasing the production or consumption of renewable energy - they were merely reducing the obligation of the utility companies. I authored HB 1282, which passed as an amendment to HB 1090, to correct this problem so that responsible consumers can actually increase the amount of renewable energy and decrease the amount of pollution in Texas.

PASSED: Legislation providing incentives to capture and permanently sequester greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing domestic oil recovery

Because of our important and valuable status as the capital of the global oil and gas industry, Texas is unfortunately the nation’s leading emitter of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that leads to global warming. However, that same carbon dioxide which would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere can instead be captured and injected underground to enable oil companies to recover more oil from their existing wells - a win-win for the environment and the economy in Texas. I authored HB 3431, which passed as an amendment to HB 3732, to encourage Texas companies to capture and sequester their carbon dioxide, rather than pouring it into the atmosphere.

PASSED: Legislation to save taxpayer dollars and reduce pollution by using energy efficient light-bulbs in government buildings

Compact Fluorescent Light-bulbs (CFL) and Light Emitting Diodes (LED) are more energy efficient and last longer than traditional incandescent or halogen light-bulbs (they can save you money on your electricity bill at home too). I authored HB 2279, which passed as an amendment to HB 2693, to require building managers in state buildings, public schools, and higher education facilities to take advantage of these technologies to save money and reduce energy consumption.

PASSED: HB 3070 to enable consumers to shop for energy efficiency in the real estate market

When you shop for a car, you look at both the sticker prices and the estimated gas mileage to get a full picture of the total cost of owning the car. When you shop for a home, you know the sticker price, but you usually don’t know much about the energy efficiency of the home, which has a huge impact on the total cost of ownership. I authored HB 3070 to direct the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) to examine methods for introducing information into the marketplace about the energy efficiency of residential real estate.

PASSED: HB 416, the Restroom Access Act

This bill was proposed to me by a group of children in my district who suffer from medical conditions such as Crohn’s Disease, colitis, and Intestinal Bowel Disease (IBD). HB 416 allows customers in a retail establishment with no public restrooms to be given access to an employee-only restroom if they provide evidence that they suffer from certain medical conditions requiring urgent access to a restroom. I am very proud of the work these children have done in raising awareness of this issue and helping to pass this legislation.

LEGISLATIVE DISAPPOINTMENTS IN 2007 (OR, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR 2008-2009)

While I was very proud of the bills I helped pass last session, there were at least as many bills on which I worked equally hard that unfortunately failed to pass. Here is a list of bills on which I will continue to work in the coming year(s).

  • HB 1842, the Prevention First Act, would have addressed the problem of teen pregnancy in Texas (and the cycles of poverty it often creates) by promoting women’s health programs and pregnancy prevention.

  • HB 1574, the Toll Road Accountability Act, was a companion to Sen. Kirk Watson’s SB 668, and would have required much greater transparency and accountability in the operation of toll roads throughout Texas, ensuring that drivers get what they pay for.

  • HB 3519 would have provided employee associations in the Travis County Sheriff’s Office the ability to “meet and confer” with management during contract negotiations.

  • HB 110, the Campaign Fairness Act, would have placed comprehensive limits on contributions to - and expenditures by - political candidates.

  • HB 112 and HJR 22, the Redistricting Reform Act, would have taken the power of redistricting away from politicians and placed it in the hands of an independent citizens commission.

  • HB 2280 would have improved ballot access for independent and third party candidates for public office.

  • HB 2837 would have incentivized hospitals to fully disclose any adverse medical events to their patients.

  • HB 1299 would have required the State of Texas to subject itself to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), just as all local governments and businesses in Texas are subject to the ADA.

  • HB 2533 would have provided small businesses a tax deduction for contract labor costs under the new margins tax, a proposal strongly supported by the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

  • HB 344 would have adopted stronger pollution controls for new cars sold in Texas.

  • HB 2408 would have funded an ambitious program to provide every new teacher in Texas with an experienced mentor teacher.

  • HCR 143 would have created a Commission on Online Learning in Texas to bring to our public schools the productivity increases, efficiencies, and empowerment of new technology.

  • HB 2835 would have entirely rewritten Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code, which deals with student discipline, to address the issues of campus safety and classroom management that prevent many students from realizing their educational potential.