Better Than Fiction

Lots-o-drama unfolded last night as the Texas Legislature adjourned Sine Die. Key bills to continue the operations of several agencies such as the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Insurance failed to pass. Further, Senate Finance Chair Steve Ogden says TxDOT’s budget is “wrecked” as a result of the House not passing enabling legislation to allow the agency to issue $2 billion in bonds for critically needed road construction.

What does all this mean to Texans? Well, the jury is still out for some of these matters, but legislative leaders say there are mechanisms to handle most of these issues, and government will continue to function. Others say a special session will be needed to pull it all together.

Will Governor Perry call a special session? Only the governor can call a special and he probably can’t make that decision until the veto period is over, the fog clears, the guns cool down and a full picture of the legislative landscape comes into focus.

One thing is certain: Eminent domain reform is especially needed and a special session is the way to get it done.

TDA Sunset Bill Unanimously Passes in the House with Amendments

Senate Bill 1016, the Sunset Bill for the Texas Department of Agriculture, was unanimously passed by the full house Thursday. For TDA, this bill means the agency will continue to serve Texans for 12 more years. Nineteen amendments were considered on second reading Wednesday, with many being adopted. We are reading through each of the amendments to determine their impact on Texas agriculture.

I want to thank the dedicated house members who spent a considerable amount of time ensuring that Texas agriculture has the tools it needs for continued prosperity for the next 12 years. The bill will now head back to the Senate where members will determine if they will accept the House amendments, or move to go to conference committee. We will keep you posted.

81st Texas Legislature Enters Final Stretch

With a little more than 31 days left in the legislative session, much work remains.

The conference committee on Senate Bill 1, the general appropriations bill for the state’s operating budget, will begin meeting regularly on Monday, May 4 at 8 a.m. The Senate version of the state’s budget totaled $182.2 billion, and the House version totaled $177.4 billion. Much work will need to be done in order to reconcile the two versions.

Also, the Texas Department of Agriculture Sunset Bill is currently in the House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock. Every state agency goes through the Sunset process to update programs and policies to properly serve the public. Most issues have been worked out, and all stakeholders appear supportive of the provisions in the Sunset bill. I have been working with the members of the House Ag Committee, and I look forward to it moving forward soon.

This 81st session has proven to be interesting. To date 7,144 bills have been introduced, but as of April 30, only 10 have been passed and sent to the Governor.

Stay tuned, the final month of the 81st Legislature should be full of excitement.