It is imperative the voters of Texas have full confidence in the integrity of our Eelection process.
By State Rep. Larry Gonzales District 52
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Id like to provide you a summary of a few
pieces of legislation I have filed this session.
Public Education
As the husband of an educator and with two children in public schools a strong education system is very important to me. And given the current state of finances in Texas I want to do what I can to help administrators and teachers during a difficult time.
HB 1610
One of the first bills I filed was HB 1610 which would provide school districts the ability to immediately fire a teacher convicted of certain felonies. Convicted felons do not belong in our classrooms and the schools should not be weighed down with a lengthy and costly termination process.
HB 1632
This bill moves the required notification teachers must give a school district when they are resigning from their position from 45 days prior to a new school year to 60 days prior to a new school year. This bill does two things: (1) the extra 15 days will help mitigate the time constraints districts have to fill vacated positions before a new school year starts; and (2) serves as an earlier indication of opportunities for teachers looking for employment.
At a time when there is so much uncertainty with budget cuts any degree of certainty is much needed for all our education partners. This legislation was considered by the House Committee on Public Education this week and I am hopeful that it will be voted out of committee and sent to the full House for a vote.
HB 2378
Often called a peer review this bill allows for the evaluation of education administrators by the peers they supervise. (This bill is not a mandate but is permissive in language. School districts may adopt this policy if they so choose.)
In the bill teachers will evaluate their department chairs and department chairs will evaluate the Assistant Principals. We think it is a good idea for those who are closest to the everyday administrative decision makers to be able to provide input to their administrative leaders on their job performance.
This is already being done in Round Rock schools with much success and provides more accountability within the system.
Higher Education
House District 52 is blessed to have 8 colleges and universities within its boundaries. But with higher education having budget issues as well I hope that these bills will lessen the burden for families.
HB 3577
This bill corrects a problem within the education code that could disqualify students from receiving a Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG) simply because they qualify for a Texas Grant. Its important that students have the flexibility to apply for all grants for which they qualify instead of being restricted based on arbitrary standards.
HB 3578
This bill clarifies that Texas Public Educational Emergency Loans may be used to pay for text books and mandatory fees in addition to tuition payments. These are large expenses faced by students and should be included in this loan program.
HB 743 (Joint Author)
This bill says if a student attending a state institution of higher education on an international visa withdraws or drops their classes the institute must notify federal Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Retired Teachers HB 3542
Our retired teachers need our support so thats why I filed HB 3542 a bill to provide supplemental payments to retired teachers when the teacher retirement system (TRS) is actuarially sound and meets a certain rate of return for a given year.
I am working regularly with Larry Yawn of the Williamson County Retired Teachers Association Tim Lee of the Texas Retired Teachers Association and other representatives of TRS to provide a little extra financial support for our retired educators who have given so much to our families our kids and our communities. Their dedication to our youth should continue to be recognized.
Election Reform
Another issue of importance to me is the reform of our election system. The heart and soul of our Republic is the elections process. The election results determine our policy makers and their decisions affect our everyday lives.
It is imperative the voters of Texas have full confidence in the integrity of our elections process. In addition to being a co-sponsor of the Voter ID bill I have joint-authored numerous bills aimed at protecting the integrity of the voting process.
HB 2050 and HB 2053 relate to requirements for poll watchers and help ensure they serve as efficient players in the election process. HB 2057 and HB 2058 address criminal interference in elections and HB 2056 relates to notification of early voting locations.
While many of these bills may seem like very small changes to the election code they are all important steps toward assuring a fair and accurate election process in Texas.
And in closing...
The House debates the
Voter ID bill which will pass overwhelmingly. Click on the hyperlink to read the bill analysis. Also this week the committee process is in full swing and my colleagues and I will spend many many long nights debating hundreds of bills.
Our office always enjoys hearing from constituents and invites you to contact us on any issue of concern. We can be reached at 512-463-0670 or P.O. Box 2910 Austin Texas 78768. We are honored to be serving you the residents of District 52.
