There is still a lot of work to do before we are able to adjourn Sine Die.
By State Rep. Lyle Larson
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Its hard to believe that there are
only some 26 days left in the 84th Legislative Session. Last week the House passed two bills
HB 31 and HB 32
that put
the $4.9 billion House Tax Relief Plan in motion.
HB 31 which passed unanimously
would result in the first sales tax cut in state history reducing the state sales tax rate from 6.25 to 5.95.
And HB 32 which will institute
a 25 decrease in the Business Franchise Tax passed by a vote of 115-29.
A sales tax reduction is permanent benefits all consumers and
shrinks the size of government and cant be eroded the way that property taxes can through appraisal increases.
Truth in Budgeting for State Park Funding
Since 1993 a portion of the sales tax revenue generated by sporting goods has been statutorily allocated to fund state park operations capital and local park grants. Unfortunately only a portion of this funding has been spent on parks and the rest has been kept in general revenue to be spent on items unrelated to parks.
HB 158 seeks to remedy this by ensuring 100 percent of sporting goods sales tax revenue collected will be used for parks and historical sites (94 to
Texas Parks & Wildlife and 6 to
Texas Historical Commission).
Many of the parks in our system are in dire need of maintenance and cost estimates for addressing deferred maintenance are as high as $607 million statewide. TPWD is currently unable to bring more than 47000
acres of land that have been donated or acquired into park inventory without additional funding.
Our state parks have a profound impact on every person who lives in or visits our great state and they are the most visible example of how the state takes care of its most iconic Texas institutions.
As our state continues to become more urbanized many young Texans are growing up in cities and the only opportunity they will have to experience nature and wildlife is through a visit to a state or local park. This bill helps restore integrity in the Legislatures budgeting process by using funding for its intended purpose.
Last week HB 158 passed the House by a vote of 138-1. The bill is now headed for the Senate. This marks the third session that weve filed this legislation and are elated that our hard work and determination has paid off in getting this bill through the House.
Addressing Texas Transportation Needs
For years transportation advocates have argued that states growing infrastructure needs should be addressed by establishing a dedicated funding source for highway construction and maintenance. It would take $5 billion per year in additional funding just to keep up with current traffic congestion levels
statewide.
Fortunately the Legislature worked hard this Session on a plan to create a dedicated funding source for our transportation needs.
The House approved SJR 5 last week which allows voters to constitutionally dedicate $3 billion a year of general sales tax revenues to build non-toll highways.
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2018 $3 billion in sales tax per year will be dedicated to transportation.
Basing funding on the sales tax instead of the sales tax on motor vehicles is a more inclusive approach because all users of transportation are contributing instead of just those who bought a car that year.
In addition to $3 billion 2 of all sales tax will go to transportation. This is expected to yield more than $500 million annually and would begin in Fiscal Year 2017.
SJR 5 will go before voters in November for approval.
Creating a Hydrovascular Network for Texas
Drought conditions have improved some in the last 3 years since the drought of 2011 but climatologists tell us that we should expect to continue experiencing drought into the foreseeable future. In the midst of the climate challenges we face our states population is growing rapidly greatly increasing the demand on our limited water resources.
With this knowledge it would be unconscionable to do nothing to combat the drought that afflicts our state. We must take action.
Having traveled across the state visiting groundwater districts river authorities and municipal water systems it has become clear that the greatest challenge we must combat when it comes to water planning is the Balkanization of our state based on arbitrary boundaries. To meet our ever-growing need is imperative that we begin working toward transporting water from the areas of the state that have an abundance of the resource to the water-insecure communities.
This is why
we filed House Bill 3298. This bill instructs
the Texas Water Development Board to study the viability of developing markets for water in Texas including the potential construction of a water grid within and across regions of the state. The study will result in the creation of a master plan for the most efficient conveyance of water throughout the state.
Critics of this bill have argued that we should instead study conservation strategies to tackle our water shortage. We know that conservation works. Conservation is one of the key strategies addressed in the State Water Plan but unfortunately conservation alone is not enough to meet our needs.
To secure Texas water future we need a blueprint for a hydrovascular network that aptly enables the sharing of water supplies between communities. That is what HB 3298 aims to accomplish.
Here is an op-ed about the need for a hydrovascular plan that appeared in the San Antonio Express-News. HB 3298 is up for a vote before the House on Thursday.
We look forward to pushing for its passage.
State Representative Lyle Larson was first elected to serve the citizens of House District 122 in 2010. While serving on the Bexar County Commissioners Court for 12 years Larson led efforts to save San Antonio taxpayers over $150 million by lowering tax rates 7 times during his time in office. He currently serves on the: Calendars; Culture Recreation & Tourism; General Investigating & Ethics; and the House Natural Resources Committees.
