By State Rep. Charlie Howard Distric 26
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas As the legislature continues its business each week it is my hope that these updates keep you informed on all the things affecting Ft. Bend County & the state of Texas. It was truly a remarkable & historic day in Texas when the House passed the Sonogram Bill to protect the unborn.
The Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 15 which provides every mother considering an abortion the opportunity to see the actual sonogram and review it with her doctor before making her decision. This will ensure that all women who are pregnant in Texas will have the opportunity to make informed decisions. I could not be more proud of the vote that we took yesterday.
Several democrats attempted to water down Rep. Sid Millers bill with amendments but Republicans stood united and stayed the course defeating each amendment.
We have an ethical obligation to protect the unborn in Texas and enabling future mothers to make informed decisions will lead to just that.
Rep. Howard Sponsors House Bill 198 to Save State Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
Each year the state of Texas enters into several multi-million dollar contracts with private entities. While I wholeheartedly believe that privatization works we must provide our state agencies the appropriate tools to enter into contracts efficiently. It is because of this that I sponsored Rep. Tan Parkers House Bill 198.
House Bill 198 seeks to save the state millions of dollars by permitting state agencies with the approval of the Comptroller to assign a private procurement specialist to work with the agency in procuring contracts of 10 million dollars or more. With a specialist our state has the potential to save
a percentage every time it enters into a $10 million plus contract. Texas would be able to utilize these saved dollars for other needs such as public school finance property tax relief or other services.
House Bill 198 directs Texas to be a good steward with taxpayer dollars and equips the state with the tools needed to operate a world-class procurement function. I will continue to support measures such as this that give Texans the most for their money.
Rep. Howard Fights to Minimize Abuse in Texas Legal System
Texas currently has a problem with illegal immigrants who commit a felony offense jump bail and return to their country. Multiple examples exist of this abuse in our legal system and it is essential that Texas use common sense solutions to solve this problem.
This week the House Committee on State Affairs held a hearing on a bill I filed House Bill 875 addressing this very issue. House Bill 875 requires law enforcement officers to check an offenders immigration status after he or she has been arrested for a state jail felony or an intoxication offense.
After retrieving the information House Bill 875 requires the law enforcement officer to relay that information to the judge who in turn decides whether or not to grant the alleged offender bail. If the alleged offender is found to be in the United States illegally the judge is able to consider he or she a flight risk and therefore deny them bail.
House Bill 875 is just one small step that our state must take to improve the safety of our communities and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our legal system.
