Legislative Update
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Things are really picking up as we wrap-up week eight of the 86th Legislature. Below are some quick legislative highlights from the week including a few sneak peaks of what to expect the following week!
Property Tax Reform - This past Wednesday the House Committee on Ways & Means heard public testimony on House Bill 2 - a sweeping measure which would reform and strengthen taxpayer protections for Texas property owners. Members of the committee include Collin Countys very own - Representative Scott Sanford Representative Matt Shaheen & Representative Candy Noble. Our community is uniquely equipped with excellent representation on this critical committee and we are fortunate to have these taxpayer champions serving on our behalf.
School Finance - The Texas House has been hard at work crafting a school finance plan that reforms our antiquated system of school finance while significantly investing in public education and reining in our states flawed system of Robin Hood. You can expect the Texas House to lay out our school finance plan this Tuesday so be sure to stay tuned for updates!
Legislative Highlights - As a reminder next Friday March 8th is the bill filing deadline in both legislative chambers. Click here for a complete list of bills filed by my office thus far… you can expect more to be filed in the coming week. To that end I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a few bills that were working on - all based on valued feedback from our constituents in House District 67.
- House Bill 540 - This important legislation honors the life and legacy of Officer David Sherrard whose life ended tragically on February 7 2018 in the line of duty while responding to a disturbance call in the City of Richardson. Through private donations the bill would authorize the renaming of Highway 75 in Richardson the Officer David Sherrard Memorial Highway. It is my hope that this memorial will bring a sense of joy to his family and honor and pride to his fellow officers who continue to serve us faithfully and courageously each day. This bill is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Committee on Transportation this Wednesday March 6th.
- House Bill 1342 - As a former member of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence my passion for criminal justice reform remains strong. This is why I believe it is past time to pass House Bill 1342 into law. This commonsense measure enables certain Texans with non-violent criminal records an opportunity to gain meaningful employment and become productive members of society. For example four in ten Texans with an arrest or conviction face various obstacles returning to the workforce. House Bill 1342 would allow the state to grant an occupational license to individuals with a non-violent criminal record - so long as the license does not relate to the crime.
- House Bill 2527 - This transparency bill ensures that certain water districts in Texas conduct audio-visual recordings of their open meetings. Further it directs these districts to produce recordings online for public viewing. This bill would apply to the North Texas Municipal Water District and I believe it goes a long way to restore transparency for Collin County citizens.
District Spotlight!
What an honor it was to kickoff the week with countless students parents and
educators during PTA Rally Days at the Capitol! It was a joy to visit
with these bright talented students and discuss their legislative priorities
for public education. I also joined my legislative colleagues from the
Plano delegation - including Senator Paxton Representative Shaheen &
Representative Noble - to welcome Plano business and community leaders for
Plano Legislative Days.
