State Rep. Capriglione: State Budget Shortfall is Most Significant Issue

Team Maddie visits the Capitol and Texas Public Information Act Bills By State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas  As the 85th Legislative Session continues there are a handful of issues to watch. The most significant and overarching issue is the budget shortfall. In January Comptroller Glenn Hegar released a Biennial Revenue Estimate projecting an estimated $104.9 billion for state spending in the 2018-19 biennium. This is about $8 billion less than the $113 billion projected for general purpose spending in the 2016-17 biennium. Though Texas diverse economy is still on track to outpace national economic growth losses in oil gas and manufacturing had a lingering effect on Texas revenue stream making funding deficits more difficult to solve. One of the biggest concerns this session is the various issues with Child Protective Services such as lack of caseworkers high turnover and systemic failures leading to the death of children in the foster care system. In 2016 CPS was given $150 million in emergency funding for CPS special investigators and new caseworkers. With the acceptance of this funding CPS is required to release reports weekly regarding the number of at-risk children who havent been seen by CPS in more than 24 hours and release two more reports each month stating:

• The number of new hires
• Cases per staffer
• the progress of Open Investigations
• Turnover Rates
• Salary Rates and
• the number of people in training

Knowing this will help legislators understand how to address CPS permanent needs in the 85th Legislature. Committees Speaker Straus (right) recently released his list of committee assignments for the 85th Legislature. I was honored to learn I will be on the Appropriations General Investigating & Ethics Government Transparency & Operation (Vice Chair) and Local & Consent Calendars committees. Im also excited to have been selected as the Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Budget Transparency & Reform. I look forward to the challenge of funding this bienniums budget increasing government transparency and ethics and developing sound cybersecurity practices for the state. These committees are closely aligned with the broader issues I am working on this session and I am eager to get started. Important dates:

- March 10: 60-Day Bill Filing Deadline - May 29: Sine Die last day of 85th Regular Session - June 18: Post-Session 20-Day Deadline for Governor to Sign or Veto

Team Maddie Visits Texas Capitol On February 13 members of the grassroots advocacy organization Team Maddie visited the Texas Capitol to spread awareness of organ donation and the positive impact it has had on the Smith family. In fall 2016 Madeline Avery Smith received a life-changing double liver and kidney organ transplant due to the courageous sacrifice of an organ donors family. Maddie had battled Methyl Malonic Acidemia a rare metabolic disorder that doesnt allow her body to process proteins affecting brain development and leading to learning problems extreme fatigue seizures and vomiting. After years of hospital visits and learning that Maddie would need both a kidney and liver transplant the Smiths became desperate. And then Team Maddie was created. Trey and Jessica made Team Maddie t-shirts for their distance running community to wear in local races to encourage donor sign ups through drivers licenses. With so much need for organs by so many kids the Smiths decided they had to do something for Maddie and all the others waiting in line for a new life. Because of her double transplant Maddie now lives a full life as a healthy happy young girl. While over 30000 transplants are performed each year about 21 people die per day waiting for an organ transplant. In under 30 seconds you can go to DonateLifeTexas.Org to register as an organ donor. Through the simple step of registering to be an organ donor everyone has the power to potentially give children like Madeline hope for a longer healthier life. Spotlight on the Texas Public Information Act Bills: HB 792 HB 793 This session I have filed two bills in response to two Texas Supreme Court rulings which undermined the intent of the Public Information Act by keeping Texans from true transparency. Boeing v. Paxton (2015) greatly expanded the competitive bidding exception to the Public Information Act in two ways:

1. It allowed private entities to claim the exception; and
2. Allowed the exception to apply to final awarded contracts

HB 792 would undo this damage by limiting the competitive bidding exception to those cases when a governmental body demonstrates that the release of information would harm its interests in a particular competitive situation. Greater Houston Partnership v. Paxton (2015) redefined when publicly-supported private entities must comply with the Public Information Act by throwing out the 30 year old Kneeland test. HB 793 codifies the Kneeland test by mandating that a private entity must comply with the Public Information Act if it:

1. Receives public funds unless the funds are received pursuant to an arms-length contract for services;
2. Receives public funds under a contract that indicates a common purpose or creates an agency-type relationship with the public entity; or
3. Provides services traditionally provided by a governmental body.

State and local governments enter into thousands of contracts with private entities every year. These contracts which together are worth billions of dollars dictate what the taxpayers will pay what is received in return and who will reap the financial benefit. And now with these Texas Supreme Court rulings they can be kept hidden from those who are picking up the tab. Both of these bills aim to be as permissive as possible in favor of the citizens of Texas and restore the original intent of the Public Information Act. Taxpayers have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione was elected in 2012 and is serving his 2nd Term representing House District 98 encompassing all or part of Grapevine Colleyville Southlake Keller Westlake North Fort Worth & Haslet. He currently serves on the Appropriations Local & Consent and Investments & Financial Services Committees.