"I will regrettably be losing several communities that I've been so very proud to represent during my two terms as your State Representative, and acquiring those West of Cedar Creek Lake from House District 10.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – New district boundaries will be used for the first time during the primary, which will take place on March 1st. Early voting for the primaries begins February 14th and ends February 25th.
REDISTRICTING
Every ten years, Congressional and state electoral maps are required by law to be redrawn to account for population changes and growth. The Texas Legislature completed this obligation by passing:
- House Bill 1, which modifies the composition of districts for the Texas House of Representatives.
- Senate Bill 4, which modifies the composition of districts for the Texas Senate.
- Senate Bill 6, which modifies the composition of districts for members of the United States House of Representatives from the State of Texas.
- Senate Bill 7, which modifies the composition of districts for the State Board of Education.
The final version of the newly drawn House District 4 has me retaining the entirety of Kaufman County and 61% of the residents of Henderson County. Unfortunately, I am disappointed to lose the eastern and southern portions of Henderson County in this process.
The House Redistricting Committee did keep communities of interest intact like those of the City of Athens and the communities that surround Cedar Creek Lake. All of the areas and communities I have lost in Henderson County will be absorbed by House District 8.
I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued confidence and support. As your voice in the Texas House of Representatives, I will always strive to represent my constituents' concerns and interests by providing personal service to you. My commitment is and will continue to be unyielding to both counties. Thanks again for the opportunity to serve and represent you in the Texas House.
NEW LAWS NOW IN EFFECT
As of the beginning of this year, 23 new state laws went into effect on January 1, 2022, most of which deal with certain tax requirements or tax exemptions. A few new laws of note include:
- House Bill 531 — requires landlords to provide notice to renters if the dwelling they are leasing lies within a 100-year floodplain or has flooded in the preceding five years before or at the execution of the lease;
- House Bill 2730 — makes improvements to the Landowner’s Bill of Rights and the eminent domain process;
- House Bill 3961 — requires long-term care facilities to post information about the office of the state long-term care ombudsman on their websites. The ombudsman advocates for resident rights and helps protect the quality of life and quality of care for residents;
- Senate Bill 794 — This law exempts homestead taxes for veterans who are 100% disabled;
- Senate Bill 911 — allows food service establishments that also hold mixed beverage permits to be classified as restaurants if alcohol sales are 60% or less of sales.
