Dan Flynn State Representative District 2
Texas Governor Rick Perry called a special session of the 81st Texas Legislature to begin July 1 2009. The members are to take on the challenge necessary to address legislation to help meet Texas expanding infrastructure demands and ensure proper legislative review of the bureaucracy.
My pledge is always to keep the legislation clean and positive for the people of Texas. I will only support measures that will offer the best options for funding roads in Texas that are fair to the hardworking taxpayers. It will be necessary to ensure any bills passed will meet the fiscally-conservative principals for transportation funding.
It was necessary for the Governor to call this Special Session due to the delaying tactics used to keep Voter ID from being debated and voted on during the Regular Session.
The stalling and consideration of crucial matters in addition to Voter ID kept very important transportation bills from being heard that was crucial to Texas ability to fund transportation projects and to achieved a statutory requirement that each state agency be given a Sunset or review date.
While it is frustrating to be back in Austin when we could have easily heard and voted on these bills during the regular session it is my intention to support these issues so long as they remain fiscally responsible.
The House Calendars Committee met and set HB 1 (transportation bonding) and HB 2 (Sunset review scheduling) for major state calendar tomorrow. The plan will be to ask for a suspension of the rules to take up both bills tomorrow morning and not have to wait the usual 24-hour layout period before being able to debate and vote on the House Floor.
HB 1 is the enabling legislation for Proposition 12 the Constitutional Amendment approved by Texas voters in 2007. It passed and provided for up to $5 billion in general issuance bonds to be issued and sold for highway improvement. This enabling legislation is required in order for the state to move forward and issue these bonds. The bill as filed appears to meet the measures that will not permit the use of pension funds will not allow the use of taxpayer dollars for advertising for toll roads and does not remove the moratorium on the Trans-Texas Corridor.
HB 2 is the Sunset Schedule Bill which assigns state agencies a specific date for a vigorous review by the Sunset Commission. This safety net will include the bills that did not make it during the regular session because of the stalling tactics used.
A third bill
HB 3 the comprehensive development agreement (CDA) claims to ensure that if a road is developed by a private entity specific protections must be in place for Texas drivers and taxpayers. It speaks to concerns about private contracts including pre-negotiated purchase price if the state ever needs to terminate the contract early it includes a non-compete clause which under the old CDA model would require the state to compensate the private company for lost toll revenue if a competing public or private road is built nearby. This bill was left pending in the Calendars Committee.
It remains my pleasure and honor to represent all the people of House District 2. I continue to welcome your input and your questions. Feel free to contact me: P. O. Box 2910 Austin TX 78768. Email
District2.Flynn@house.state.tx.us. Toll free number 1-800-734-9515.
May God bless you and our great State of Texas.
