April 4, 2019 - The Texas House has passed House Bill 3, the school finance overhaul bill with a historic vote of 148-1. It is headed to the Senate and we will continue to work to ensure school districts are funded equitably.
Here are five things happening at your Capitol this week:
March 28, 2019 - This week, I had the honor of recognizing Smokey the Bear on the Senate floor for his 75th anniversary of service. The Smokey the Bear program is the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. History.
Wildfire prevention is one of the most critical issues affecting our country, with 9 out of 10 wildfires caused by people. Smokey's message is as relevant and urgent today as it was in 1944, “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.”
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March 21, 2019 - While the Legislature has officially passed the 70th day, the halfway point of the session, most of the work is done in this last half of a long marathon.
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March 14, 2019 - March is always a busy month in the Capitol as many people make their way to Austin during spring break. We enjoy seeing everyone, but there is no spring break for legislators as committee agendas are full of potential legislation.
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March 7, 2019 - Friday, March 8th is a very important day at the Capitol as it is the bill filing deadline for the Legislature. Each legislative session is 140 days long and the 60th day is always the last day to submit bills. Over the remaining 80 days, bills will be discussed in committees and those that pass will be sent to the House and Senate floors.
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February 28, 2019 - Senate Finance workgroups were announced this week. I am grateful to Senator Jane Nelson for naming me Chair for the Article 6,7, and 8 workgroup. Over the next few weeks we will go through the budgets of agencies such as the Texas Agricultural Commission, Texas Railroad Commission, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and Texas Medical Board. This is the time we are able to make suggestions for additional items the agencies have requested to be added to the state's budget or to remove items.
February 21, 2019 - This week the Texas Forestry Association (TFA) was recognized at the Capitol. TFA is a nonprofit organization with a goal to advance forestry and enhance the state's forest resources. Covering 12 million acres, the forest area of East Texas has created more than 130,000 jobs, with a total economic impact of more than $30.3 billion dollars.
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February 14, 2019 - After four weeks of hearing from every agency in the State, the Senate Finance Committee has finished the first step towards finalizing the state's budget. We will now move into workgroups to work out the details.
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February 7, 2019 - We have made it through the first month of session. This week, Texas Association of Counties held their legislative day, and we were able to welcome Judges and County Commissioners from Senate District 3 to the Capitol.
January 24, 2019 - The third week of session has been a busy one, with the pace beginning to pick up. The fun is only beginning for this legislative session.
Here are five things happening at your Capitol this week: