Representative Johnson's Bills Await Governor's Signature

In his first legislative session, Representative Johnson came to Austin to address the challenges facing the residents of District 100. He began his work early, filing several bills in November of 2010, months before the House convened this January. As a freshman, he worked diligently to pass legislation that is important to the people of District 100, and his hard work has brought results.  Representative Johnson currently has two bills on the Governor's desk awaiting Governor Rick Perry's signature to become law.

House Bill 184 was passed unanimously by both the Texas House and Senate. When a vacancy occurs in the Legislature and a special election to fill the vacancy is uncontested, the seat can unnecessarily remain vacant for weeks or even months, depriving Texans of the representation they deserve.  House Bill 184 will ensure that the sole candidate is sworn in quickly so that legislative districts go without representation for as short a period as possible. 

House Bill 1106 will ensure that defendants sentenced to deferred adjudication are aware of their rights under Texas law.  Many mistakenly believe that completing deferred adjudication will result in a person having a clean criminal record.  While a conviction will not appear on such a person's criminal record, the deferred adjudication still remains. Having this deferred adjudication visible often makes it difficult for people to find employment and housing as they try to get their lives back on the right track. 

In many cases, Texans can limit who can see the deferred adjudication on their record through an order of nondisclosure.  House Bill 1106 requires a court to inform defendants receiving deferred adjudication of their right, if eligible, to seek an order of nondisclosure, both at the time they are placed on deferred adjudication as well as upon their successful completion of deferred adjudication.

Rev. M.L. Curry Serves as House Pastor of the Day 

The Rev. Dr. M.L. Curry of the New St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, located in the West Dallas portion of District 100, delivered the invocation in the Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 18th and served as the House's "Pastor of the Day."  Representative Johnson was honored to introduce Reverend Curry on the floor of the Texas House.   

Reverend Curry and Representative Johnson on the steps of the Texas Capitol.

Working to Rein in Payday Lending Abuses  

During the 82nd Texas Legislature, Representative Johnson and other members of the Texas House and Senate sought to rein in predatory payday and auto title loans that carry interest rates upwards of 500% APR.  He filed House Bill 1323, which aimed to close the loophole in the Texas Finance Code that allows these lenders to charge such exorbitant interest rates that have trapped many low-income Texans in a cycle of debt.  When this bill had a hearing in late March, over forty people from across the state showed up in support.

In addition to filing legislation, Representative Johnson and Senator Royce West sent a letter to Mayor Dwaine Caraway and the Dallas City Council in early March urging the City of Dallas to enact zoning restrictions pertaining to payday and auto title lenders.  On May 25th, the City Council adopted an ordinance that would prevent a payday lender from operating within 1,500 feet of another payday lender.  Representative Johnson looks forward to returning to Austin next session to again work to address  his constituents' concerns about payday lending.

Providing Leadership on Higher Education   

One of Representative Johnson's top priorities is making quality higher education accessible and affordable for Texas' working families who currently face skyrocketing tuition and fees at the state's public universities and colleges. He strongly believes that producing more college graduates is critical to increasing economic development and improving the quality of life in District 100 and across Texas. 

In the 82nd Texas Legislature, Representative Johnson served on the House Committee on Higher Education, which was a topic of much interest throughout the session.  In light of the state's unprecedented budget shortfall, our state's public colleges and universities faced severe scrutiny and significant cuts.  Some of the most painful cuts were those proposed to state financial aid for low-income students. The TEXAS Grants program, which is the largest source of aid for students from underprivileged backgrounds, will only be able serve 33,100 of the 53,000 graduating high school seniors who are eligible.  Representative Johnson strongly opposed the state's budget in large part because it may force so many of these hardworking students to defer their plans to attend college.

Representative Johnson's hard work on the Higher Education Committee led Speaker Joe Straus to appoint him to serve as the only freshman legislator on the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence, and Transparency.  This committee, composed of six Representatives and six Senators, is responsible for overseeing the governing boards of the state's institutions of higher learning and ensuring that their policy decisions are made transparently and follow best practices.  Representative Johnson believes that to ensure quality college education is available to working Texas families the governing boards of our colleges and universities must be held accountable for the policies they implement.

Representative Johnson to Co-Host Job Fair in June   

Representative Johnsonwill be co-sponsoring the Re-Employing Dallas & Fort Worth Job Fair and Career Symposium with the Urban League of Greater Dallas & North Central Texas on Thursday June 23, 2011 from 9:30AM to 2:30PM. Representatives from over 50 companies in high demand industries including information technology, engineering, healthcare, and education will showcase job and career opportunities. The event will take place at the Texas Discovery Gardens in Fair Park located at 3601 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. 

The job fair is the second in an ongoing series of events that Representative Johnson will be hosting related to job creation and economic development in District 100.  Last year, he hosted a small business summit where district business owners met with representatives from several community organizations and government agencies who provided them with information of how to access capital to grow their small businesses.

Congresswoman Johnson's 

Youth Summit and Diversity Dialogue 

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson is now accepting applications for the 5th Annual Youth Summit and Diversity Dialogue (YSDD) that she will host on the campus of Southern Methodist University on August 9, 2011.

YSDD is intended for motivated Dallas-area youth who are between the ages of 13 and 17. The objective of YSDD is to inspire our youth to increase their cultural self-awareness and to promote mutual understanding within their communities. YSDD will serve as an academic torch that each student can take back to his or her community to spread knowledge and apply the lessons he or she will learn.

Guidelines for the application process are detailed within the attached application packet. Students must be between the ages of thirteen and seventeen to apply. Two letters of recommendation are required.  No late or incomplete applications will be accepted after the June 30, 2011 deadline.