Legislation Advocacy - The Week Ahead
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Big surprise with one great bill, HB 607, that we thought was dead but has now been voted favorably out of committee. Other good bills have either hit the House floor or are pending in the calendars committee. Continue to engage the legislators and make your voice heard. It is making a difference!
HB 760 Relating to State Board of Education oversight of regional education service center services and products concerning student curriculum.
- Status: No action taken in committee.
- Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
- Research: CSCOPE or C-SCAM?
- Comment: This legislation along with SB 1406, would shed the light of public scrutiny on the controversial CSCOPE curriculum.
- Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support.
SB 1029 Relating to a prohibition on converting a non-tolled state highway or segment of the state highway system to a toll project.
- Status: Left pending in committee.
- Recommendation: FOR
- Research: Non-Toll Solutions
- Comment: TX toll road policy is steals our treasure and freedom. Other good transportation bills.
- Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. Every email, call, letter and personal visit will help move this bill out of committee.
HB 3391 Relating to comprehensive development agreements of the Texas Department of Transportation or a regional mobility authority.
HB 14 Relating to the fiscal transparency and accountability of certain entities responsible for public money.
SB 14 Relating to the fiscal transparency and accountability of certain entities responsible for public money.
- Status: Left pending in subcommittee.
- Recommendation: FOR
- Research: Sunshine Week
- Comment: Taxpayers have a right to know how much local gov. debt they owe.
- Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. Every email, call, letter and personal visit makes a difference. Encourage your contacts to do the same. Let's move this bill forward!
HB 2301 Relating to requiring state contractors and governmental entities to participate in the federal electronic verification of work authorization program, or E-Verify...
- Status: Assigned to committee. No scheduled discussion.
- Recommendation: FOR
- Research: Proposed Immigration Laws
- Comment: Illegal immigrants cost cost Texas taxpayers billions of dollars every year
- Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. Also, contact authors to find out what they need to move this bill to a public hearing.
SB 1575 Relating to state savings through a taxpayer savings grant program.
- Status: Left pending in committee
- Recommendation: FOR
- Research: The Texas Taxpayer Savings Grant Program
- Comment: It's time has come. We advocated for this in the 82nd session but it never got traction. It will save money for taxpayers and improve children's education.
- Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. Encourage members to vote this bill out of committee.
SJR 4 Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to a person's freedom of religion.
- Status: Left pending in committee.
- Recommendation: FOR
- Research Updated: WHO is blocking the Religious Freedom Amendment?
- Comment: Our religious freedom is our most foundational freedom, enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution.
- Call to action: There was overwhelming grassroots support FOR this amendment at the public hearing. So, keep up the positive momentum and continue to contact committee members to voice your support to vote this out of committee.
HB 204 Relating to zero-based budgeting for certain entities...
- Status: Assigned to committee. No scheduled discussion.
- Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
- Research: Using Zero Based Budgeting in Texas
- Comment: It is time to start phasing it in gradually.
- Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support. It needs a public hearing!
HB 621 & 723 Relating to renewable energy subsidies
- Status: HB723 is left pending in committee. No hearing scheduled for HB 621.
- Recommendation: STRONGLY AGAINST
- Research: Setting the Record Straight on Renewable Energy Subsidies
- Comment: Renewable energy subsidies harm the Texas energy grid and consumers.
- Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your opposition. Keep your eye on these bills as they have strong support from the left and moderate republicans.
HB 1076 Relating to certain firearms, firearm accessories and firearm...
SB 2 Relating to charter schools and home-rule charter school districts.
- Status: Voted favorably out of House committee.
- Recommendation: FOR
- Comment: Will lift the cap on the creation of charter schools and create more choice.
- Additional Research: Lifting the cap on charters
- Call to action: Contact the calendars committee to schedule this bill for a floor vote.
HB 149 Relating to the Texas Liberty Preservation Act
- Status: Committee report sent to calendars committee.
- Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
- Research: National Defense Authorization Act of 2012
- Comment: Protection of 10th amendment. Challenge constitutionality of NDAA.
- Call to action: Continue to contact the calendars committee to schedule this bill for a floor vote.
HB 1568 Relating to funding under the Foundation School Program
HJR 48 Constitutional amendment for right to choose or not choose to purchase health insurance.
- Status: Strong support shown in pubic hearing. Left pending in committee.
- Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
- Research: Joint bill filed by Senator Campbell
- Comment: Good start at nullifying Obama Care
- Call to action: Continue to contact committee members to voice your support and to vote it favorably out of committee.
HB 607 Relating to the phaseout and repeal of the franchise tax.
- Status: Voted favorably out of committee!
- Recommendation: STRONGLY FOR
- Research: Fixing the Texas Magin Tax
- Comment: The franchise tax is more than a business income tax it's a revenue tax that punishes Texas businesses even if they loose money.
- Call to action: Contact the calendars committee to schedule this bill for a floor vote.
The Patriot Briefing will be sent out once a week preparing you for legislative action in the week ahead. We do not want to over burden you with emails, so ALERTS on changes, new research, comments, opinion and new items during the week will go out through our TWITTER feed @NRNPAC and our FACEBOOK page. To follow and like, click the links on the right hand side tool bar. Sign up and use the tools at Texas Legislature Online so you can read and follow bills and get alerts for upcoming committee meetings. Also, we can't catch everything, so if you see something you think needs attention, please contact us. NRN citizen lobbyist training videos for Legislation Advocacy. Sponsor our Citizens Impact Initiative and legislation advocacy. |