Sen. Lois Kolkhorst spoke to Texans over lunch about the need for toll reform. She brought down the house!

Good Guy legislators Senator Bob Hall, Senator Don Huffines, Senator Lois Kolkhorst, Rep. Jeff Leach, Rep. Matt Shaheen, Rep. Jonathan Stickland, and Rep. Molly White joined us for Toll-free Texas Day events. We were delighted the Chair of the House Transportation Committee Rep. Joe Pickett also visited with us during the Q & A with lawmakers in the afternoon.



Governor Greg Abbott's staff called late Friday and canceled his appearance. Lt Governor Dan Patrick had tentatively agreed to join us for the press conference, and then backed out within a few hours of the Governor. So despite the two leaders who campaigned against toll roads not participating in Toll-free Texas Day at the Capitol, we had over 100 concerned citizens travel to Austin to unveil our grassroots reform package, interact with lawmakers, and personally hand deliver our legislative agenda, top action items, and Toll-free Texas Bill List to EVERY single lawmaker, including the Speaker, Lt. Governor, and Governor.



Our group was recognized from both the House and Senate floor (so they got to see us face-to-face) and our Toll-free Texas press conference was a stunning success. The press coverage we received was absolutely FANTASTIC and exceeded even our highest expectations! Every major news outlet - print, radio, and TV - was represented and gave us great media coverage. With your help, Toll-free Texas Day emphasized, once again, the public's expectation that we've closed the chapter on toll roads, and we expect lawmakers to properly fund the state highway system with existing taxes and end the march of toll roads.

READ ABOUT TOLL-FREE TEXAS DAY HERE.

SEE OUR COMPLETE TOLL-FREE TEXAS BILL LIST HERE.

Please contact Rep. Burkett's colleagues on the House Transportation Committee members TODAY and ask them to:

Calls are best, but at a minimum, email the House Transportation Committee (linked below).

HB 565 - To strip private toll corporations of their eminent domain authority and stop corporate toll roads from connecting to the state highway system. This would remove the ability of grandfathered private toll companies to exercise eminent domain for their private, for-profit toll roads, like the controversial Blacklands/Northeast Gateway toll project east of Dallas.

HB 572 - To subject the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) to sunset review. The NTTA is currently under investigation by the FBI for conflicts of interests with land deals by a board member. This is the same toll authority that jet-set to Austria on taxpayer dime ($7,000 a ticket) and was caught sight-seeing instead of attending the toll convention there. They also abuse taxpayers by keeping the toll in place even after a road is paid for using 'system financing' (they keep the toll in place to use those revenues to finance expansion of their 'system'), and they've increased toll rates as much as 32% in one jump. Like TxDOT, it, too, has had toll billing scandals with erroneous bills subjecting motorists to having their cars impounded and vehicle registration blocked. The NTTA needs a sunset review NOW!

HB 528 - To subject the Regional Mobility Authorities or RMAs (another type of tollway authority) to sunset review. These toll agencies habitually abuse taxpayers with taxpayer-funded lobbyists and PR campaigns to get public buy-in on toll their projects, and even steering contracts to former board members! We want RMAs abolished entirely, but subjecting them to sunset review is a good first step!



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For the first time in a decade, we have MORE good bills (96) than bad bills (35). So we need to support our Good Guys for filing our bills, especially when the bills actually get set for a hearing by the leadership!



Fill out a card at the back of the room in support of SB 1184 by Sen. Don Huffines. Turn-in your Witness Registration Form to the clerk at the front of the room. Even if you don't want to testify, registering in favor of the bill will help it get out of committee. Unfortunately, we cannot get our support for a bill on the official record unless you're physically present in Austin when public testimony is open on the bill.



This bill would AUDIT the Regional Mobilities (RMAs). See the reasons why RMAs need to be audited above (under HB 528).