(SJR 43/SB 1182 -Huffines) - In the House, they did amend

HB 122 to restrict Texas Mobility Funds to non-toll roads, but FAILED to adopt an amendment to the budget by Rep. Jeff Leach to stop our state gas taxes from being used to build toll roads. This is DOUBLE TAXATION and uses up all our FREE road money to build toll roads! If tax money is used to build a road, it should be a FREEway not toll road! Stopping the flow of public money to toll roads will stop 99% of toll projects in the plan.

Passed full Senate TODAY:
SB 1184 (Huffines) Subjects Regional Mobility Authorities (toll authorities known as RMAs) to a forensic state audit.

NOTE: This was only passed AFTER the Dallas Morning News exposed the waste and abuses taking place inside RMAs in an expose' Friday.

SB 1812 (Kolkhorst) To compile an eminent domain database of all the entities in Texas that have the power of eminent domain. We can't start limiting the use of eminent domain until we know all the entities that have it and why.

SB 19 (Taylor, V.) - Ethics reform, effects taxpayer-funded lobbying. Watered down from original version, but better than what is on the books today. Passed week of April 27.

Passed full House:
SJR 5/SB 5 (Nichols/Phillips) - The House replaced the Senate's language that would dedicate $2.5 billion in vehicle sales tax to the State Highway Fund and would instead dedicate $3 billion in existing sales & use tax annually to the State Highway Fund for non-toll roads only. The House version would expire in 10 years. The Senate version is a more permanent solution to road funding.

HB 565 (Burkett) - To strip private toll corporations of eminent domain authority.

HB 2612 (Pickett) - To study the elimination of toll roads.


Passed full house:
SB 709 (Fraser)(Morrison - House sponsor) - This is a bill that threatens property rights. It makes it harder for landowners to get a contested case hearing. Developers are dumping treated sewage onto neighboring landowners, who then seek to have their case heard before the TCEQ. All affected landowners should have the ability to have a contested case hearing by an administrative law judge (a third party). This bill makes that process harder, which means more landowners' property rights will be infringed.

Pulled from House Transportation Committee meeting agenda:
HB 3899 (Rodriguez) - To hand I-35 in Travis County to a private toll operator in a 50 year sweetheart deal known as a Comprehensive Development Agreement or CDA (also called a public private partnership or P3). This assures I-35 will be tolled.

Thank you to the Austinites who turned out to register AGAINST this bad bill.

Passed full House:
Amendment by Tinderholt - To require a vote of the MPO Board before MPO staffers could agree to changes in each region's funding allocations. Leadership asked him to pull it down saying it wasn't germane, when the amendment actually cited an exact section of the bill (which makes it extremely germane).

Amendment by Rinaldi - Would have prioritized our gas taxes to go to non-toll roads over toll roads. It was voted down by a vote of 107-28!

Amendment by Stickland - To remove language to require local funds/leveraging to get priority for road funding. It was voted down by a vote of 131-10!

 
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEES NOT MEETING!
The Senate Transportation Committee Chair, Robert Nichols, and House Transportation Committee Chair Joe Pickett don't think any of our reform bills or the many bills coming over from the other chamber are worthy of being heard or voted out, so they're just not meeting this week.

HB 1324 (Israel) - Would establish a bus-only lane pilot program in Austin, El Paso, Ft. Worth, and San Antonio. On the Major State Calendar and eligible for a vote on Wednesday.

Contact your Texas State Representative and ask them to vote 'No'!

Find out who represents you here.