At the close of his first session in Austin, State Representative Robert Miklos will host a series of town halls in each city in House District 101. Mesquite Mayor John Monaco will join Rep. Miklos on June 13, 2009 at 11:00am in the City Hall Council Chambers at 711 North Galloway Avenue in Mesquite. Also on June 13, Representative Miklos will in Balch Springs with Mayor Carrie Gordon in the City Council Chambers located at 3117 Hickory Tree Rd at 1:30pm.

The town hall meetings will provide District residents with an opportunity to discuss the 81st Texas Legislative Session, as well as hear Representative Miklos and their Mayor’s thoughts on current and possible future projects in the District.

“Representing the people of Mesquite, Balch Springs and Sunnyvale in Austin for these last five months has been an honor and a privilege. I am excited to get back home and continue to maintain a dialogue with the residents of District 101,” Representative Miklos said. “I look forward to an active discussion about the highlights of session and important measures that passed the legislature.”

Representative Miklos’ third town hall meeting of the series will be co-hosted with Sunnyvale Mayor David Byrd and Kelly Selman, TXDOT’s Regional Director of Transportation and Planning. It will be held on Saturday, June 27 at 1pm in Sunnyvale, location to follow. The panel will discuss transportation issues that arose during the session, and the expansion possibilities for the State Highway 190 toll road in Sunnyvale.

All three town halls are open to the public. For more information, residents are encouraged to contact Rep. Miklos’ District Office at 972-285-9270.

Turner Named “Freshman of the Year” by bi-partisan Veterans Caucus

State Representative Chris Turner ended his first legislative session with the passage of several significant measures aimed to aid Texas veterans, protect consumers and enhance economic development in House District 96.

AIDING TEXAS VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Turner passed several key measures to aid Texas veterans and their families:

Turner filed and passed legislation that will generate up to $14 million over the next two years to pay for critical services for Texas veterans. This measure, which establishes a dedicated lottery scratch-off game to benefit the Permanent Fund for Veterans Assistance, was a top legislative priority for leading veterans’ organizations.  Services that will be made possible with this bill include PTSD counseling, transportation assistance to VA health care facilities and job placement assistance.

Turner also passed legislation that will help ensure that our veterans and their family members are able to take full advantage of the educational benefits which they have earned by guaranteeing that there is a trained veteran’s aid specialist at every public Texas college and university.

Turner successfully passed legislation to allow state employees who take a leave of absence for military service to continue to accrue vacation and sick leave.

Finally, Turner’s measure to expand the Hazelwood college financial aid program to the spouses of service members who are killed or completely disabled as a result of their service is on its way to the Governor’s desk.

“With over 1.7 million veterans in Texas, I was honored to fight for our veterans to ensure that they receive the benefits they have earned and deserve,” said Turner. “With thousands of Texans fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we must do all we can to make sure that they will receive the help they need when they return home.”

As a result of Turner’s effective work on veterans’ issues, the bipartisan Veterans’ Caucus named Turner its “Freshman of the Year.”  “I am humbled to have received this tremendous honor from my colleagues, and I intend to keep fighting for Texas veterans and their families,” Turner said.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Another of Turner’s key accomplishments this session was authoring legislation requiring electric utility companies to provide their customers with written notice that their contract is close to expiring, giving consumers time to shop around and find a reasonable electric rate.  Turner passed his bill out of the House State Affairs Committee, but it was one of hundreds that was never scheduled for a vote on the House floor.

The legislation was ultimately passed as an amendment that Senator Wendy Davis added to another bill, and it will go a long way toward preventing huge, unexpected rate hikes on Texas families.

“For the past year, I have heard story after story of families’ residential utility bills doubling overnight as a result of a contract ending unexpectedly,” said Turner. “Texas families don’t need or deserve huge rate hikes, especially in tough economic times. The utility companies need to be upfront with their customers and let them know when their rates may go up and by how much.”

HELPING DISTRICT 96

Turner’s top priority during the 81st Legislative Session was to stay in touch and work hard for the constituents he represents. Prior to the beginning of session, Turner met with city and local leaders to discuss issues affecting them and how he could help.

As a result of one such meeting, Turner filed and passed HB 1300, which creates the Kennedale TownCenter. Aimed to improve and diversify the economic base in Kennedale, the city and the Kennedale Economic Development Corporation, will create a mixed use development that will house retail, professional offices and restaurants.

“The TownCenter will provide much needed economic development and business revenue to the city and reduce the tax burden on homeowners,” said Turner. “My top priority has been and always will be to serve and be responsive to our district, and I remain honored and humbled to represent the families of southern Tarrant County in the Texas Legislature.”

STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS TURNER’S LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS

• H.B. 1299 was amended to a Texas Veterans Commission bill, which passed on the last day of session. It will create one scratch off lottery ticket to provide and estimated $8 million annually for critical and emergency aid to our veterans through the Fund for Veterans Assistance.
• H.B. 995 passed the House Committee on State Affairs unanimously (15-0) and was later amended onto another House Bill. The legislation will require retail electric providers to give their customers at least 30 days written notice that their fixed price electric contract is expiring.
• H.B. 1300 will create the Kennedale TownCenter Development District. The district will create a mixed-use commercial facility and will help lessen the tax burden on Kennedale homeowners.
• H.B. 2396 will require sex offenders who claim to be homeless to register with their local law enforcement agency every 2 weeks.  The bill was combined with an identical piece of legislation during the committee process, which is now headed to Governor Perry.
• H.B. 1636 ensures that all state employees who are called to active military duty are able to continue to accrue their vacation and sick time and do not lose these benefits because they were deployed. The bill was the House companion to State Senator John Carona’s SB 833, which Turner sponsored in the House and has been sent to Governor Perry.
• H.B. 1637 adjusted the definition of the 40-hour work week as it pertains to the shared work unemployment compensation program making it possible for many of our large manufacturers and other employers who operate on swing shifts to take advantage of this state program. Turner passed this bill on the first day the House considered legislation.  The measure has been signed by Governor Perry.
• H.B. 3951 requires state colleges and universities ensure a professional in their financial aid office is familiar with and trained on the major educational benefits available to veterans — particularly the GI Bill and the Hazelwood Act. The bill passed the House and Senate and has been sent to Governor Perry.
• H.B. 3952 extends the Hazelwood Act to the spouses of Texas military members who are killed in the line of duty or left completely disabled. Turner amended the measure to SB 93 and will be soon sent to Governor Perry for signing.
• Turner added an amendment to H.B. 1935 which establishes the Jobs and Education for Texans Grant Program. The amendment will ensure that those organizations that have programs benefiting veterans will be given priority in the grants awarding process.
• Turner authored and passed out of the House legislation requiring computer technicians to report the discovery of child pornography to law enforcement.  This measure had strong support from law enforcement, but unfortunately the bill died in the Senate.

The 81st Legislative Session has come to a close, and the El Paso Legislative Delegation has passed vital bills that will strengthen infrastructure, education, criminal justice, and small business in the greater El Paso community.

The delegation has remained united in its legislative goals. Ultimately, members concur, the delegation has achieved success on several important platforms.

“Listening to real concerns back home, research before session, hard work during session and great staff make all the difference,” noted Senator Eliot Shapleigh.  “Each of these bills can make a real difference in the lives of every day El Pasoans.”

“I believe that the El Paso delegation did some really good work,” added Senator Carlos Uresti.  “El Paso’s voice was heard loud and clear during the 81st Legislative Session.”

Representative Joe Pickett said, “Besides the honor of Chairing the House Transportation Committee passing 118 bills out of over four hundred that were filed, finding and working on only those important ones affecting all aspects of transportation from transit, construction, air and rail initiatives. We received $100 million dollars in transportation stimulus monies.”

“I am excited to report that the move to close State MH Centers like ours on Delta Drive was stopped and there was also a doubling of crisis funding for local mental health services state wide to $162 million dollars,” add Rep. Pickett.

Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, took on a diverse agenda that included protection of elderly crime victims, measures important to combined law enforcement associations across the state, the most comprehensive motorcycle safety and education legislation, allowance of more students to enter the Joint Admissions Medical Program, a feasibility study of establishing a law school in the border region, and working with Rep. Moody, an amendment that would increase funding to school districts affected by BRAC.

“Despite a weakening economy and an evenly divided House of Representatives that impacted the debate of many pieces of legislation, the Delegation passed more legislation this session that benefits El Paso and the state than in previous sessions.” Rep Chavez said.  “Our delegation demonstrated broad-based leadership.”

In addition, Chavez worked to increase funds for the Skills Development Fund, a highly successful workforce training program, from $50 million to $80 million for the biennium.  The Skills Development Fund helps businesses by creating and financing customized job training programs in partnership with community colleges and technical colleges for new and existing jobs.

“On the Appropriations Subcommittee, I worked to add $20 million for job-training.” Rep. Chavez said.  “The final version of the budget added $30 million to the Skills Development Fund.”

Rep. Chente Quintanilla, D-El Paso, meanwhile, passed House Bill 4759, which codifies the creation of the Tornillo Municipal Management District, through the state legislature.  The bill is now headed to Governor Perry for his signature.

“This is a very important project that will create substantial job growth with a great potential for economic prosperity.  The purpose of this management district is to manage and develop the Tornillo Business Park,” Quintanilla said.  “The project will now be the catalyst for more economic development toward the city of El Paso instead of the development coming from El Paso.”

Quintanilla also passed HB 739 which defined for the first time the education requirements for agents who solicit and sell Medicare related products.  “This bill gives the commissioner of insurance the authority to hold agents responsible for knowledgeable solicitations,” said Quintanilla.  This is part of the joint by his office with the Texas Department of Insurance to reign in agents who improperly sold Medicare Advantage Plans.

Meanwhile, freshmen representatives Marquez and Moody hit the ground running, accomplishing much in their first legislative session.

“Our office has worked to improve tourism in El Paso by adding a budget directive through the Appropriations Committee. The measure should lead to the creation of a visitor center at Franklin Mountain State Park in the future,” said Rep. Joe Moody.

Furthermore, Rep. Moody stated, an included budget rider would ensure completion of this study by 2010, in time for the 82nd legislative session.

“We expect to move forward on the construction of a building that will be environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing. This project has the potential to increase revenue for the city and state, and will ensure that we continue to cherish the Franklin Mountains as a hallmark of El Paso,” Rep. Moody said.

Marquez worked closely with others in the delegation to successfully carry a bill allowing El Paso County to create an ethics commission with teeth–the first of its kind in the state. Another bill she passed allowed the county judge to delegate leadership to a county commissioner in the event that an emergency, such as the 2006 floods, occurred in his absence.

“I am so pleased to have been able to legislate effectively this session. It gives me great confidence that even more can be done next session,” said Marquez. “We have a lot to do, but our community has benefitted this session from all of our hard work.”

Governor Rick Perry does still have the opportunity to veto any bill, but he has not indicated that any El Paso legislation will be a victim of that power.