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- 1. State Senator Royce West (District 23) and Glenn Heights Mayor Leon Tate Saturday – March 29, 2014 Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School DeSoto, Texas
- 5. FY14-15 State Budget How is Texas Performing? FY14-15 Budgeted • $94,609,000,000 FY14-FY15 Adjusted Estimated Expenditures • $96,310,000,000 FY14-FY15 Estimated Revenues • $98,885,000,000 FY14-15 General Revenue ending balance – (est.) • $2,580,000,000 *All figures in General Revenue (GR)
- 6. PUBLIC SCHOOL Accountability HB5 - Aycock HB5 - Makes comprehensive and institutional changes to the focus and direction of public schools in Texas by reducing emphasis on standardized testing, providing curriculum-based options for college, technical and career education and establishes a new rating system for school districts. HB5 maintains academic rigor and accountability while lessening emphasis placed on End of Course examinations. The bill also reduces the number of graduation plans offered. HB5 – • Reduces the number of state mandated End of Course exams needed to graduate from 15 to 5. • Required End of Course exams will cover English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology and U.S. History. • Eliminates the requirement that End of Course tests count 15% of the final grade.
- 7. PUBLIC SCHOOL Accountability HB5 - Aycock (continued) • Allows students and parents to tailor studies conducive to their interests and take courses that apply to their career choices. • Creates partnerships with colleges and industry on courses consistent with workforce needs and degree preparation. • Creates an A-F rating system for school districts while retaining current campus system. • Retains student "Distinguished Performance" criterion that are consistent with standards for Top 10% admission. • Aligns school curriculum with eligibility for TEXAS Grants and other financial aid programs.
- 8. Public Education Charter Schools SB2 - Patrick Authorizes the Commissioner of Education work with the State Board of Education (SBOE) to approve the opening of a new open-enrollment charter school. Gives the Board of Education veto power on new charter school applications. Establishes performance standards and renewal process for charter schools. SB2 also establishes a cap on how many new charter school (districts) may open statewide through 2019.
- 9. PUBLIC SCHOOL Charter Schools SB2 Patrick (continued) SB2 -- • Allows a traditional school district to convert low-performing schools into a district-run charter school. • Allows high performing charter schools to open additional campuses under same charter. • Requires training for TEA staff for charter school oversight and monitoring. • Directs Commissioner to publish an annual report that compares charter school performance to that of traditional public schools.
- 10. Public Education Public School Finance Under the February 2012 ruling issued by State District Court Judge John Dietz - Texas system of finance for public schools inadequately funds the programs the state requires to properly educate it's students and inequitably funds school districts. Dietz also ruled that school districts no longer have meaningful discretion in setting the property tax rates used to fund schools at the local level. The National Education Agency also reported in its annual comparison, that Texas has fallen to 49th among 50 states in per pupil spending. Judge Dietz ordered a second hearing in the new school finance trial that took place in January 2014. Judge Dietz’s ruling is expected in May 2014. The case is expected to be appealed and be heard by the Texas Supreme Court.
- 11. Public Education Funding DeSoto ISD/Red Oak ISD DeSoto FY10 FY12 FY14 $59,475,317 $56,388,194 $63,422,874 FY11 FY13 FY15 $60,471,208 $57,961,046 $76,864,366 Red Oak FY10 FY12 FY14 $37,970,488 $37,489,278 $42,814,894 FY11 FY13 FY15 $39,637,790 $39,421,459 $45,003,929
- 12. Higher Education Committing to Texas’ Future FY2012-13 FY2014-15 -------------------- 4-year colleges and universities $5.95 billion $6.3 billion Medical schools $2.64 billion $2.68 billion Community colleges * $1.75 billion $1.78 billion The Dallas County Community College District was appropriated $175 million for FY14-15. * Community colleges are only partly funded by the state. They are also supported locally by counties.
- 13. Higher Education Committing to Texas’ Future FY2012-13 FY2014-15 UT Southwestern Medical $278.3 million $302.2 million UNT-Dallas $30.4 million $30.2 million UNT-School of Law $2.94 million $2.94 million Centers for Teacher Education $3.4 million $3.94 million
- 14. Health & Human Services The Affordable Care Act and Texas Published reports say unanimously that Texas has the highest rate of uninsured of any state in the U.S. at 23 percent - about 1 in 4 of the state's nearly 26 million residents. Information released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that there are 4.9 million eligible uninsured people who live in Texas. HHSC defines eligible uninsured as nonelderly U.S. citizens and others lawfully present in Texas. • According to Census data, the majority of uninsured Texans are poor, native- born American citizens. • Nearly two-thirds of those uninsured - about 2.9 million - are employed but work part-time, or at low- or minimum wage jobs where health insurance is not offered.
- 15. Health & Human Services The Affordable Care Act and Texas Thursday, the federal government announced that nationally, more than 6 million people have enrolled for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). According to the 2011 Census, there are 41.3 million eligible uninsured persons nationwide. As of March 1, 295,025 Texans had enrolled for coverage through the ACA. More than 1 in 10 uninsured, 12 percent of the eligible uninsured nationwide live in Texas. • The Dallas and Houston metropolitan areas have the highest numbers of uninsured residents, both at 1.1 million. • Half of the eligible uninsured in Texas are Latino. Whites account for 32 percent of the insured. African Americans make up 13 percent of the uninsured.
- 16. Health & Human Services The Affordable Care Act and Texas Fourteen (14) states operate healthcare exchange marketplaces. Texas is one of 36 states where the healthcare exchange is run fully or is partly supported by the federal government. Texas has chosen not to opt-in to the Medicaid expansion. Currently, 26 states have opted-in on Medicaid expansion. States that do not participate in Medicaid expansion will likely see higher uncompensated care costs because the number of uninsured is expected to decrease due to eligibility changes consistent with the ACA. The Act also reduces over time, the Disproportionate Share Hospital payments.
- 17. Health & Human Services Medicaid Delivery SB7 - Nelson SB7- will redesign the way in which Medicaid services are provided for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are in need of both acute- care and long term services. The bill would expand Medicaid's STAR PLUS managed care program and implement additional reforms to the Medicaid system. Additional provisions of SB7: • Creates a process to transition Medicaid eligible, IDD diagnosed adults and children into a managed care system. • Prohibits Medicaid managed care organizations from implementing provider rate reductions unless they are approved by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) or are based on changes to the Medicaid fee schedule. • Improves quality-based performance measures and incentive payments for acute and long- term care providers and authorizes wellness programs for Medicaid recipients for more than 11,000 intellectually and developmentally disabled adults.
- 18. Health & Human Services Child Safety HB1741 Naishtat/West Requires licensed day-care centers to install electronic safety alarms in all vehicles owned or leased by the centers that are designed to seat eight or more people and used to transport children in their care. • Applies to all vehicles purchased or leased on or after December 31, 2013. • Requires that the alarms be properly maintained.
- 19. State Water Plan Funding the State Water Plan The 2012 State Water Plan outlines a strategy for meeting Texas' water demand up to year 2060. Two bills passed last session, HB 4 and SJR 1, are the solution to the state's water challenge. Together, they create two funds to help finance the State Water Plan: • State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) • State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas (SWIRFT) These bills will also fund the State Water Plan with $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund.
- 20. State Water Plan Funding the State Water Plan SJR 1 (passed in November 2013 Election) - constitutional amendment to create and finance the two water funds (SWIFT and SWIRFT) envisioned by the Legislature. Texas’ Challenges: Explosive population growth • Projected to increase 82% by 2060 Shrinking water supply • Projected to decrease 10% by 2060
- 21. Transportation New money for roads! HB1 - Pickett (3rd Called Session) HB1 - allows money collected from oil and gas taxes that are historically deposited directly into the Economic Stabilization Fund (Rainy Day Fund), to be used for building transportation projects. Establishes that the Rainy Day Fund must not fall below a certain amount, at which time, no additional funds for transportation may be transferred. • Includes that a 10-member committee of legislators will decide each biennium, the amount of money that must remain in the Rainy Day Fund. • Also orders TxDOT to identify $100 million in savings and to use those funds to pay down bond debts that cannot be derived from funds designated for transportation projects. Requires passage of a Constitutional Amendment by voters in November 2014.
- 22. Transportation Still more miles to go… SB1730 - Nichols SB1730 reauthorizes the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to enter into pubic private partnerships, also known as Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDAs) to design, develop, finance, build, maintain or operate transportation projects. SB1730 authorizes TxDOT to enter into CDAs on several North Texas projects that include: Southern Gateway - I-35E/US Hwy 67 - Dallas County Loop 9 - I-20/US Hwy 67 - Dallas, Ellis Counties State Hwy. 183 - SH121/I-35E - Dallas, Tarrant Counties Loop 12 - SH183/I-35E - Dallas County State Hwy. 114 - SH121/SH183 - Dallas County
- 23. Jurisprudence Ticketing Juveniles SB393 West SB393 follows the recommendations of the Texas Judicial Council to amend current state laws that result in students receiving misdemeanor citations for school Code of Conduct-related infractions such as disruption of class, disruption of transportation, or dress code violations or truancy that are not actual violations of criminal law. In Texas, these fine-only misdemeanor cases are directed to municipal and justice of the peace (JP) courts that normally decide minor criminal and civil cases committed by adults and do not have the protections afforded juveniles under Family Code law.
- 24. Jurisprudence Ticketing Juveniles SB393 West (cont'd) • Requires school administrators to refer students to a juvenile case manager system to address school related-violations first - before resorting to filing a complaint with the courts. • Prohibits the issuance of tickets for school-related, fine-only misdemeanor violations that are not traffic offenses. • Creates a system of "graduated sanctions" as steps that must be performed by school officials and exhausted before a school discipline complaint would be filed in municipal or JP courts. Example: warning letter to parent/guardian with explanation of school violation, offer of student behavior contract, referral to counseling. • Establishes procedures to evaluate whether or not a child/student cited for an offense suffers from a mental illness or mental disability
- 25. Jurisprudence Ticketing Juveniles SB393 West (cont'd) Expands use of "first offender" programs to address certain juvenile offenses prior to the filing of a criminal charge. Prohibits tickets from being issued by school police to children age 10 and under for fine-only school offenses. Allows violations to be satisfied through completion of community service or tutoring programs. Provides the courts the authority to waive payment of fines or other costs if determined that such sanctions would cause undue financial hardship.
- 26. Jurisprudence Ticketing Juveniles SB394 West Would make the records of an offense for which a child/student received for a fine-only misdemeanor offense that is not a traffic offense confidential after the youth charged has completed the requirements of a case where the disposition was deferred and the charges were dismissed upon completion. State law already makes confidential the records of a fine- only misdemeanor offense that is not a traffic offense in a case where there is a conviction.
- 27. Sources • Texas Legislative Budget Board • Texas Legislative Council • Texas Health and Human Services Commission • US Department of Health and Human Services
Notas do Editor
- To put in the context of where we've come from during the FY12-13 budget cycle to what we have budgeted for the next biennium, this first slide compares state appropriations for FY12-13 to the next (FY2014-15) biennium that begins September 1. General Revenue – is the money the state takes in from its primary revenue source - your tax dollars. As Ithink everyone in this room knows, Texas does not and will never have a state personal income tax.GR-Dedicated is tax revenue that is designated to go into specific areas of the budget. This topic has come under increasing scrutiny from both sides of the aisle when these dedicated dollars are not spent the way they are intended. You may recall that we approached the 2011 Legislative Session knowing that the state faced a revenue shortfall of those tax dollars upwards of $20 billion. That factor alone made it a very difficult session and forced cuts in state appropriations - particularly in education that we attempted to address during this past Legislative Session. So to compare for the 2012-13 two-year budget cycle, the state appropriated $93,792.2 billion for the services it provides. For the next biennium (2014-15) due to increased state tax revenues, we plan to spend $101,419.9 billion on services. That's an increase of 8.1%.
- As you can see Texas spends the most of its money in two areas, Education and Health & Human Services. Together, they total more than 80% of the state's budget. Consequently, these are normally the most contentious areas of debate when the focus is on spending. ARTICLE I – General GovernmentEmployee Retirement Systems - SB1 will fund a 6.4% state contribution rate in 2014 and a 6.8% state contribution rate in 2015 at a cost of $150 million.CPRIT - As part of the reforms made after improprieties were discovered, SB1 appropriates $600 million in bond proceeds for continued cancer research to the Cancer Prevention Research Institute. ARTICLE II - EducationPublic Education - For 2014-15, $40.4 billion will go to funding the Foundation School Program, which funds our public schools. Unlike during the current biennium, this time we provided funding to anticipate enrollment growth of up to 85,000 to 87,000 additional students. This is an increase of $3.4 billion from the FY12-13 budget cycle. This is also an increase per student of $228 in 2014 and $300 for 2015 over 2012-13 levels. (tops $5,000 per student) We also added $330 million in new funding for the Teacher Retirement System. Higher Education - For our Texas colleges and universities, we appropriated $15.75 billion in GR/GR-D This includes an increase of $145 million in funding for the TEXAS Grants (bringing total to $724.6 million). This amount will provide tuition for about 84% of those eligible.We also increased formula funding for colleges and universities by $249.7 million (8.2%). Community colleges will receive an additional $33 million (1.9% increase). ARTICLE III - Health and Human Services A total of $ $48.54 billion was appropriated to the Texas Health & Human Services Commission which under its umbrella is four separate agencies: Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), The Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services -(DARS), The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and The Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).The state funded Medicaid growth at $3.37 billion for caseload, increase costs, primary physician rate increase. DADS - $13.8 billion in ALL Funds covers, State Supported Living Centers, Nursing homes, Community care services that allows clients to remain in their homes at less expense ($3.4b total, increase of $613m).DARS - $1.27 billion in ALL Funds (2.5% increase). Covers Early Childhood Intervention program - children with disabilities birth to 3 yrs., Serves 380 children per month. $480 million increase over FY12-13. DSHS - $6.24 billion in ALL Funds (7.6% increase). Provides Behavioral Health Services under a variety of mental health services programs that include NorthStar, crisis intervention, substance abuse treatment, Veteran's mental health services. DSHS budget includes $48.2 million to reduce waiting lists at state-run mental health facilities.DFPS -- $3.03 billion in ALL Funds (12.7% increase). Funds CPS, foster care - $35m to increase rates to foster care providers, Kinship Care - $16.7million in new funding. Prevention and Early Intervention includes CYD programs and STAR to serve at-risk youth ($24.8 million increase). ARTICLE IV - JudiciaryBudget includes 12% pay raise to help retain and attract quality judges. Budget includes new funding for the Office of Court Administration which funds indigent defense programs in Texas. Funding was increased by $16.7m bringing total for indigent defense to $78.9m. ARTICLE V - Public Safety and Criminal Justice TDCJ- Funding for local probation and diversion programs was increased by $47m. Funding for parole supervision increased by $15.8m. Budget counts savings of $97m that incorporates closure of Dawson and Mineral Wells state jails. Increased budget for Correctional Managed Care by $60.6m.Designated an additional $15.2m to the Texas Juvenile Justice Division expand mental health services for youthDPS Troopers received a 10% pay raise and the agency received $19.7m more to improve crime labs and to eliminate the backlog of untested sexual assault kits.
- Here's another definition for you. On the graph above, you'll see the description ALL FUNDS. ALL FUNDS - is made up of every income source the state receives. It includes GR - General Revenue and the billions (that's right) of dollars in funding that Texas receives from the federal government. So for the 2014-15 budget cycle, Texas has received and has appropriated a total of $195,951.3 billion. * ALL FUNDS includes $68,706,800,000 billion in federal funding.
- Each session, in building the budget for the next 2 year budget cycle (biennium) we rely on the Biennial Revenue Estimate that comes from the State Comptroller. The FY14-15 budget was based on the Comptroller’s estimate that was published in January 2013. So for FY14-15, the projection was that the state would generate about $94.61 billion in tax revenue. Texas’ fiscal year ends on August 31. So at the end of the fiscal year the Comptroller comes back with another report that’s required to certify the budget that was passed by the Legislature.After all the transfers and various payments were made at the end of FY12-13, the Comptroller estimated that about $96.31 billion will be needed to pay for FY14-15 expenditures. At the same time the Comptroller also makes another projection on FY14-15 revenue. Under the new assumptions, the Comptroller estimates that Texas will take in about $2.58 billion in taxes in excess of estimated expenses.
- Parents and teachers alike have long held that the testing requirements for Texas students were excessive and diverted valuable time, money, and resources from classroom instruction to test preparation. HB5 reduces the number of End of Course exams needed to graduate from 15 to 5. Currently, Texas high schools have three graduation plans: the minimum, recommended and distinguished diploma plans. HB5 will allow students to begin on one foundation plan for graduation - while allowing multiple pathways for students to also pursue their career interests. Students and parents would be able to tailor their studies to suit their interests and take courses that apply to their career choices. These pathways - called endorsements – will allow students to focus their studies in one of 5 areas: Business & Industry, Arts & Humanities, STEM courses, public services or Multi-disciplinary Services.
- HB5 requires districts to work with students along with their parents to develop a personal graduation plan. It directs the SBOE to approve more career and technology courses that align with core academic credits. It also directs school districts to partner with higher education institutions to enhance what are now developmental education courses that students are required to take in college when their test scores taken during their junior years indicate that they are not ready for college. These courses would be in math and English. (Talk about concerns raised with A-F district rating system and how it came about as compromise.)
- SB2 sets the initial operational period for a new open-enrollment charter school at 5 years. After a successful 5 year period, a school's charter can be renewed for 10 years.It requires all Charter applicants to demonstrate their ability to meet requirements of an education plan and in establishing financial, governing, academic and operational programs.SB2 directs the Commissioner to define the academic, operational and financial performance measures that are part of the overall education performance plan. Establishes a system where charter schools are evaluated based on 3 years of academic and financial performance. SB2 strengthens and clarifies rules regarding automatic revocations of charter for schools that do not meet state performance standards for 3 consecutive years. The bill establishes a graduated cap that allows 10 new charter schools to open in 2014 and 15 per year through 2018 and 20 in year 2019. It also sets a hard maximum cap at 305 charter schools in 2019 at which time the Legislature will reevaluate.
- Under the filed version of SB2, a charter school would have been able to secure any facility that had been closed by a school district for $1. Rightfully so, school districts hit the roof, but there was no way that (most/some) of us on that committee were going to allow that bill to move - even if it was authored by the Chair. Long story short - is that we were able to continue to work with the Chairman and eventually were able to pass a good piece of legislation and move it through the process and eventually to passage.
- On February 4, 2012 Texas' Public School System was once again declared unconstitutional. District Judge John Dietz ruled in favor of plaintiffs, including more than 600 school districts, that the state's school finance system was inefficient, inadequate and had created a statewide property tax, all in violation of the Texas constitution.This is the 6th time since 1984 that the state has been taken to court over its system of school finance. Dallas ISD, DeSoto, Duncanville are all parties to one of several school finance lawsuits. Red Oak, Lancaster and Cedar Hill are not. Judge Dietz ordered more testimony in the school finance case earlier this year. We are awaiting the judge’s ruling. Once it is rendered, a formal appeal can be filed by the Attorney General. It is up to the AG whether to appeal directly to the Texas Supreme Court, or to appeal to an intermediate Court of Appeals. Part of Judge Dietz's ruling was based on the fact that funding for Texas' schools was cut by some $5.4 billion during the 82nd Legislature (2011). This session, the Legislature restored $3.4 billion to schools, so testimony and hearings was centered around the impact the restored funding will have on the previous determination of inadequacy.
- This slide shows the state’s appropriation to the two districts where students who live in Glenn Height attend school. Funding for school districts is tied to the number of students enrolled or in attendance, or what is called average daily attendance. What you see here is that the funding for FY12-13 was lower than in FY10-11. For the FY10-11 budget, there were still stimulus dollars available for school districts. During the 2011 Session, we were still in the recession and faced with a $20 billion budget shortfall. For the FY12-13 biennium, those dollars were gone and to make appropriations match available state funding, we adjusted the formula by which schools are funded. For the current FY14-15 biennium, the Legislature restored $3.4 billion of the $5.4 billion we cut in funding for public schools for the FY12-13 biennium. As we speak, Judge Dietz is deciding whether or not the state did enough.
- After the near across-the-board budget cuts to higher education that took place during the 82nd Legislature, benefiting from a recovering Texas and national economy, the 83rd Legislature was able to restore funding to Texas' colleges and universities and community colleges. Note* - Community colleges are only partly funded by the state. They are also supported locally by counties. Other info on higher ed funding: Amount of inc. % inc.4-year colleges and universities $ 249.7 million 8.2%Medical schools $ 239.0 million 16.5% Community colleges* $ 33.0 million* 1.9%Texas Competitive Knowledge Fund $ 67.5 million
- We were also able to get the funding needed to support our Dallas area state universities. UNT- Law is scheduled to open in Fall 2014 and to accept its first class in Spring 2014. We attempted to get additional monies to fund a 3rd building for UNT-Dallas but the deal fell apart when Gov. Perry vetoed the TRB bill. Our support has also continued for Texas' privately-run Historical Black Colleges and Universities (that are all members of TADC). This $3.94million in funding is split evenly between the five colleges (Jarvis CC, Texas College, Wiley College, Huston-Tillotson) that includes Paul Quinn for its technology-based, teacher training programs.
- In Texas and in most states, non-pregnant, adults without dependent children are not eligible for Medicaid coverage. The goal of the ACA was to add this group of uninsured adults - many of whom are the working poor, younger and healthy adults with no children - to the ranks of the insured. Currently, this group seeks medical treatment through hospital emergency rooms, which is the most expensive form of healthcare. Because they are uninsured, these costs are absorbed first by hospitals, then the insured and ultimately by you and me, the taxpayers.
- According to the HHSC, Texas’ rate of uninsured should fall from 24% to 16% due to the passage of the ACA.
- Texas chose not to participate in Medicaid expansion. Currently, 26 states have opted-in on Medicaid expansion. This includes California, and states such as Arizona, Florida, Arkansas and New Jersey who initially rejected Medicaid expansion. Even without Medicaid expansion, as mentioned previously, Medicaid enrollment will increase due to the individual mandate. Currently hospitals are reimbursed for treating indigent and uninsured patients. With the passage of the ACA, persons will have coverage and the amount paid to hospitals for uncompensated care, the Disproportionate Share payments will decrease.In addition, with Texas choosing not to accept more of the funds available for operation of the healthcare exchange and our decision to not expand Medicaid, tax dollars paid by Texans will be spent elsewhere.
- Senate Bill 7 is intended to improve the coordination of Medicaid long-term care services and supports with acute care services, and to redesign the long-term care services and supports system to more efficiently serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Provides basic attendant and habilitation services to individuals with IDD currently on waiting lists for services; Expands STAR+PLUS to the Medicaid Rural Service Area and carves nursing facility services into STAR+PLUS; Coordinates through a managed care plan the delivery of acute-care services to all eligible individuals with disabilities; NOTE FOR RW: STAR+PLUS is a Texas Medicaid managed care program for people who have disabilities or are age 65 or older. People in STAR+PLUS get Medicaid health-care and long-term services and support through a medical plan that they choose. Long-term services and support includes things like: Help in your home with basic daily activities.Help in making changes to your home so you can safely move around.Short-term care to provide a break for caregivers.Another feature of STAR+PLUS is service coordination. A STAR+PLUS staff member works with the member, the member’s family and the member’s doctors and other providers to help the member get the medical and long-term services and support they need. The Legislative Budget Board estimates $12.5 million dollars over the first biennium, and $166 million dollars by Fiscal Year 2018.
- Anyone who lives in the Metroplex should know why I sponsored this bill. Over the last several years, it seems that we have not been able to get through a Summer without hearing the tragic news that a child has died either in the backseat of car, unfortunately after being left their by parents or, after unthinkably being forgotten in vehicles operated by daycare workers. In fact since 1998, more than 550 children have died in the United States from heat stroke, after being left unattended in a vehicle. Fifty-two percent of these deaths—287 children—happened after the child was accidentally forgotten in the vehicle. Texas has the highest number of child deaths from heat stroke after being accidentally forgotten in a vehicle, with at least 83 deaths. While the majority of these deaths occur while in the care of their parents, licensed day-care centers have higher rates of child deaths from vehicular heat stroke than licensed child-care homes and other types of child-care facilities in Texas.The way this will work is that these alarms will be mounted in the rear of the vehicle. When the ignition is turned off, the alarm sounds, prompting drivers to walk to the back of vehicles to turn it off the alarm. As they do this, they should notice any sleeping or overlooked children, before they exit the vehicle. If the alarm is not turned off, a louder siren will sound alerting the surrounding area.
- We have reached a crossroads in the state of Texas' water supply. By 2060, our population will grow by 82%, from 25 million to 46 million people. At the same time, if we do nothing, our total water supply will decrease by 10%. Fortunately, we have a plan. Every five years, the Texas Water Development Board coordinates the efforts of 16 regional water planning groups to come up with one big State Water Plan, which outlines a strategy to guarantee a secure long-term water supply by financing water infrastructure and supply development projects. However, until this session, the Legislature hadn't shown the commitment needed to fully fund this plan.
- Because of a technicality in the way this water legislation works, the creation and financing of these two water funds, the SWIFT and the SWIRFT, is now up to you. This November, you will be presented with a proposed constitutional amendment. If it passes, the allocation of $2 billion from the state's Rainy Day Fund that the Legislature worked out will go into effect, and our State Water Plan will be implemented all across Texas.So show up to the polls this November, and vote for a secure water supply for your children and grandchildren!
- It took all of the Regular Legislative Session and several days deep into a Third Special Session for the Legislature to decide how it will go about securing funding to address a shortage of such magnitude that TxDOT says will require $4 billion just to maintain the thousands of miles of Texas highways as they are today. The challenges - as we have come to know include that:1.The gas tax money that we send to the federal government that should return to Texas astransportation funding is now itself insolvent and may run out of money in 2014. 2. No new tax will be created in Texas to fund transportation projects and existing taxes and fees are not likely to be increased by any amount that comes close to addressing the problem. 3. All the transportation bonds (Prop. 12 & Prop. 14) the Legislature created and used over the last several Sessions have been exhausted. So what this solution does is direct tax dollars already collected from the Texas' hugely lucrative petroleum industry to spend on transportation remedies. This November, like with the Constitutional amendment that funded the water plan, Texas voters will weigh in their support of a Constitutional Amendment that will allow part of the Rainy Day Fund to be used to build roads.
- One important thing to remember about public private partnerships is that the state will maintain ownership of any and all roadways even though private companies can partner in the building, operation - and yes tolling - of these transportation facilities. The original legislation that authorized CDAs expired Aug. 31, 2011. However, the Legislature reauthorized TxDOT to enter into a limited number of agreements during the 82nd Session. Last Session more CDAs were authorized under SB1730. 1. Southern Gateway spans I-35 from 8th St. out to I-20 and from the I-35/67 split out to FM1352.2. Loop 9 which will be an outer loop from Southeast Dallas County that connects I-20 to US Hwy. 287. 3. Managed lanes will be built on Hwy. 183 between Hwy. 121 back to the I-35E Carpenter Frwy. merge.4. The Loop 12 project begins with the merger of Loop 12 from I-35 traveling south from Denton past 635 back to Hwy. 183.5. The SH114 project runs from Hwy. 121 near Freeport Pkwy. near D-FW Airport back to Hwy. 183 near Loop 12.
- Late during 2012 (October), I was appointed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence. Jurisprudence is typically charged with reviewing legislation during the interim involving the procedural matters of Texas courts. Even before I was named Chairman work had already begun on the issue of school disciplinary policies that in effect were placing youth into the adult court system. Working with the Texas Judicial Council, former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson and various stakeholders, we were able to file and move priority legislation that begins the work of reforming the way our courts and schools address minor infractions committed by juveniles. The first of these bills was SB393.
- Unless you have a school-age child, you may not be aware that existing statutes criminalize certain acts, that back in my day, would have landed me in the principal's office. We adjudicated children for "disruption of class" and other non-criminal offenses as Class C misdemeanors through the municipal and justice courts - our adult court system - under the guise of expediency, without really thinking about the potential for long term implications.Now, let me be perfectly clear. The children I speak of are not those who commit violent or heinous acts. Those who commit serious crimes should be dealt with in the manner our criminal justice system currently provides. The "crimes" I am talking about are misbehaving in the classroom or failure to attend school (better known as truancy).This law does not take away from schools and school districts the ability to address serious or violent acts committed by students on school property.
- The purpose of this bill is to provide consistency in the protections already provided to youth by the law in the fine-only misdemeanor cases. Certain misdemeanor offenses that are adjudicated under juvenile justice statutes (Family Code) already have these type protections where the records would not be disclosed to the public.Again, the problem with our current system is that these tickets for offenses that take place at school do not go through the juvenile justice system. They are processed municipal and JP courts that are set for adults where the records of those offenses are subject to public disclosure. SB394 addresses that problem.
- The purpose of this bill is to provide consistency in the protections already provided to youth by the law in the fine-only misdemeanor cases. Certain misdemeanor offenses that are adjudicated under juvenile justice statutes (Family Code) already have these type protections where the records would not be disclosed to the public.Again, the problem with our current system is that these tickets for offenses that take place at school do not go through the juvenile justice system. They are processed municipal and JP courts that are set for adults where the records of those offenses are subject to public disclosure. SB394 addresses that problem.