October — The 82nd Legislative Session Report

 Jodie Laubenberg is in her 5th term in the Texas House of  Representatives and represents the northern and eastern areas of Collin County and all of Rockwell  County.  She gave us a recap of the 82nd Session of the Texas Legislature and the Special Session.  

Rep. Jodie Laubenberg

The 2011 regular session finished May 30. The Special Session finished June 29.  This was a tough session.  There  was little money because sales tax revenue was down considerably, with people buying less due to the downturn.   

Texas still does not have an income tax, to the envy of some other states.  

Texas legislature only meets every two years for 140 days finishing this regular session on May 30.  There were  6,000 bills were under consideration of which 1500 were actually passed.  It was very intense.  She could not read all bills but read every one considered by her committees and brought before the House.  She relies on colleagues that she trusts to keep up.  The Governor vetoed 24 bills.  

The Budget must be balanced according to the Texas constitution which is very difficult to do without raising taxes.  This was made even more difficult because in 2009 the Comptroller overestimated the budget; then came the recession which resulted in a major short-fall.  

Medicaid and school funding are the two biggest items and the wild fires in west Texas added unexpectedly to these costs.  This required taking $3 Billion from the $9 Billion Rainy Day Fund  to balance the budget.

Looking forward: the total dollars appropriated for the next two-year budget (2012-2013) was $172 Billion — down from $182 the past two years.

Major Items Passes This Session

Voter ID was passed, requiring a government‐issued photo ID as proof of identity before voting.   

Eminent Domain SB 18 passed, pertaining to the Trans Texas Corridor ‘eminent domain monster’.     

Health Care: they tried to mitigate or delay the  most costly effects of Obamacare.  Obama is trying to turn 

Medicare into Medicaid.  ‘Medicare’  is still paying, but that is not the case with ‘Medicaid’.  We cannot  

sustain this unfunded mandate.  That’s what happens with a government in control of health  care.

A government panel will decide who gets treatment.  It will cause more doctors to drop Medicare patients.

 She concluded that Obamacare must be rescinded.      

                 

Congressional redistricting:  There are 4 new congressional districts in Texas.  It is all politics and partisan. ‘He who controls the congress is going to control districting’.  The committee tried not to isolate Black people or Hispanics.  Democrats encourage segregation.  

What did Not Pass:  Sanctuary Cities SB 9 did not pass.  If a law enforcer has reason to stop an individual he can also inquire about immigration status. The bill was against sanctuary cities that restrict such questions.  

The TSA Groping Bill did not pass.  The federal government threatened to shut down the airport if it passed, and in the end, the Airport Authority requested it not be passed.

It was too much of a hassle.  

For more information see:   Minutes of the Meeting