Among the thousands of bills that will be filed and the hundreds that will be seriously debated, in the 86th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, are bills which relate in some way to the following subject areas that Texans should join me in telling legislators are our highest priorities.
In order of importance, aside from a responsible budget, the first item for legislators is to ensure they take no action which diminishes individual liberties and property rights and that local governments in Texas are straightjacketed in their authority to impinge upon such also. [Read more on this issue here.]
Next is meaningful local property tax reform in which taxing authorities are significantly limited in how much they can annually raise your taxes without approval, by ballot, of those being taxed. Property appraisal reform is important as well but second to the tax raising issue. [Read more on this issue here.]
Third is public school finance reform with a focus on simplification of formulas and leveling of per-student state expenditures in order to comply with past court rulings. Additional funding is secondary to finance system reform. [Read more on this issue here.]
Priority five is ending state programs such as CPRIT, the cancer research money grant board, which is little more than a government pass-through program which abuses its existence by using grant money control to force other institutions to adopt social policies its leaders favor. [Read more on this issue here.]
Sixth priority is to continue funding for enhanced police presence related to the border, drug and human smuggling, and the crime associated with such while also pushing DPS to end its relaxation of training and officer standards experienced during its massive hiring spree of the past few years.
We are best served by “peace officers” acting with traditional DPS courtesy and professionalism and marked by good field judgment as opposed to “law enforcement” officers who focus on government shows of authority over the non-criminal element. [Read more on these issues here.]
Seventh is a collection of regional and special interest areas of import from things such as hurricane damaged infrastructure repair; storm flood engineering, and; windstorm insurance solvency to a second state veterinary medical school; large new transportation projects, and; road, bridge, and other infrastructure rehabilitation needed due to heavy use by industry especially in the oil and gas field areas. [Read more on these issues here.]
There are many other worthy items that need to be pushed including bans on taxpayer funded lobbying. I’ve limited my list to the areas above because I believe these can be accomplished and will provide the most significant return for Texans.
What you can do
Those of you who agree with my priorities and points need to ensure your region’s state representatives and senators are aware of such by sharing the points with them as well as with their various staff members.
Pratt’s Texas legislative priorities, in summary
Among the thousands of bills that will be filed and the hundreds that will be seriously debated, in the 86th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, are bills which relate in some way to the following subject areas that Texans should join me in telling legislators are our highest priorities.
In order of importance, aside from a responsible budget, the first item for legislators is to ensure they take no action which diminishes individual liberties and property rights and that local governments in Texas are straightjacketed in their authority to impinge upon such also. [Read more on this issue here.]
Next is meaningful local property tax reform in which taxing authorities are significantly limited in how much they can annually raise your taxes without approval, by ballot, of those being taxed. Property appraisal reform is important as well but second to the tax raising issue. [Read more on this issue here.]
Third is public school finance reform with a focus on simplification of formulas and leveling of per-student state expenditures in order to comply with past court rulings. Additional funding is secondary to finance system reform. [Read more on this issue here.]
Fourth is significant funding of the election integrity unit in the Office of Attorney General [formally the Election Fraud Unit.] [Read more on this issue here.]
Priority five is ending state programs such as CPRIT, the cancer research money grant board, which is little more than a government pass-through program which abuses its existence by using grant money control to force other institutions to adopt social policies its leaders favor. [Read more on this issue here.]
Sixth priority is to continue funding for enhanced police presence related to the border, drug and human smuggling, and the crime associated with such while also pushing DPS to end its relaxation of training and officer standards experienced during its massive hiring spree of the past few years.
We are best served by “peace officers” acting with traditional DPS courtesy and professionalism and marked by good field judgment as opposed to “law enforcement” officers who focus on government shows of authority over the non-criminal element. [Read more on these issues here.]
Seventh is a collection of regional and special interest areas of import from things such as hurricane damaged infrastructure repair; storm flood engineering, and; windstorm insurance solvency to a second state veterinary medical school; large new transportation projects, and; road, bridge, and other infrastructure rehabilitation needed due to heavy use by industry especially in the oil and gas field areas. [Read more on these issues here.]
There are many other worthy items that need to be pushed including bans on taxpayer funded lobbying. I’ve limited my list to the areas above because I believe these can be accomplished and will provide the most significant return for Texans.
What you can do
Those of you who agree with my priorities and points need to ensure your region’s state representatives and senators are aware of such by sharing the points with them as well as with their various staff members.
You can find contact information for all state representatives and senators here.