Legislative priority #7: Hurricane repair, Veterinary medicine, industrial transportation infrastructure

My list of priorities for the Texas Legislature could contain several more important issues such as ending taxpayer funded lobbying, CPS reform to protect parental rights, and other deserving issues but I did not want to create a priority list that reads like a party platform as having too many items reduces the importance of all.

That brings me to item number seven which is a bit of a catch-all in some ways involving regional and special interest items.

Yes, Texas needs to properly repair hurricane damaged infrastructure; engage in storm flood engineering, and; ensure that the windstorm insurance fund is solvent. Top state officials have acknowledged these are priority issues so we can hope good work is done.

There are other key needs, that while politically appearing regional, are important to the entire state. Among those is the creation of another veterinary medical school whether run by Texas Tech or not. Texas A&M’s monopoly on veterinary medicine does not well serve the state and we are even less well served by the shortage of animal doctors it creates.

The Texas economy was once driven almost solely by agriculture and the petroleum business. Texas is much more diverse now but if not driven by oil and gas production, the Lone Star State’s economic cake derives its icing and sweetness from such.

Legislators need to ensure that our state network of transportation infrastructure is rehabilitated, expanded, and adequate to support industry, particularly in the oil and gas field areas and our sea ports.