TBy State Representative Cody Harris
MRecent News
Happy Texas Independence Day! We are just over one-third of the way through the 86th legislative session here in Austin. We are hard at work making sure we make the best of the 140 days this session. We had another busy week meeting with a number of constituents including members of the Corsicana ISD School Board, Freestone County Sheriff, Jeremey Shipley, and Corsicana Fire Chief, Paul Henley. Great seeing everyone stop by the office while they were here in Austin. I also spent some time speaking with groups like the Independent Pharmacists of Texas, Texas Association of Dairymen, and the Texas Landscape and Nursery Association. I appreciated everyone who stopped by to discuss the critical issues facing our great state this session.
On Monday, I joined the Texas REALTORs at their annual candidate training here in Austin. It was great to talk with potential local candidates all around the state and share my experiences from the last two years. I wish them all the best on their upcoming campaigns. I also had the privilege to go on a tour of the Texas Railroad Commission with my colleagues on the Energy Resources Committee. It was fascinating learning about the history of the Texas Railroad Commission and the impact they have had on Texas.
We were also joined this week by the Neches High School Volleyball team. In November of 2018, the Lady Tigers of Neches defeated Water Valley High School to become the UIL 1A State Champions! The Lady Tigers ended their season with an incredible 41-4 record. It was my honor to recognize these athletes on the floor of their Texas House with HR 145. We had a great time talking about their victory this past fall and their future goals after high school. Good luck ladies on your future ambitions!
Angelia Orr, your District Director, held a Constituent Meet & Greet in Anderson County. She had a great time visiting Anderson County and spent some time listening to your questions and concerns regarding agriculture and limited government. I made a promise to represent you while I serve here in the Texas Legislature and Angelia being your District Director is one of the many ways I am fulfilling that promise. Please don’t hesitate to contact my staff if we can be a resource to you.
On Thursday I spoke with a group of students from the NRA State Youth Education Summit about the importance of protecting the Second Amendment and staying engaged in the civic process. They had great questions on the development of session and the issues we’re working on. It was a true honor to speak to these students who are so engaged in the Texas Legislature.
Legislation
This week I filed HB 2363, this bill eliminates restrictions and red tape regarding gun storage for foster care parents. Currently, foster parents are required, by statute, to store their ammunition and firearms separately in locked storage containers, my bill would remove that regulation. I strongly believe in the rights given to us through the second amendment and I will fight to protect those rights while I have the privilege to serve you.
To update you on some other legislation, I had all 4 of my High-Speed Rail bills referred to various committees this week. If you want to follow these bills, click the following links to track their process: HB 1367, HB 1368, HB 1369, HB 1370 I look forward to having these bills and others set for hearings so they can be laid out in front of their committees and considered by my colleagues in the House of Representatives. I will continue to fight for your private property rights and kill this disastrous project.
In the District
My District Director Angelia Orr will be in Freestone County to host a Meet & Greet from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Tuesday, March 5th at the Freestone County Courthouse located at 118 East Commerce St. Fairfield, Texas 75840. She is available to you at any time, just give us a call or email her at angelia.orr@house.texas.gov.
Coming Up
Navarro County Day at the Capitol will be next week on Wednesday, March 6th. We are excited to have Railroad Commission Chairwoman Christi Craddick, Land Commissioner George P. Bush, and Texas Business Leadership Council President Justin Yancy speaking to the group at their visit.
Our final constituent day includes Palestine Days in Austin on March 12-13th. I look forward to hearing from our communities’ leaders regarding the important topics that impact both House District 8 and this great State of Texas.
Please contact our Capitol or District staff for more information on these events, and please let us know if you plan to visit Austin this session. We would love to meet you and share your Texas Capitol with you!
Resources
You can keep track of legislation, bill analyses, witness lists, and committee hearings from both the House and Senate sides here.
In addition to these online sources, you can also call the Legislative Reference Library’s Bill Status Hotline at 877-824-7038.
Contact phone number for the Capitol is 512-463-0730:
–Jeff Carlson – Chief of Staff
–Christopher Lee – Legislative Director
–Angelia Orr – District Director
–Brandon Barrows – Legislative Aide
–Kyle Zuhlke – Legislative Aide
