February 16th, 2019
by State Representative Cody Harris
Recent News
The second week of February was eventful for the Texas House of Representatives. Important bills are getting referred to committees and making their way through the legislative process. On Monday the House Committee on Energy Resources met in what is called an organizational meeting where we hear invited testimony from different groups to prepare ourselves for the legislation that will be referred to the committee. At this meeting we heard from the Texas Railroad Commission Chairwoman Christi Craddick, Commissioner Wayne Christian and Commissioner Ryan Sitton. This commission regulates the oil and gas industry here in the state. Oil and gas revenues drive the state economy so the Railroad Commission is very important to the overall economic security of the state. We also heard from Thomas Brown, a budget analyst from the Texas Legislative Budget Board. He discussed recommendations to promote economic development and protect the conservation of energy resources in Texas. Overall it was a great meeting to prepare us for the work ahead this session. Homeowners across Queens, New York would do anything and everything to keep their property in pristine condition. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not have access to a power washer and this makes things much more difficult. It is hard to clean your vinyl siding using conventional methods. This process can be simplified by utilizing a power washing. This is why you’ll want to rely on us. H&A Power Washing Queens | Amazingpressurewashingguys.com offer the best power washing services Queens has ever seen and we’re confident that we’ll be able to help you save money.
Next, the House Committee on Natural Resources met this week for nearly five hours of invited testimony regarding flooding issues affecting the state. Professionals from state agencies, various river authorities and professional organizations spoke about the risks the state faces as well as the possible solutions to mitigate future flooding risks. The last few years we have seen the effects of natural disasters and what they did to communities across this state. I look forward to joining my fellow committee members in finding the best long-term solutions for all Texans.
If you want to follow along with all the committees here in Austin you can click here to see a full schedule of upcoming meetings.
On Tuesday, I laid out House Concurrent Resolution 46 on the House floor recognizing February 9 to 16, 2019, as Texas Court Reporting and Captioning Week. Court Reporters are essential to our justice system. Although they seldom ever speak themselves, they are responsible for protecting the integrity of the spoken word in our legal system. Check the details of the adoption of HCR 46 here. HCR 46
On Thursday, I had the honor to sit down with the Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith along with Representative Harless and Representative Buckley to discuss the 86th legislature and our experiences as incoming Republican members. We discussed the critical issues we’re facing in the Texas legislature. These issues included property tax relief, school finance reform, border security funding, and rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Harvey. If you were not able to watch it live, click here, and watch the recording from the Texas Tribune.
Following the filing of our anti high-speed rail bills last week there have been important headlines that have recently come out. The governor of California has called it quits on its 88 BILLION DOLLAR failed high-speed rail project. This is after years of work and billions of dollars already spent on the project. My goal this legislative session is to prevent the same mistakes from taking place here in Texas. Another win came earlier this week from the 87th District Court in Leon County where Judge Deborah Evans ruled against the Texas Central Railway stating that this private entity does not have the power to take private property. This is a huge step in the right direction to protecting your private property rights in House District 8.
The following is my recent quote to the Corsicana Daily Sun’s small business revolution section:
“With the recent ruling by Texas’ 87th District Court Judge Deborah Evans, and now the news of California’s high-speed rail project is a complete failure, Texas Central is doing their best to maintain their relevancy. The overwhelming majority of House District 8 citizens agree that the high-speed rail is bad for our communities. I will continue to fight for private property rights by opposing this dying project.” – Representative Cody Harris
As I stated, I have filed four pieces of legislation aiming to kill the high speed rail. These bills have been filed and are waiting to be referred to committees to start the legislative process.
HB 1367 protects private property rights by specifying that a private entity does not have the power of eminent domain for the purpose of developing or operating a high-speed rail project.
HB 1368 will void any high-speed rail option contracts held by a high-speed rail entity upon a bankruptcy initiated by or against the entity.
HB 1369 prohibits the high-speed rail (HSR) from beginning any construction until they have acquired all of the property necessary to complete the project. The financial feasibility of the HSR is already highly questionable and we know they do not have the power of eminent domain.
HB 1370 The purpose of this bill is to put up more roadblocks on the HSR by evaluating the feasibility of creating a statewide high-speed rail initiative through a public-private partnership.
Lastly, this week I was grateful to join Navarro County Republican Party Chairmen, Eric Meyers, at the Republican Party Chairman dinner along with Speaker Dennis Bonnen. Speaker Bonnen spoke to the group of chairmen gathered in Austin for the annual banquet on what’s ahead for the legislative session and the Republican party. I was pleased to be a part of this exciting event to wrap up my busy week!
Coming Up
We are looking forward to next Wednesday at the Hill County Day at the Capitol. We’re thrilled to have guest speakers Larry McManus with the Texas Department of Agriculture and Dr. Buck Gilcrease who will speak on school finance issues. We look forward to having you in your state Capitol!
Also, as I’ve mentioned in past newsletters, Navarro County Day at the Capitol will be on March 6th. We are excited to announce that we will 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 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.
Jeff Carlson – Chief of Staff Contact Phone Number
Christopher Lee – Legislative Director Capitol Number:
Angelia Orr – District Director (512)-463-0730
Brandon Barrows – Legislative Aide
Kyle Zuhlke – Legislative Aide
