NEW SESSION BEGINS

With the swearing in of members of the House of Representatives, I officially started my fourth term of office at noon on Tuesday.  This is a great honor and I take very seriously my vow to preserve, protect and defend the constitution and laws of the United States and the state of Texas while serving as a voice for Brazoria County.  The 78th will be a very important session, one that will have a profound effect on our state as we consider critical issues such as insurance and school finance.

 FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS
 

On Wednesday, I succeeded in passing House Resolution (HR 4).  House Speaker Tom Craddick asked me to author the resolution, which suspends the rules to allow for bills to be heard in the first 60 days of session.  Otherwise, only the bills deemed by the Governor as emergency legislation would be allowed to be heard during that period.  With all of the major issues facing us in this 140 day session, it is vital that we use all days as efficiently as possible.  The bill passed the house 120-21.
           
 VISITS MADE TO CITIES, SCHOOLS
 

In preparation for the new session, my staff and I recently visited most of the city and school offices in the my new district. These meetings not only gave everyone a chance to meet each other but also let us know of the specific concerns of each entity.  I think it is very important that we all work together during the session and the best way to do this is to establish communication early. These meetings reinforced issues I have been working on in the interim.
School district personnel are very concerned about school finance and what will happen to the Robin Hood system.  Whether the districts are "property rich"  or "property poor," all are struggling. We have good schools in this county and we want to keep them that way.  I plan to make school funding a priority this session.

 

Cities had a number of diverse issues - drainage needs, tourism plans, annexation concerns - and we are working with these individually.  We have asked each city administration to stay alert to any legislation that might impact their communities. 
 

My staff not only enjoyed meeting everyone but also found it very helpful to see the actual areas that make up District 25.

 MEET MY STAFF
 

Zak Covar - Many of you know Zak, who is continuing as my chief of staff in Austin. He oversees all legislation and handles legislative issues.  An A&M graduate, he is married to Krista, a teacher at Pflugerville High School.
Shera Eichler - Shera, a UT graduate, is the newest member of my staff. She does scheduling for my calendar and will answer calls in the Austin office.  Her husband works for Governor Rick Perry.
Monica Sebesta - Monica, who has worked in the Angleton office for two years, helps constituents who need assistance with state agencies.  She and her husband Matt, who is mayor of Angleton, have two sons.
Linda Winder - Linda has worked in the Angleton office for a year.  A retired school teacher and newspaper editor, she does the e-mail newsletter, press releases  and also takes calls from constituents.  She and her husband John have lived in Angleton since 1966. 
 

Whatever their area of expertise, all members of my staff are available to help you in whatever you might need. Do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

 SCHOOLS TO BE  HONORED
 

Frontier Elementary in Angleton and Freeport Intermediate of Freeport will be recognized at the Texas Pathfinder Collaborative Tuesday in Austin. Members of the Texas Education Agency visited schools last year and identified 100 schools that have model programs for helping students become successful.  These schools, which are being recognized, will now share these successful programs with other schools in Texas. Since education is such a priority in our state, I plan to be on hand to congratulate these two Brazoria County schools for this honor.

 BERTHEAU TO BE PHYSICIAN OF THE DAY
 

Dr. J. H. Bertheau, a family physician in Lake Jackson for more than 20 years, will be  the Physician of the Day in the Texas Legislature on January 23.  Dr. Bertheau, who is also serving as a legislative liaison for the Texas Academy of Family Physicians is very involved with governmental  issues that concern the medical community. After being honored on the House floor, Dr. Bertheau will spend the day at the Capitol.

 POLICE CHIEFS VISIT AUSTIN
 

Angleton Chief David Ashburn, Freeport Chief Henrietta Gonzalez, and Lake Jackson Chief Paul Hromadka were in Austin Wednesday for the Texas Police Chiefs Conference. I attended the Legislative Luncheon with them and had a chance to discuss a number of law enforcement issues.  They are very positive about bills I have filed, the Justin Wollam Act and the Move Over Act, and are talking about these with other police chiefs.
 

January Calendar
 Jan. 8 - Speech, Southeast Texas Police Chiefs Association
 Jan. 9 - Speech with Sen. Kyle Janek, Brazosport Chamber
 Jan. 14 - Beginning of 78th Legislative Session
           Jan. 15 - Police Chiefs Association Luncheon, Austin
 Jan. 21 - Pathfinder Awards, Frontier Elementary, Freeport Intermediate
  Governors Ball
 Jan. 23 Dr. J. H.  Bertheau of Lake Jackson, Legislature Physician of Day
             Boys and Girls Club Dinner, Freeport
 Jan. 25 - Dedication, Barrow Elementary School, Brazoria
 Jan. 27 - Bikers Legislative Day