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THIS IS BEING
DEVELOPED AS GOOD BILLS or SPONSORS of GOOD BILLS ARE
BEING IDENTIFIED. Many bills are pre-filed already.
The 80th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature begins
Tuesday, January 9, 2006. It is our BEST chance to
IMPACT the ISSUES of the CORRIDORS & TOLLING. Making
our elected office holders ACCOUNTABLE is also an
excellent general purpose goal!
- 1) A Vote of Record for All
Legislative Votes (so that we know
how they vote but excluding ceremonial
votes).
- 2) A Strong Proposition Limiting
the Use of Eminent Domain (models are
available) & Requiring the offer of "Replacement
Value" +
Tx.Farm Bureau will file a bill
BUT theirs cannot be trusted at face
value due to their SUPPORT of PERRY
-
3) Providing Initiative & Referendum to Citizens
(enjoyed by 24 other states)
- 4) Campaign
Finance Reform with a Dollar Limit on Individual
Contributions*
HB111 filed by Villarreal
- 5) Close the
Revolving Door Between the Legislature and the
Lobby.
- 6) Create an Independent
Commission to Write Understandable
Proposition Language
- 7) Keep Judges
Independent by Appointment and Retention
Elections.
- 8) Create an
Independent Redistricting Commission.
- 9) Oppose TX. Transportation
Commission's efforts to EXPAND the current
ABOMINATIONS
- 10) Support
a GOOD bill to abolish the TX.
Transportation Commission & elect a
Transportation Commissioner who answers to the
Citizens NOT the Governor**
HB154 filed by Pickett
*
Rep. Mike
Villarreal, D-San
Antonio,
has prefiled HB 111
for the legislative session to limit total
political contributions by one individual in
state races to $100,000 per election cycle.
Under
Villarreal's bill, a person could give the
entire $100,000 to a single candidate or
committee but would be unable to donate to
anyone else.
**
One bill already filed,
HB 154, calls for
the abolition of the Texas Transportation
Commission and the creation of a Commissioner of
Transportation as an elected statutory state
officer. It proposes that the first
commissioner of transportation would be elected
in the general election held in November 2008,
serving a four year term, beginning January 1,
2009.
The author of this bill is Representative Joseph
"Joe" Pickett, a
Democrat, from El Paso. In the summer of 2006
he lead the opposition to the formation of an
RMA (Regional Mobility Authority) in El Paso and
has been involved in a protracted fight with the
Texas Department of Transportation, which he
says is using threats and bribes to promote RMAs
across the state. He has argued that the
cases for RMAs are financially flawed.
**Some
sources:
IndyTexans,
www.IndyTexans.org // Common
Cause, 512-474-2374 // League
of Women Voters, 512-231-8536 // Texans for
Public Justice, 512-472-9770
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