Green Party of Texas
March 1, 2009
I spent the day Thursday, February 26th, 2009 introducing myself to the legislative staff of eight legislators that I had identified as friendly to the issues Greens feel strongly about, given the legislation they have introduced in this session and previous sessions. I also made a point of stopping by the Legislative Reference Library in preparation for research on Ballot Access Initiatives.
Rep. Elliott Naishtat
HJR 24 Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to a moratorium on the execution of persons convicted of capital offenses.
HB 877 The creation of a commission to study capital punishment in Texas.
HB 164 Relating to the medical use of marijuana.
A suggestion was made to "Testify as an individual because of potential knee jerk reaction from some legislators who may think 'GREEN PEACE'; Written testimony could have a proviso/note = "We're not Green Peace", and "Think Dr. Mahatma Ghandi with a laptop!")
HJR 23 = Change recorded vote for Second Reading (because 2nd read is most important - fist is compulsory, third is most often a fait accompli or done deal).
Dallas Morning News took this up in the last session 80th, Rep. Dan Branch - It got to second reading and thougt it would have passed = one vote shy: The bill asks for a simple hook up of a wire to the vote board that already exists.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HJR23
Rep. Lon Burnham
HB 682 Abolishing the death penalty
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB682
Rep. Eddie Rodriguez
Ballot Access http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB820
Proportional Voting http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=80R&Bill=HB2209
Petition Screen-out http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=80R&Bill=HB2280
Rep. Dr. Alma Allen
HB 741 Sex Education in schools = based on fact and accuracy
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB741
Rep. Solomon Ortiz Jr.
HB 820 Ballot Access http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB820
Proportional Screen-out = possible amendments
Sen. Kirk Watson
(meeting with Senator scheduled),
Rep. Valinda Bolton
(Introduce myself to legislative aids, discussed Ballot Access bill and relayed interest in county issues -
Rep. Bolton is my legislator!),
Rep. Rafael Anchia
(meeting with Legislative Director Damien Brockmann Monday March 2nd)
Rep. Mark Strama
(meeting with Legislative Director James Deaver Wednesday March 4th).
- Certainly expect this list will continue to expand as I make my rounds, stumping for support of the bills the Greens plan to both support and lobby against.
Discussions:
Rep. Solomon Ortiz Jr. is the author of HB 820, so yesterday I met with Rep. Ortiz Jr.'s General Counsel, Jose' "Chito" Vela, to talk about the bill and how the Green Party can assist with its passage:
We agreed that 500 signatures for a ballot initiative was/has been considered too low; therefore, What is a reasonable number? One thousand? 5,000? Mr. Vela stated that he had heard/discussed with other progressive third partys that ten thousand was a reasonable number - a far cry from the 40,000+/- needed (if I have that number right). However, the time window for getting these signatures has not been debated or considered for change (should it be?).
Mr. Vela suggested that the most significant requirement for this bill to take life (be taken seriously) is that the bill needs co-sponsors, and he suggested that this is the effort organizations like the Greens could be of greatest assistance.
Action needed: Suggestions as to specific legislators to approach for co-sponsoring including a legislative sponsor on the Senate side.
HB 820 (Ballot Access) is filed in the Election Committee.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB820
I also met with Rep. Eddie Rodriguez's staff to discuss his re-filing of his authored HB 2209 from the 80th Legislative Session on Proportional Voting and whether the Rep. was considering filing it again:
The answer I was given was No, that the draft filing date has passed (I have a hard time with this explanation given this is a bill already written up; plus the final date for filing bills is Mar. 13th) and that this bill could be included later as an amendment - Rep. Rodriguez's staff stated that he had checked with the Election Committee Chair, Rep. Todd Smith's office to confirm this.
Similar response was given by Rep. Mark Strama's office concerning his previously authored HB 2280 in the 80th, the Primary Screen-Out bill, that it could be included as an amendment in committee or on the House floor.
Suggested Action: Continue to lobby for re-filing these bills, finding co-sponsors and identify FAVORED bills that could serve as an attachment for an amendment.
My argument given, in these brief meetings, for Proportional Voting was that it saves taxpayer money and decides immediately an outcome rather than forcing a run-off which typically has low voter turnout.
Chance meetings:
In my wanderings around the Capitol Extension, I met a group of University students lobbying for several student tuition bills, sporting blue shirts with golden-yellow lettering "Tuition Relief Now".
Met the vice President of the University of Texas Democrats, Ms. Mellissa Rodriguez who referred me to:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=48045508405
SB 105 - Freezing Tuition
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=SB105
HB 215 by Guillen, Identical
Read the story at http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=7968
Also had the good fortune to run into Robin Schneider, Director of Texas Campaign for the Environment:
Check out their focus on legislation involving E-Waste
http://www.texasenvironment.org/ewaste_rules.cfm
And Landfills
http://www.texasenvironment.org/landfill_rules.cfm
Rainwater Harvesting Legislation:
I have been asked by Rep. Patrick Rose's office to review and comment on a Rain Water Harvesting bill, HB 1818 during a roundtable discussion this Tuesday at the Capitol!
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB1818
This bill has several references that defer to the homeowners associations as well as providing tax breaks to those who are interested in investing in desalination and brush clearing, which I am not in favor of given the amount of energy it takes to desalinize saltwater and the 'waste' of the brine. Though I am for the clearing of non-native plants that are water hogs but I'm not against ash juniper given it can be a creator of soil and serves as wildlife habitat for several endangered bird species!
Also This Week/Month:
Equality Texas Lobby Day - Monday March 2nd
http://eqfed.org/eqtx/events/lobbyday09/details.tcl
Texas Coalition Abolish the Death Penalty, Lobby Day - March 10th
http://www.tcadp.org/
Planned Parenthood, Lobby Day - March 12th
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppaustin/lobby-day-2009-21607.htm
Texas Moratorium Network, Lobby Day - March 24th
http://stopexecutions.blogspot.com/
Additional Legislation to Watch:
HB 1107 Relating to licensing of advanced practice registered nurses and the authority of those nurses to prescribe and order prescription drugs.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB1107
SB 619 Exemption from the sales tax for certain solar energy devices.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=SB619
HB 282 The designation of certain election days as state holidays = Election Day Holiday!
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/BillStages.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB282
For more Green supported Legislation check out the www.txgreens.org website
and to reference the additional information about legislation and the legislative process at
http://www.legis.state.tx.us
Lastly, in the form of explanation/disclaimer as to why I have taken this appointment on: I am new to this lobbying activity and consider myself a student to politics. I am Green, idealistic, yet realistic in that I am keeping this whole exercise under perspective as a crap shoot, recognizing both the gamble and theatre involved, with some educated approaches to the process.
I am certainly interested in results but am taking the long view for third parties, wanting to provide the Greens and our allies with an additional set of progressive energy toward positive and meaningful change. I look forward to working with you and creating strong coalitions.
Contact me at billstout-AT-txgreens.org
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