Blog # 7 Rainwater Harvesting, Education Reform and Sunset Review - Abolishing the "Builders" Commission.

Tuesday March 31st, 2009

Legislation listed below was all witnessed For:

Natural Resources Committee.

HB 4299 Rose - Rainwater Harvesting incentives.  I was part of the Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) roundtable discussion group and am very pleased to report this update:  Since the committee hearing the bill will have a few minor substantive changes and will be going back to committee on Tuesday April 7th, anticipating passage and movement to calendars.  There is no Senate sponsor as yet, but the bill has a strong following given the potential for RWH as an important and inexpensive water conservation strategy for drought stricken Central Texas.

Public Education Committee.

Based on the presentation given by Carmen Llanes of PODER at the Texas Moratorium Network's Lobby Day training session, the Green Party was in favor of the following two bills providing for education system reforms - requiring education administrators wider discretion on determining disciplinary actions and a bill protecting students from bullying (a bill important to the GLBT community):

HB 171 Olivo - Relating to consideration of mitigating factors in determining appropriate disciplinary action to be taken against a public school student., Pending in Cmte.  SB 2270 Gallegos, identical

HB 172 Olivo, Relating to the right of a parent of a public school student to prompt notice of certain disciplinary action taken against the student. Pending in Committee.

HB 1323 Strama, Gonzales, Pierson - Relating to bullying and harassment in public schools. Pending in Committee.

Sex education reform - "Just the Facts":

HB 1567 Villarreal - Relating to abstinence education in public schools. Pending in Committee.  SB 1076 Van de Putte, identical.

HB 741 Castro, Strama, Villarreal, Farrar, Allen - Relating to health education curriculum and instruction in public schools. Pending in Committee.  SB 515 Ellis, identical.

Based on the often piecemeal delivered (if at all) and misinformation provided in many school districts throughout the state, that has or has not been provided to students, and the lack of factual and consistent sex education information across the state these two bills provide for abstinence education (yeah, like that works!), AND, most importantly includes information based on factual science-based curriculum from professional medical associations and emphasizing safe social behaviour sexual education: 

Education Committee (continued):

The Green Party backed these bills as common sense reforms designed to clarify the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards), and to provide additional initiatives for teachers working with students having english as their second language.

SB 1363 Shapiro - Relating to clarification of the essential knowledge and skills of the public school curriculum and the evaluation of conforming curriculum management systems. Pending in Committee., then set for new Public Hearing on 04/02/09.  HB 2155 Edwards, identical.

SB 1459 Shapiro - Relating to education initiatives for students of limited English proficiency and students at risk of dropping out of school.  Pending

SB 1460 Shapiro - Relating to professional development academies designed for public school teachers who provide instruction to certain students of limited English proficiency.  Pending - Now posted for new hearing on April 7th.

Industry & Commerce Committee - 

Alliance:  Homeowners for better building - http://www.hobb.org/content/view/2516/1/     Check out the website.  

Based on the information I gleaned from the website it was apparent that the Greens would be in favor of this legislation; especially given the case here in Austin that Clint Smith and Allissa Chambers have been working on (see Travis County Greens dot Org).  

"Consumer groups are praising the Sunset Advisory Commission for its candid assessment and recommendation to abolish the controversial builder protection agency known as the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC).  TRCC is run exclusively by the homebuilding industry to regulate homeowners. It is by far the most criticized state agency ever created."

HB 1635 Todd Smith - the abolition of the Texas Residential Construction Commission.

HB 2243  Leibowitz - the licensing and regulation of residential construction contractors and the abolition of the Texas Residential Construction Commission; providing a criminal penalty.

HB 2695 Gattis - the abolition of the Texas Residential Construction Commission.