Watson Wire

Freedom’s Just Another Word for ... Sine Die

Sunday, June 07, 2009 |

When the legislative session finally ends, the Legislature adjourns “sine die.”  

That’s a Latin phrase for “at least we’re still part of the USA.”

We’re a big part, actually, considering we’ve got $12 billion in federal stimulus money balancing the budget that the legislature just passed.  But it was that kind of session – one day, there’s talk (then no talk, then talk about how there wasn’t talk in the first place) about secession, and the next day the state takes as much money as humanly possible from the federal government, occasionally demanding even more.
 
Ahh, so many ironies . . .

Like the fact that a single bill wrecked Senate traditions the first week of the session and House calendars the last week – but still couldn’t pass.

Or that all of these bills invoking sunsets are going to be hanging in the air for the next several months (maybe we should just call them “Sunburn” bills).

Or that just months after some state leaders promised to stop diverting transportation money for other programs (which, one would think, acknowledges the need for more revenue), the diversions didn’t stop, the legislature broke down over the only new funding tools on the table, and Texas may wind up with even less transportation money over the next two years.

Or that the Senate’s rush to stick bills into “lifeboats” led to a whole new set of conflicts between the chambers that killed even more bills. (I’m sure about three-dozen of you understood that sentence – for everybody else, just imagine a playground with two groups of kids, one ball, and no adults, and you’ll get the idea.)

So I guess you can add “the irony” to what people will remember from the 81st Texas Legislative Session.  So far, from what I read from a surprising range of observers, the list includes inadequate leadership, missed opportunities, and needless, wasteful, divisive politics.

But I’m not going to write about all of that today.

The good news

No, I’m going to write about the good work we did this year.  Beneath all the conflict and chaos, we passed bills that will help a lot of people.  Personally, I’m going to remember this as a very successful session, and it was cool and gratifying that Texas Monthly saw it the same way – the magazine included me on their list of the 10 Best Legislators last week (here’s a link to a podcast in which the writers discuss the awards).
 
Here are some quick points about where legislation and issues I worked on this year ended up:

Energy and Environment: After nearly three years of work, the Legislature finally passed my bill to study ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through cost-saving strategies.  This “No Regrets” bill is the first piece of statewide, comprehensive climate change legislation to pass the legislature.  

We also passed the House companion to my bill establishing a TV recycling program, as well as a bill I sponsored to develop an offshore repository for greenhouse gas emissions.  And I amended onto other bills my proposals requiring that state agencies buy more fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles and consider state-of-the-art electrical technologies when building certain critical buildings.

Budget: I successfully fought an ill-conceived proposal that would effectively ban embryonic stem cell research in Texas.  The final version of the budget also had more money for schools, student financial aid, and Texans with disabilities – as well as full funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, one of my priorities this session (unfortunately, a bill expanding CHIP died in the House; something to work on for next session).

In addition, I added provisions from my vital budget transparency bill to another measure that the legislature passed, ensuring that the state will have to be far more open about money that is supposed to go toward specific, dedicated purposes – such as parks, clean air, or trauma care – but instead is used to balance the budget.  

The legislature also approved a bill, much like one I filed, to exempt more small businesses from the state’s franchise tax.  And I amended an affordable housing bill I sponsored so that the state will have to explore ways to help homeowners struggling with their property tax bills.

Transportation: My bill allocating money for the relocation and improvement of rail lines – provided road funding remains at least level – was amended onto the state budget.  So for the first time since voters created it in 2005, the Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund may actually be funded next year, and the state can begin working toward the comprehensive transportation system that drivers, businesses, and voters want.

In addition, the legislature approved my bill reforming the Capital Metro board, putting the agency under the state’s Sunset Review process, and clarifying when rail elections are required.  And I amended a bill to include provisions sought by the police chiefs of Texas’ biggest cities that would require every passenger in a car to be safely buckled up.

Education: I worked to make sure the real-world lessons from the closing of Johnston High School in Austin were incorporated into the school accountability reform that the legislature approved.  These provisions will give school districts, communities, and the state more flexibility when faced with closing a campus.  We also provided nearly $2 billion more to Texas school districts.  And the legislature passed the Carson Starkey Alcohol Awareness and Education Act, named for a friend of our family’s who died last year, requiring middle and high schools to teach students about the signs, dangers, and treatment of alcohol poisoning and binge drinking.

Higher Education: Since I was elected to the Senate, I’ve said the state should make a concerted effort to increase the number of top-tier research universities in Texas.  Finally this year, the legislature created a process allowing universities to make the leap to the elite level of nationally recognized institutions.  Additionally, a proposed constitutional amendment, if voters approve it this November, will help the state fund this vital effort.  The legislature also approved a bill that will begin to provide relief to the University of Texas, which has been badly hamstrung by legislative requirements about which students must be admitted to the student body.

In addition, the Legislature passed my bills to help parents set up children’s savings accounts to send their kids to college, and to require that colleges and universities show what it really costs to go to school there.

Economic Development: I passed several bills that will boost the Texas economy.  One gives the comptroller more flexibility in pursuing major events like the Super Bowl that will have a huge economic impact.  Another provides incentives to create badly needed infrastructure supporting the state’s film industry.  

I also amended the higher education bill to include my proposal to look at establishing a database or search engine connecting researchers across the state.  And, from my position as a member of the Senate Economic Development Committee, I worked hard on a bill affecting one of the state’s primary economic development programs to ensure that taxpayers have greater protections from bad deals and know more about how these partnerships work.

Work for next time

As proud as I am of this list, there’s no question that we need to do more.  There were far too many missed opportunities this year, and it isn’t too early to start thinking about what we need to accomplish in 2011:

• The most regrettable failure of the session may have been the demise of so many bills to jump-start the solar energy industry in Texas – including my proposal to set solar generation requirements for the state.  We’ve got to take steps to get ahead of this wave if Texas is going to remain an energy capital in the 21st Century.
• The legislature failed to pass meaningful – or even marginal – insurance reform, including my bill requiring companies to be more straightforward about what they cover and what they charge.  I negotiated several amendments to the Texas Department of Insurance Sunset bill that would have helped make that agency friendlier to everyday Texans and less a haven for the big insurance companies.  The TDI Sunset bill died in the House.  But customers are still getting pummeled on insurance rates right now, and the state must do all it can, as soon as it can, to reform the industry and get some relief to ratepayers and all Texans.
• The death of the bill expanding children’s health insurance is one of the session’s true tragedies – and the fact that there’s money for the expansion is an almost cruel consolation prize.  It’s vital that we pass legislation to protect the children who need this program.
• While my primary budget transparency bill will essentially become law, there are several other proposals that deserve more consideration.  They will remain on my agenda.
• In killing bills allowing local governments to raise much needed transportation money, the legislature did nothing more than push Texas two years closer to a full-blown transportation crisis.  We have to find solutions that will allow cities and counties to address their own problems, particularly as the state refuses to help them.
• Our retirement systems face serious challenges, yet the state’s only alternative this session was to require that employees make all of the sacrifices in propping up the Employee Retirement System fund.  We need a better, fairer solution that protects our vital human resources.
• And finally, the state continues to face entrenched financial problems.  The legislature used billions in federal stimulus funds to put off a budget crisis, but the fact is that we’re still spending far more money than we’re bringing in.  We need true bipartisan action to address this problem.

Now, here’s the part where you remind me that 2011 will be a redistricting session.  And where you note that those tend to get a little partisan, rancorous, and unfocused – at least when it comes to other issues.

But I’m going to work hard and hope for the best.  After all, after this session, what’s the worst that can happen?