ISSUES POLICY
TSCRA Refl ects on 84th Texas Legislative Session
By Pete Bonds, president, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
T
HE 84TH SESSION OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE FILED MORE than 6,400 pieces of legislation this year between Jan. 13 and June 1. The volunteer leaders and staff
of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) tracked more than 600 bills and resolutions of interest to ranchers and landowners, working with state elected offi cials and their staffs. This record-setting number of bills proves that the
number of issues affecting TSCRA members is growing, making it crucial for us to keep these important mat- ters on the radar of elected offi cials with whom we have worked to build and maintain relationships. A central topic for TSCRA this session was water.
We monitored and weighed-in on numerous pieces of legislation related to groundwater rights and ownership issues. We were active in opposing legislation that would have infringed on Texans’ constitutionally protected groundwater rights. We succeeded in preventing the passage of bills that would ultimately have threatened or taken away local management of groundwater. We were directly involved in discussions associated
with eminent domain legislation. We worked with other landowner groups to block legislation that would have allowed certain entities to misuse the power of eminent domain to drill allocation oil and gas wells on privately owned land. I was proud to see the passage of a balanced budget
providing necessary funding for some very important needs in Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) received a 52 percent increase in general revenue funds
96 The Cattleman August 2015
resulting from the passage of Proposition 1 in November 2014. Texans will have another opportunity to vote on an additional constitutional amendment this November, which could add another $2.5 billion toward transpor- tation needs in Texas. We have supported these efforts as our state works to meet growing mobility needs. We will work to ensure that rural Texas gets its fair share of these dollars. Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) received a
27 percent increase in general revenue funds, along with 27 new full-time employees who will focus on border disease issues and feral swine disease response. These additional resources are crucial to protecting the cattle industry from devastating animal diseases. The session has ended, but our work continues. As
many state agencies focus on the implementation of the new policies signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, we are working with agency leaders and staff to make sure they keep the best interests of ranchers and land- owners in mind. The 2017 legislative session seems a long time away,
but we are already discussing key legislative items. Join us for these conversations at our Policy Conference, Sept. 23 to 25 in San Antonio. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the many members
who reached out to state senators and representatives during this session to support or voice concerns. You were instrumental to the entire process and we greatly appreciate your willingness to help. We will need this same level of attentiveness and participation during the interim and for sessions to come.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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