ISSUES POLICY
TSCRA Remains Active on State Issues During Interim
By Pete Bonds, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association president T
HE 85TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WILL CONVENE ON Jan. 10, 2017, in Austin, a date that will be here
before we know it. Pre-fi ling of legislation starts in November; therefore, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) members are working hard during the interim on important issues facing ranchers and landowners. When we analyze the priorities set by the Speaker
and Lieutenant Governor it is obvious that many issues we focused on in the past remain on the front burner today — water, private property rights, transportation and property taxes. These interim charges are important because as House
and Senate Committees have hearings on these and many other issues of interest to Texans, their fi ndings could end up becoming legislation during the next session. TSCRA is tracking several water issues that House
and Senate Committees are looking at this interim, such as groundwater planning, management and regulation. Obviously, these issues could have impacts on ground- water ownership — a right that TSCRA and other land- owner groups have worked hard to successfully protect. There will also be several issues relating to surface water rights that we are monitoring. Eminent domain continues to be of interest to
TSCRA members. Leveling the playing fi eld for land- owners’ private property rights in the condemnation process remains one of our top goals. We will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure that landowners are treated fairly when an entity attempts to use the power
of eminent domain to acquire land for public use. TSCRA is also working through the interim to re-
search the surface use issues created by the development of minerals on private property. It is important that TSCRA members know about
important hearings being held by the Texas Senate Property Tax Select Reform and Relief Committee. These meetings are being held across the state to study the property tax process and appraisal system. If you are interested in fi nding out more about the hearings, contact the TSCRA Austin offi ce. TSCRA members have been instrumental in voicing
concerns on critical issues and providing a strong voice at the Capitol in Austin. We will need this same amount of input and involvement in the legislative process as we prepare for the 2017 legislative session. We have several policy committees made of associa-
tion members who are interested in representing the interests of cattle raisers in a variety of areas. These policy committees are discussing many important leg- islative issues now and will continue discussions on the issues at the TSCRA summer meeting, June 16 to 18, La Torretta Lake Resort, Montgomery, and at the Policy Conference, Sept. 28 to 30, Austin. For more information on how to become involved, please contact the TSCRA Austin offi ce at 512-469-0171. For a list of interim charges, visit
www.house.state.
tx.us and search for 84th Legislative Interim Charges, or
www.senate.state.tx.us and search for 84th Senate Interim Charges.
104 The Cattleman March 2016
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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