GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Te Industry Eye on State & Local Issues
GHBA is hard at work monitoring issues at both the local and state level. Find out what's happening, and how you can be involved.
Legislative Session Update W
hat a session! Speaker Joe Strauss appointed committees in the House of Representatives on February 9, bills are
flowing to committee, and the legislative process has started in earnest. In the Senate, Lt. Governor Dewhurst started with a bang, passing a voter identification bill right out of the gate.
By ADAM ASCHMANN, GHBA Government Affairs Director
You Have a Voice with GAC!
If you have questions about this article or would like to get involved on the Government Affairs Committee, call (281) 970-8970, ext. 140 or email Adam at
aaschmann@ghba.org.
This is going to be an interesting session, to say the least. The state of the budget will require legislators to make some extremely difficult decisions in order for our state to move forward financially. Redistricting will be the other proverbial elephant in the room as the legislature does its work this year. The first set of Texas Census numbers were released in mid-February and show that Texas grew by 4.3 million people. This represents a 20.6% increase in population, and will inevitably lead to the redistricting discussion.
I cannot leave legislative issues without thanking everyone for an amazing Rally Day on February 23. There were more than 200 participants from GHBA alone, and so many more from across the state. I would like to specifically thank your Government Affairs team of Donna Buenik and Maggie Yancey for pulling everything together and making it all happen!
National News
Just because the Legislature is in session, it doesn’t mean that the rest of the world stops. So GHBA continues to plug away on acquisition, development and construction finance issues on a national level to ensure that members have available funds to
8 Local Updates
There are several local issues still on the table, including the ever-present Chapter 42 discussion at the City of Houston and the permit and fee process at Harris County. As always, the Government Affairs team will remain vigilant with all of the issues that affect the industry, and will continue to keep you informed.
In closing, I want to let you know that this is my last column with GHBA, as I am moving on to another career opportunity. I would like to take a moment to say “thank you!” to each of you. The influence that you, our members, have on Houston’s economy is extraordinary, and I have been fortunate to see that impact first-hand, and to be part of your advocacy team. I need to thank Donna and Maggie for everything they have done to support our work and to make sure we are making a real difference in Houston. To the person that took a chance on me five years ago, Toy, you are absolutely the best. You’ve been an amazing mentor, friend and person.
To all of TEAM GHBA, thank you! MARCH 2011 | HOUSTON BUILDER | GREATER HOUSTON BUILDERS ASSOCIATION – BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
continue building homes. Another large national issue that demands your attention is the potential removal of the federal mortgage interest deduction on your annual taxes. A team from GHBA will be in Washington D.C. on March 16 to meet with the Houston area members of Congress to discuss these issues. We must continue to drive home how important these issues are to our industry. If you would like to participate please contact Donna Buenik at
dbuenik@ghba.org.
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