| 11/8/2010 | HB 85 | Simpson | Relating to the state's or a state governmental entity's provision of support for the performance of an abortion or abortion-related services. | Prohibition of sponsoring abortions with tax revenue | Authored, filed | The first duty of civil gov't is to protect human life. So during my campaign I promised that this would be the first legislation that I would file. |
| 11/8/2010 | HB 86 | Simpson | Relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on the campuses of institutions of higher education. | Personal protection on campus | Authored, filed | Self-defense is a God given individual right which the civil gov't should protect and not remove except for criminals. Students, teachers, and visitors to college campuses should not have to choose between education and self-defense. This bill would authorize CHL holders (who must be at least 21 years old and have completed training) to carry handguns in an institution of higher learning. |
| 11/8/2010 | HJR 22 | Simpson | Proposing a constitutional amendment to prohibit the state or a governmental entity in the state from providing support for the performance of an abortion or abortion-related services. | Prohibition of sponsoring abortions with tax revenue | Authored, filed | The first duty of civil gov't is to protect human life. So during my campaign I promised that this would be the first legislation that I would file. |
| 12/15/2010 | HB 75 | Flynn | Relating to the regulation of raw milk and raw milk products. | Will allow for more freedom in the sale and delivery of raw milk. | Joint authored | This bill amends the Health & Safety Code to allow for more freedom in the sale and delivery of raw milk at permit holder's business, residence, & any other location where producers customarily sell their products directly to consumers such as a farmers' market or fair. |
| 1/24/2011 | CSHB 86 | Simpson | Relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on the campuses of institutions of higher education. | Personal protection on campus | Prepared committee substitute | This committee substitute adds a provision to balance the individual right of self-defense with private property rights. If a private institution of higher learning prohibits CHL holders from carrying a handgun on its property they may do so, but it will lose some immunity provided by the state having effectively limited individual CHL holders in the potential exercise of their right to self-defense. I plan to substitute this version for the original in committee. |
| 1/24/2011 | HB 297 | Berman | Relating to certain federal health care legislation; imposing penalties. | Nullification of Obamacare | Joint authored | This bill would declare Obamacare void and provide penalties for federal and state employees who attempt to enforce it. |
| 1/24/2011 | HB 295 | Berman | Relating to certification for placement on the ballot of candidates for President or Vice-President of the United States. | Certification of citizenship qualification | Joint authored | This bill would require a copy of an original birth certificate to prove a candidate is a natural born citizen prior to certification for placement of a name on a ballot. |
| 1/27/2011 | HB 750 | Driver | Relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on certain premises of or locations associated with schools or institutions of higher education. | Campus personal protection | Coauthored | Self-defense is a God given individual right which the civil gov't should protect and not remove except for criminals. Students, teachers, and visitors to college campuses should not have to choose between education and self-defense. This bill would authorize CHL holders (who must be at least 21 years old and have completed training) to carry handguns in an institution of higher learning. |
| 1/24/2011 | HB 201 | Morrison | Relating to informed consent to an abortion. | Sonogram bill | Coauthored | The first duty of civil gov't is to protect human life. This legislation requires that a woman be offered the opportunity to view a sonogram prior to her decision to abort her unborn child. |
| 1/18/2011 | HB 246 | Johnson | Relating to the eligibility for service retirement annuities of certain elected officials convicted of certain crimes. | Forfeiture of benefits for criminal elected officials | Coauthored | Elected officials who betray the public trust should not receive benefits. |
| 1/15/2011 | HB 17 | Riddle | Relating to the creation of the offense of criminal trespass by an illegal alien and to certain procedures for arresting illegal aliens for committing that criminal offense. | Creates the offense of criminal trespass by illegal Alien. | Coauthored | This bill is a step in the right direction and avoids some of the possible problems in the Arizona legislation. |
| 2/11/2011 | HB 187 | Perry | Relating to zero-based budgeting for certain entities funded by this state. | Zero-based budgeting | Coauthored | This bill requires entities funded by the state to present a budget based on the actual cost of providing the services they are statutorily charged with performing. |
| 1/18/2011 | HB 698 | Huberty | Relating to the carrying of concealed handguns by certain persons attending a school board meeting. | CHL carry by certain persons in a school board meeting | Coauthored | This bill would enable superintendents and school board members with a CHL attending school board meetings to be able to defend themselves (such as in the event of an intruder), just as they are permitted to defend themselves elsewhere. |
| 2/1/2011 | HJR 37 | Hughes | Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring certain tax bills to be approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house of the legislature. | 2/3 Vote of Legislature to raise taxes | Coauthored | This bill would propose a constitutional amendment to require a 2/3 vote of all the members elected to each house of the legislature on any measure which imposes a new state tax or increases the rate of an existing state tax above the rate in effect the day the bill was filed. |
| 1/4/2011 | HJR 51 | Christian | Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the rights of individuals to choose or decline to choose to purchase health insurance coverage. | Constitutional protection against Obamacare | Coauthored | This HJR would provide a constitutional amendment giving each individual in the state the right to choose or decline to choose health insurance coverage without penalty or sanction or threat of penalty or sanction. |
| 2/16/2011 | HB 95/HJR 23 | Fletcher | Granting the surviving spouse the full tax exemption that has been afforded to the disabled veteran. | Survivor property tax exemption | Coauthored | This is a proposed constitutional amendment and enabling legislation to ensure the surviving spouse of a totally disabled veteran will continue to receive a property tax reduction after the death of the veteran. |
| 2/21/2011 | HB 1388 | Hopson | Relating to the prohibition of certain regulations by a municipality in its extraterritorial jurisdiction involving trees and vegetation. | | Joint authored | The bill limits civil government and promotes property rights - essential protections since the residents in the ETJ cannot vote. |
| 2/21/2011 | HB 15 | Miller, Sid | Relating to providing a sonogram before an abortion; providing penalties. | Sonogram bill | Coauthored | This bill and HB 201 (another sonogram bill) are both improvements over the bill passed by the Senate. |
| 2/24/2011 | HB 241 | Parker | Relating to liability for interest if land appraised for ad valorem tax purposes as agriculture or open-space land is sold or diverted to a different use. | Tax moratorium on interest accrued when ag land is converted to other uses | Coauthored | This bill would prohibit the interest on the retroactive tax that becomes due when ag property is converted to other use. |
| 3/1/2011 | HB 1937 | Simpson | Relating to the offensive touching of persons seeking access to public buildings and transportation; providing penalties. | Dignity in Travel - Prohibiting indecent groping searches | Authored, filed | This bill would make it a crime in Texas for a person to touch specific private areas of the body during a search unless there is probable cause to believe the person committed an offense. |
| 3/1/2011 | HB 1938 | Simpson | Relating to the prohibition of whole-body scanners in airports; providing criminal and civil penalties. | Dignity in Travel - Prohibiting virtual strip searches | Authored, filed | This bill would prohibit whole body scanners that depict the "virtual strip search" resulting in nude body images. |
| 3/1/2011 | HCR 80 | Simpson | Expressing strong opposition to unwarranted and unreasonable searches of air passengers by the Transportation Security Administration and urging the administration to cease such searches immediately administration to cease such searches immediately. | Dignity in Travel - Prohibiting unreasonable searches | Authored, filed | This is a concurrent resolution expressing the Legislature's strong opposition to unwarranted searches by the TSA and urging the administration to cease them immediately. |
| 3/1/2011 | HB 15 | Miller | Relating to providing a sonogram before an abortion; providing penalties. | Sonogram bill | Voted aye | This is the sonogram bill to ensure women have the ability to view their sonogram prior to an abortion. After two days of debate, the bill passed in the House. |
| 3/7/2011 | HB 15 | Miller | Relating to providing a sonogram before an abortion; providing penalties | Sonogram bill | Voted aye | I voted aye on final passage of this bill. It ensures the opportunity for women to see their sonogram prior to an abortion - a right they would have in any other medical procedure. |
| 3/7/2011 | HB 2356 | Simpson | Relating to the exercise of the power of eminent domain by certain private entitites. | Limiting eminent domain authority for private entities | Authored, filed | I filed HB 2356 to specify that common carriers can only condemn property to transport authorized commodities. |
| 3/9/2011 | HCR 50 | Creighton | Affirming the pride of all Texans in both our one and indivisible national union and our one and indivisible state, claiming sovereighty under the Tenth Amendment to the Consitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution, serving notice to the federal government to ceases and desist from certain mandates, and providing that certain federal legislation be prohibited or repealed. | State sovereignty | Coauthored | Signed on as co-author of HCR 50, a resolution affirming the proper Constitutional understanding of states as sovereign under the 10th Amendment. |
| 3/10/2011 | HB 2890 | Simpson | Relating to an employee's transporation and storage of certain firearms or ammunition while on certain property owned or controlled by the employee's employer | Vehicle CHL carry for state employees | Authored, filed | I filed legislation to allow a state employee with a CHL to carry a concealed handgun for personal protection in their vehicle or a vehicle owned by the state. |
| 3/10/2011 | HB 2849 | Simpson | Relating to the rights of an owner of the surface estate in land in connection with mineral exploration and production operations; providing administrative and criminal penalties. | Surface rights | Authored, filed | I filed legislation to protect the rights of the surface owners when mineral exploration and production is carried out on their property. |
| 3/10/2011 | HB 3104 | Simpson | Relating to precious metal coins | Wealth preservation | Authored, filed | Filed a bill to exempt small purchases of precious metals from the sales tax to entitle individuals making those small purchases to the same benefit as those who purchase large quantities enjoy. |
| 3/10/2011 | HB 86 | Simpson | Relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on the campuses of higher education | Self-defense on campus | Hearing scheduled | Was notified that my bill allowing CHL carry on college campuses will be heard in committee on 3/16/11. |
| 3/23/2011 | SB 14 | Fraser/Harless | Relating to requirements to vote, including presenting proof of identification; providing criminal penalties. | Voter ID | 3rd Reading | Voted "yes" as integrity of the ballot box is a core responsibility of government. |
| 3/23/2011 | HB 451 | Lucio III | Relating to the creation of a Don't Mess with Texas Water program to prevent illegal dumping that affects the surface wtaters of the state. | Water Program | 3rd Reading | Voted "no". The bill creates a new program with no funding in lean times and duplicates responsibilities already assigned. |
| 3/31/2011 | HB 4 | Pitts | Relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction and adjustment authority regarding appropriations. | Suppelmental appropriations | 3rd Reading | Voted "yes" to cut expenditures for the current biennium and appropriate additional funds as needed. |
| 3/21/2011 | HB 275 | | Relating to making an appropriation of money from the economic stabilization fund for expenditure during the current state fiscal biennium. | Rainy Day Fund | 3rd Reading | Voted "yes" to appropriate $3.1 billion from the Economic Stabilization Fund to cover the balance of the biennium ending August 31, 2011. This appropriation fits with the original purpose of the fund, which was to cover unexpected expenses or revenue shortfalls during economic downturns. |
| 4/3/2011 | HB 1 | | General Appropriations Bill. | Appropriations Bill | 3rd Reading | Voted "no". I am grateful for the cuts that were made in the bill in committee but disagree with the final priorities reflected in the bill. Corporate welfare was funded while provisions in the bill will almost surely result in nursing homes being closed. Education, the weak, and the elderly should take precedence over corporate handouts. |
| 4/6/2011 | HB 571 | Huberty | Relating to the regulation of certain aggregate production operations by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; providing penalties. | Regulatory | 3rd Reading | Voted "no" to a new regulatory program that would have grown government by 4 full-time employees. |
| 4/6/2011 | HB 675 | Lucio III | Relating to football helmet safety requirements in public schools. | Statewide Mandate | 3rd Reading | Voted "no" to a statewide mandate on the maintenance and upkeep of football helmets. I trust the local districts to make wise and prudent use of their resources and trust they will make the best decisions on behalf of students. |
| 4/6/2011 | HB 500 | Eissler | Relating to state-adopted assessment instruments administered to public school students. | Efficiency in Testing | 3rd Reading | Voted "yes" to provide a transition period for a new assessment program as a cost saving measure. |
| 4/6/2011 | HB 243 | Craddick | Relating to the creation of an offense for certain uses of a wirelss communication device while operating a motor vehicle. | Texting while Driving | 3rd Reading | Voted "no". While texting and driving is dangerous, so are a lot of other distracting activities. Thankfully an amendment was added that keeps reading a text from being a crime. |
