Congratulations to the Kilgore HS Soccer team!

The highlight of this week was watching the Kilgore High School soccer team compete in the State Championship in Georgetown just north of Austin and then touring the Capitol with them. Congratulations Bulldogs on a fantastic season and winning silver with such a young team!

Eminent Domain
SB 18 (HB 279) relating to eminent domain reform was passed unanimously. I sought unsuccessfully to improve this legislation with several amendments to eliminate restrictions on landowners. But, though I wish that we could have done more to protect private property rights, I believe that this bill is a step forward so I voted for it. I also have a hearing on HB 2356 on Monday before the Land and Resource Management committee. My bill would limit pipeline and power companies to condemning properties for transportation or transmission of their products only and not allow condemnation for merely business and administration purposes, oil and gas exploration, production, or processing, disposal of saltwater, or electrical generation or storage.

Federal Balanced Budget Amendment
HCR 18 was passed out of the House. This resolution urges Congress to propose and submit to the states an amendment to the United States Constitution providing for a federal balanced budget. I made an amendment to Rep. Creighton’s amendment to his resolution clarifying that the exception for not balancing the budget not be merely “in a time of war” but "during a war declared by the Congress of the United States pursuant to Article I, Section 8, Clause 11, United States Constitution". And my amendment was adopted.

Animal Cruelty and the "Puppy Mill" Bill
Although there is much opposition to HB 1451, no one sought to slow this bill down because the author is Rep. Thompson--the chair of the Local and Consent Calendar Committee.  After due consideration, I decided to object to the bill being placed on the Local and Consent calendar to allow the Rep. Thompson the opportunity to recommit the bill and send it to the general calendar where it would be debated up or down on its merits and not fly through without deliberation.  It is not a local bill and it had much testimony in opposition to it in committee, so it does not properly fall within the jurisdiciton of Local and Consent.

The bill relates to the licensing and regulation of certain dog and cat breeders and provides penalties. It is known as the “puppy mill” bill. The bill would create a new bureaucracy with 11 full time employees and cost initially about $1.3 million--a sum that would have to be paid by the responsible dog breeders. This would cost approximately 1000 breeders in the state about $1300 each. It would also give the new agency power to search property, including homes if necessary, even without the presence of the owner. I am adamantly opposed to animal cruelty, however the proper solution is enforcement of existing animal cruelty laws. Such prosecution is now occurring in Marion County. We need to punish wrongdoers and leave responsible citizens free. A new bureaucracy would only restrict law-abiding responsible breeders and have little affect on irresponsible lawbreakers.

Update on TSA Legislation
HB 1937 which protects dignity in travel and prohibits offensive groping searches, was unanimously passed out of the Criminal Jurisprudence committee and is now before the Calendars committee. The number of co-authors continues to grow and I am proud to now have 66 joint or coauthors for the bill.


For Texas and Liberty,
David Simpson

www.DavidSimpson.com
David.Simpson@house.state.tx.us

In this edition:  Feature: The Texas Budget  |  Special Events  |  Legislative Actions

Special Events
Last Sunday afternoon on the 175th anniversary of the fall of the Alamo my family took a walk around the capitol. We stopped by the Alamo monument to give thanks for our liberty and our forefathers who fought for it — including W. K. Simpson.
 




On Monday outside the House chamber I enjoyed visiting with students from Longview Christian Academy and Pastor Bob Gray of Longview Baptist Temple.  On Thursday my daughter, Sophia (10), accompanied me in the House chamber and served as an honorary page. Also I met with the Governor concerning the budget.





Legislative Actions
This week I filed several bills protecting life, liberty and property: HB 2356 limits the eminent domain authority of certain private entities. It specifies that common carriers can only condemn property to transport their authorized commodities and keeps them from condemning property for administration, oil and gas exploration and production, and disposal of salt water. HB 2849 protects landowners when mineral exploration and production is carried out on their property. HB 2890 allows state employees with a CHL to carry a concealed handgun in their vehicle or a vehicle owned by the state. HB 3104 exempts small purchases of precious metals from the sales tax entitling individuals making those small purchases to the same benefit enjoyed by those who purchase large quantities. I also signed on as coauthor of HCR 50, a resolution affirming the proper constitutional understanding of state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment.
 
Much of my week was spent dealing with the budget and communicating with constituents about the same. Below is the substance of an article which should be published in the Longview News-Journal tomorrow.
 

Dividing the Apple - Tough Budget Choices for Texans
Civil government has nothing except that which it takes from We the People. Unlike God, the government cannot create value or substance out of nothing.
 
When the Federal Reserve with Congress’ approval “prints more money,” it simply increases the number of federal reserve notes (“dollars”) that are being exchanged in our economy for goods and services. The increase in the number of federal reserve notes in circulation does not represent more wealth. It merely divides the same value of goods and services in the economy into smaller parts. If you divide an apple into 4 parts or 8 parts, it is still just one apple.
 
The Texas legislature cannot create wealth either. It has no money except that which it takes from We the People. It can divide the apple of wealth we enjoy and redistribute it, but it cannot create more apples.
 
Even so, we are running out of apple. Even after adjusting for inflation and population growth, the portion of the apple that our state government consumes has grown by 45% over the last decade (that number is 87% without any adjustments). As the state’s portion has grown, Texas families and businesses have had to settle for a smaller portion to feed themselves.
 
Despite tightening the state’s belt over the last year and a half, the government is on track to consume $4.3 billion more of the apple by September 1 than is available. To pay the bills, the state will either have to cut current spending or use it’s savings in the Rainy Day Fund—or both.
 
I support a return to wise and frugal government at all levels. However, we must not abandon the weak among us or use draconian measures that wreak havoc on our educational and health systems. Our diet should begin with eliminating all corporate “sweets.” In other words, we should cut corporate welfare before cutting funding for our classrooms or the weak among us.
 
Second, we should dramatically reduce administrative burdens and mandates for schools, giving them freedom to utilize their funds according to each district’s local priorities. Substantial reductions can be made by eliminating administrative overhead at the TEA such as the Higher Education Coordinating Board and freezing pay. Also cuts should be made so that the most efficient institutions and programs such as our community colleges and the Texas Tuition Equalization Grant are preserved or at least only cut proportionately.
 
Third, overhead at TxDOT should be dramatically reduced and funding of non-essential projects delayed. Finally, we must wean ourselves of government dependency and stop rewarding the irresponsible. At least a half-billion dollars can be saved if Medicaid fraud is stopped.
 
Serious diets are not enjoyable, but are sometimes necessary to restore health. I ask you to pray that the legislature will be given wisdom and courage to find a way to live within our state’s means while still providing necessary services and protecting the most needy in our community. I invite you to contact my office with suggestions toward that end.


For Texas and Liberty,
David Simpson

www.DavidSimpson.com
David.Simpson@house.state.tx.us

With my daughter Sophia (10) on the House floor the day that she served as a page for the House.

For Texas and Liberty,
David Simpson

www.DavidSimpson.com
David.Simpson@house.state.tx.us

The weeks are flying by and I am grateful for the opportunity to undertake the task of implementing wise, frugal, limited government!  Here are the latest happenings in the Texas House:

Organization of the House
Legislative Challenges and Opportunities
Meetings, Events, and Austin Visitors


Organization of the House

The Speaker of the House, Joe Straus, has just announced the committee assignments for this session. I have the privilege of serving on Border and Intergovernmental Affairs and Urban Affairs. I look forward to working hard for the People of District Seven and of all the State on these committees.

Legislative Challenges and Opportunities

While the House was getting organized my staff and I have worked diligently to review legislation that has been filed by fellow members and requested by the Governor, built support for the bills that I filed in the fall (HB 85, 86 and HJR 22), and worked on new legislation.

I have some questions about the eminent domain legislation passed by the Senate (SB 18 by Estes) and its companion (HB 279) filed by Rep. Geren in the House and which appear to have the Governor’s support. The legislation does make some needed reforms, but the bill also appears to open the door to unprecedented use of such authority by pipeline companies to take property for exploration and production activities and not merely transportation (see page 3, lines 25-26). Also the bill does not go far enough in defining public use and requiring non-governmental entities such as pipeline companies to make their first offer to a landowner (prior to condemnation) based upon an appraisal like all governmental entities must do.

I have sought to support good legislation by co-authoring bills such as Rep. Morrisson’s sonogram bill (HB 201) and Rep. Driver’s Campus Personal Protection bill (HB 750), which is similar to my HB 86. Also I have joint authored Rep. Berman’s bill to nullify Obamacare (HB 297) and HB 295, which requires that the Secretary of State certify that a candidate for President and Vice-President of the U.S. is a natural citizen based upon his or her submission of a birth certificate.

Meetings, Events, and Austin Visitors

Over the last several weeks there have been numerous meetings with elected officials including Governor Perry, Attorney General Greg Abbott, Dean of the House Tom Craddick, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, Speaker Joe Straus, and Parliamentarian Chris Griesel. Also there have been opportunities to visit and tour Fort Hood, McAllen and the border, and the Dept. of Public Safety’s Fusion Center in Austin. During the same time I have been very pleased to see some of you, my constituents, at the capitol, including Lindale ISD Superintendent Stan Surratt, White Oak Superintendent Michael Gilbert, Dr. Calhoun of the UT Tyler Health Science Center, Dr. Mabry of UT Tyler, volunteers from CASA, Dr. John Coppedge, Dr. John Petty, Mike Pace with Farmers Insurance, and others.

In order to learn more about public school finance, I hosted a luncheon with Rep. Scott Hochberg for members of the House and their staff. Also, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to visit over dinner with former Rep. Tony Goolsby (my Austin neighbor and a former resident of Longview) and former Speaker Pete Laney. The latter gave me this advice which I am seeking to follow: “Do what’s right and as long as you can explain it you will be alright.” He also added: “Don’t do anything that you do not want your mother or your wife to know about.”


For Texas and Liberty,
David Simpson

www.DavidSimpson.com
David.Simpson@house.state.tx.us