LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS

 

I have proudly served the people of Senate District 13 for 20 years. During my tenure I have passed over 500 bills. Every legislative session is an opportunity to pass meaningful policy that will help Texas families and improve how our state government operates.

 

81st Legislative Session, 2009

The Texas Green Jobs Act was amended onto House Bill 1935, successfully establishing the first statewide green jobs program in Texas. The program sets up a framework for training workers for skills in the clean energy economy.

 

The Tim Cole Advisory Panel, was established to identify and study the factors that contribute to wrongful convictions. Texas has the highest number of wrongful convictions in the country. The panel is named in honor of Timothy Cole, a young man who died in prison after being wrongfully convicted of a horrific crime.

 

The Holocaust and Genocide Commission is a volunteer commission that serves as a conduit for information on the Holocaust and genocide events for public and private schools and organizations.

 

The Free Flow of Information Act, protects journalists from being forced to testify or disclose confidential sources. The Act strikes the delicate balance between preserving the public's right to know the truth from an independent press, and the state's ability to uphold justice.

 

80th Legislative Session, 2007

 

Stop the Genocide Act required state pension funds to divest from companies doing business in Sudan. Over the previous four years, the Sudanese government and their allied organizations have killed more than 400,000 people and displaced more than 2.5 million in Sudan's Darfur region. The U.N. has declared the crisis the "worst humanitarian disaster in the world today."

 

Compensation for the wrongfully convicted was increased to $50,000 per year of incarceration and $100,000 per year served on death row. Money alone will not make up for the time these individuals were wrongfully imprisoned, but it can help these individuals rebuild their lives.

 

State Data Sharing promoted efficiency and greater continuity of care as clients of state health and social services programs move from one program to another by developing and implementing systems to share data among state agencies.

 

79th Legislative Session, 2005

Urban Land Bank program allowed the City of Houston to acquire foreclosed properties and redevelop them as affordable housing give the city more options in rehabilitating older communities and developing more affordable housing and livable neighborhoods.

 

Raising compensation to those who serve jury duty promoted the participation of low-income and minority Texans on juries, therefore increasing the constitutional legitimacy of jury trials in the state.

 

Preventing lenders from discriminating against victims of identity theft helped victims move on with their lives by prohibiting certain practices. Previously, a total of 36 percent of identity theft victims reported a problem with one of the following: getting a loan, opening or using a credit card, opening a bank account, or cashing checks.

 

78th Legislative Session, 2003

Expanding the list of people about whom criminal background information may be obtained by DFPS to include a person who is an employee, volunteer, or applicant volunteer of a children’s advocacy center helped protect Texas children.

 

Creation of the Corporate Integrity Unit within the office of the Texas Attorney General assisted in the enforcement of the laws relating to corporate fraud and other similar illegal activities by requiring companies entering into contracts with the state to immediately report any financial irregularities relating to the contract or the company’s financial position.

 

Creation of the Master Science Teacher Certification Program helped address the below average performance of Texas students in math and science by establishing a program to identify effective instructional practices for those subjects and providing for a stipend for teachers holding a master science teacher certificate.

 

77th Legislative Session, 2001

The landmark Texas Fair Defense Act overhauled the Texas indigent defense system by focusing on four critical issues -- timely appointment of counsel, method of counsel appointment by the courts, reporting of information about indigent representation services and minimum standards for counsel. The legislation also created a task force within the Judicial Council to recommend further improvements and direct funding to assist counties in the improvements.

 

The James Byrd Hate Crimes Act clarified and strengthened hate crimes statute by defining a hate crime as one that has been proven in court to have been motivated by "the race, religion, color, disability, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry" of the victim.

 

76th Legislative Session, 1999

 

Requiring the Texas Workforce Commission develop a marketing and information program encouraged more Texans, particularly African Americans, Hispanics, and persons with disabilities to enter technology industries.

 

The TEXAS Grant program has provided more qualified Texans the opportunity to go to college. The TEXAS Grant program was designed to provide tuition and fees to students in need of financial assistance, who have excelled academically and taken the required curriculum.

 

The Annual Sales Tax Holiday saves Texas families millions of dollars every year during back to school shopping. Texas has one of the highest combined sales tax rates in the country as well as one of the most regressive tax systems, disproportionately hurting low income Texans.

 

75th Legislative Session, 1997

 

Lori's Law closed a loophole in the law that allowed the 16-year-old driver responsible for the hit-and-run death of 12-year-old Lori Ann Braden to go unprosecuted.

 

The Texans Work on-the-job training program offered direct work experience and skills training for recipients of public assistance.

 

Establishing a homebuyer education program through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs provided counseling and information to help families secure affordable housing.

 

Requiring private providers of immunizations to provide information to the Texas Department of Health to ensure that state resources are targeted to communities with low rates of immunizations.

 

74th Legislative Session, 1995

 

Abolishing the Texas State Treasury and transferring its duties to the State Comptroller's office streamlined state government by removing redundancies and saved Texas taxpayers money.

 

Implementation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 brought Texas up to Federal standards by requiring government agencies to afford citizens a chance to register to vote each time they contract services of the state through government agencies.

 

73rd Legislative Session, 1993

 

Requiring nonprofit hospitals to provide charity care ensured that nonprofit hospitals were taking steps to fulfill their duty to provide a benefit to the community thereby justifying their nonprofit status.

 

Requiring extended hours and periods for the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children ensured that eligible individuals would receive the assistance they needed, when they needed it.

 

The Motor Voter program allowed citizens to register to vote when they renew their driver's licenses. The program was also expanded the programs to other state agencies.