Thread: OP:What do you hope the TX Legislature will do this year?

What do you hope the Legislature will do this year? (Topic of the day)
1:00 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009
Betsy Simnacher

We asked our Voices columnists and our Sounding Off respondents to name what they hope the Texas Legislature will accomplish this year.

Some themes emerged, from health care to job growth to enhancing education. Please read the rest of the blog entry to see the details and respond with your own push for our Lege.

Job growth was a priority for some:

Jeff Fortney Sr. of Plano: The Legislature needs to concentrate on job growth. Lay aside the petty political infighting, the agendas of each side of the aisle and spend time asking this simple question when debating any bill: Does this positively or negatively impact job growth?

Of course, others wanted the Legislature to curb illegal immigration:

Felicity Pearson of McKinney: I hope the Legislature will take a clue from the Oklahoma Legislature and enact tough employee sanctions against companies that continue to employ illegal immigrants, especially now that so many American citizens are out of work.

Tom Wilson of Grapevine: I want a serious crackdown on illegal immigrants with tall fences and mass deportation. Protect the citizens who voted you into office.


But one Teacher Voice, Katherine Palomino, took a different approach to immigration:

I hope to see the Texas Legislature enact laws that give illegal immigrants the chance to become legal and continue contributing to our economy. I visited Juarez at Christmas, and it brought home the fact that many of these immigrants were facing a worse situation than many people can even begin to fathom. They are refugees from a war. Going back to it is not an option.

Still others were concerned about education:

Carey Christenberry of Irving: I'd like to see the Legislature abolish the TAKS test immediately. No slow transition to the new end-of-course exams, but a complete, total withdrawal from an egregiously bad system.

Kirk Evans of Allen, who is a Teacher Voice: The U.S. Congress should pass a "No Child Left Inside" Act in this session. Our Texas Legislators should implement our own version of the act to get to fund programs classrooms throughout Texas to teach environmental, ecological and conservation education.

And others wished for better health care, fairer insurance rates and legalized gambling. What do you want the Legislature to do for you and for Texas? Write us a comment.

And if you want to get the weekly Sounding Off e-mail, write your full contact information in an e-mail and send it to communityopinions@dallasnews.com
Comments
Posted by Mike @ 6:27 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

I would like to see Texas politicians who are soft on illegal immigrants removed from office.
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Posted by Eric Brandler @ 7:38 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

If the Legislature could only address the TAKS testing criteria that has become the all-consuming target of public education benchmarking...

and preserve the Top 10 percent admission rule as a Top 7 percent standard (Yes, seven doesn't sound as nice as ten), rather than scrapping it as the UT bigwigs would prefer...

and lay off the hot-button social issues that rile up the wingnuts.
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Posted by Michael McGown @ 8:11 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

Passage of the bill to create a citizens' Congressional Redistricting Commission is critical in this session because the census occurs in 2010, and redistricting will be done in 2011. Senate Bill 315 is non-controversial and will save the state thousands of lost man-hours and millions of dollars. The bill requires no debate--it's been passed by the Senate several times. It just needs a willing House of Representatives. Contact your rep!
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Posted by PaulC @ 8:12 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

I don't need to say a thing. Troy has already said it for me.
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Posted by HernandezUSA @ 9:20 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

"We need the SAVE ACT and E-verify used for every business and to be sure illegals stay out of the job market to save American jobs.

E-verify does not discriminate against RACE, Religion, SEX or physically capability only your Citizenship and your LEGAL right to be and work in United States.


If we can stop Predatory business owners from hiring then the Illegal Aliens will not Stay and return to their native Countries.

This ISSUE is not about RACE, but ALL Governments Federal/State/LOCAL not doing their jobs, because big and small business owners want cheap workers and no labor laws to bother with.

Its called GREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both Liberals and Conservatives need to take some pride in our Country and protect it from all invading nations citizens and corporate greed. Please, NO IMMIGRANT BASHING or HATE Crimes.


HATE only feeds the single RACE agenda groups for Open Borders and the Liberal Media"
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Posted by Tamitha @ 9:30 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

One thing that needs to be fixed is the non-disclosure of commercial property values. If commercial properties were taxed at their real value, it would ease the tax burden on home owners.
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Posted by Mark Cain @ 10:03 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

We don't need any illegal freeloaders in this country!! We have enough liberal freeloaders now as it is.
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Posted by Phillip J Hubbell @ 10:07 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

I hope the legislature will simply vote to end the session without doing anything. Our livelihoods are in danger in direct relation to how long government legislative bodies are in session whether state or national.
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Posted by TieDye @ 10:44 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

I would like to see legislature remove expensive redundancy from standardized testing in Texas' public high schools. If our goals are to prepare kids for college, scrap TAKS and administer standardized college entrance/placement exams in high school. The folks in the testing business are the only ones who benefit from the current situation. The state of Texas already owns rights to administer many many college placement tests. Why pay for production of TAKS when we have better tests already available? Answer: politics.
Texas public high schools administrators can and do prevent public colleges from accepting "under age" students, even if they can pass the entrance exam. This places higher value on the interest of the ISD's administration than on the student's future or our tax dollars. The focus on "no student left behind" causes us to hold accelerated learners back and cost millions of tax dollars.
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Posted by TieDye @ 10:53 AM Thu, Jan 08, 2009

Timatha and Mark, lets not forget that Mansions are also exempt from disclosing sales prices. The wealthy, both liberals and conservatives, lie and avoid property taxes. It s common practice and supported by the real estate industry. Lets see if the Bushes are willing to disclose the actual price they paid for their new mansion, or if they take advantage of dishonesty in the real estate industry and avoid paying their fair share.
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http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnew ... u-hop.html

Job growth was a priority for some:

Jeff Fortney Sr. of Plano: The Legislature needs to concentrate on job growth. Lay aside the petty political infighting, the agendas of each side of the aisle and spend time asking this simple question when debating any bill: Does this positively or negatively impact job growth?

There it is....that word that keeps getting batted around by corporations and politicians. I don't believe it's growth that needs to be addressed. It is actually reversing job reduction through outsourcing and illegal employment as well as visa usage to replace American workers. Let's discuss that problem. So the actual question we should be asking is: Does this positively or negatively impact job sustainability for American citizens?

It's quite simple, send the illegals and their anchor babies packing, enforce and respect our immigration laws. Create job growth by hiring Americans to do American jobs. No resourcing. Stop the NAFTA agenda all together. Respect Americans and America! Protect us and help build us our own resources!

Originally Posted by ELE

It's quite simple, send the illegals and their anchor babies packing, enforce and respect our immigration laws. Create job growth by hiring Americans to do American jobs. No resourcing. Stop the NAFTA agenda all together. Respect Americans and America! Protect us and help build us our own resources!

Let's use the political speak game and refer to it as job reduction reversal instead of growth can we. It is more true and has a different impact than calling it growth. To be considered growth there has to have not been any reduction and if what we hear on the news is correct over two million jobs have been lost (that is reduced now) over the last year alone. So how can we talk growth when there has actually been reduction?

Here is what I hope they do this year:

Vote FOR
HB 47, Rep Debbie Riddle (R-District 150, Houston) requiring voter identification at the voting booth.

Vote FOR
HB 48, Rep. Debbie Riddle (R-District 150, Houston) Creates penalties for employing illegal immigrants.

Vote FOR
HB 49, Rep. Debbie Riddle (R-District 150, Houston) allows law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants.

Vote FOR
HB 50, Rep. Debbie Riddle (R-District 150, Houston) stipulates that illegal aliens are not eligible for in-state tuition at state universities.

Vote FOR
HB 81 - Dan Flynn (R-District 2, Hunt, Rains & Van Zandt Counties) Relating to the use of public funds to print certain public documents in a language other than English and other bilingual requirements.

Vote FOR
HB 128 - Rep. Burt Solomons (R-District 65, Carrollton) Relating to the requirement that applicants for certain licenses be eligible for employment in the United States.

Vote FOR
HB 208 - Rep. Jim Jackson (R-District 115, Carrollton) Relating to the cancellation of the voter registration and to the eligibility to vote of persons who are deceased or not citizens of the United States.

Vote AGAINST
HB 244 - Rep. Roberto Alonzo (D-District 104, Dallas) Relating to regulation of residential tenancies by local governments. (Evidently a direct slap at Farmers Branch attempts to crack down on illegal aliens.)

Vote FOR
HB 253 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Relating to language requirements for engaging in certain regulated activities.

Vote FOR
HB 254 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Relating to restricting illegal immigrants to certain geographic regions.

Vote FOR
HB 255 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Relating to prohibiting admission by public institutions of higher education of applicants who are not lawfully authorized to be present in the United States.

Vote FOR
HB 256 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Relating to birth records of children born in this state; creating an offense.

Vote FOR
HB 261 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Relating to the enforcement of state and federal laws by certain governmental entities. (a) A state agency may not adopt a rule or policy under which the state agency will not fully enforce the laws of this state or federal laws relating to immigrants or immigration, including the federal Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq.), or, by consistent actions, fails to fully enforce the laws of this state or federal laws relating to immigrants or immigration, including the federal Immigration.

Vote FOR
HB 262 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Relating to information regarding the citizenship status of students.

Vote FOR
HB 263 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Relating to the imposition of a fee for money transmissions sent to certain destinations outside the United States.

Vote FOR
HB 266 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Caption: Relating to regulating the provision of benefits and services to, and the verification of the employment status of, immigrants and to enforcing laws relating to immigrants; providing civil and criminal penalties.

Vote FOR
HB 276 - Rep. John Zerwas (R-District 28, Austin) Relating to the requirement that state agencies report the cost of services and benefits provided to unlawful immigrants.

Vote FOR
HB 370 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Relating to the establishment of English as the official language of Texas and the requirement that official acts of government be taken in English.

Vote FOR
HB 373 - Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson (R-District 56, Waco) Requiring a voter to present proof of identification

Vote FOR
HB 404 - Rep. Patricia Harless (R-District 126, Spring) Relating to the enforcement of state and federal laws governing immigration by certain governmental entities.

Vote FOR
HB 418 - Rep. Betty Brown (R-District 4, Athens) Relating to the determination of resident status of students by public institutions of higher education.

Vote FOR
HJR 27 - Rep. Leo Berman, (R-District 6, Tyler) Proposing a constitutional amendment to establish English as the official language of Texas and require that official acts of government be taken in English.

Vote FOR
HJR 32 - Rep. Leo Berman (R-District 06, Tyler) Relating to the establishment of English as the official language of Texas and the requirement that official acts of government be taken in English

Vote FOR
SB 89 - Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-District 26, San Antonio) Relating to the prosecution, punishment, and prevention of offenses involving trafficking of persons or certain forced or sex-based labor or services, law enforcement training relating to the trafficking of persons, and the creation of the trafficking of persons investigation and prosecution account in the general revenue fund.

Vote FOR
SB 357 - Sen. Dan Patrick (R-District 7, Houston) Relating to a prohibition against the knowing employment of persons not lawfully present in the United States and the suspension of licenses held by certain employers for the knowing employment of those persons.

Vote FOR
SB 358 - Sen. Dan Patrick (R-District 7, Houston) Relating to the enforcement of state and federal laws governing immigration by certain governmental entities.

Vote FOR
SB 379 - Sen. John J. Carona (R-District 16, Dallas) Relating to an annual report by the Border Security Council regarding criminal street gangs and gang-related crime.