From the Office of Senator Kel

Seliger Tuesday, June 26, 2007 Volume 2, Number 2

In This Issue Greetings from the • A Message from Kel Seliger Legislature! • Highlights of the 80th Legislative Session To the Constituents of Senate District 31: • Senator Seliger's Legislative Accomplishments I am truly honored to represent you in the . • Looking Forward Now that the regular session of the 80th Legislature has adjourned sine die ("without a day"), I am eager to update you on the measures we passed, particularly those of interest

to the citizens of District 31.

As you know, this legislative session was full of activity, with over 6,000 bills filed. Some of the major legislation approved will establish a Jessica's Law in Texas, reform our Medicaid program, end the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test in our high schools, and improve our state's homeland security infrastructure and transportation network. I am most proud of all that was accomplished for the people of the Panhandle, South Plains and Permian Basin.

I look forward to visiting with you in each of your communities when I hold my annual town hall meetings later this year. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance.

Sincerely, Senate District 31 is made up of Andrews, Bailey, Cochran, Crane, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Ector, Gaines,

Glasscock, Hansford, Hartley, Kel Seliger Hemphill, Howard, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Martin, Midland, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman and Highlights of the 80th Legislative Yoakum Counties. Session

Border and Homeland Security. Senate Bill 11 creates the Border Security Council (Council) to oversee and ensure accountability in the allocation of over $100 million in new funds to improve security along the Texas border. The Council will also establish procedures for providing mutual aide in times of emergency. The primary focus of the Council will be to suppress drug and criminal activity, representing a significant step toward protecting our state's borders.

Jessica's Law. House Bill 8 was passed to protect our children from violent sexual predators. The bill requires a mandatory minimum sentence of 25-years to life for Contact Us aggravated sexual assault against a child under 14 with an aggravated circumstance, makes the death penalty or life State Capitol Office without parole an available option to prosecutors for a second P.O. Box 12068 conviction, mandates lifetime GPS monitoring for sexually Austin, TX 78711 violent predators who are civilly committed, and eliminates (512) 463-0131 the statute of limitations in cases of child sexual assault and FAX: (512) 475-3733 doubles the statute of limitations in other cases of sexually violent offenses. Amarillo District Office 410 S. Taylor, Suite 1600 Transportation. To help Amarillo, TX 79101 ensure that Texas will continue to build the roads it needs in a P.O. Box 9155 timely and effective manner, Amarillo, TX 79105 the Legislature approved (806) 374-8994 Senate Bill 792. Among other things, the bill will allow local FAX: (806) 374-4607 authorities the first option in

developing toll roads, with the Midland-Odessa revenue going toward future projects in those areas. District Office 1400 N. FM 1788 Water. Senate Bill 3 will help ensure that Texas has an Midland, TX 79707 adequate water supply in the future by offering a new (432) 563-0031 regulatory approach to providing surface water to consumers. FAX: (432) 563-0653 Additionally, this bill implements a statewide water conservation awareness program to educate Texas residents Big Spring District Office about water conservation, and designates key areas for 401 Austin, Suite 101 possible reservoir construction. Big Spring, TX 79720 (432) 268-9909 End of Course Exams. Senate Bill 1031 will eliminate the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test at FAX: (432) 268-9899 the high school level and replace it with end-of-course exams

based on recommended curriculum, beginning with students Email: in the 9th grade in the 2011-12 school year. This testing [email protected] system will better measure what Texas high school students are learning and allow teachers to focus more time and energy www.seliger.senate.state.tx.us on classroom instruction.

Budget. The general appropriations bill, House Bill 1, will appropriate a total of $151.9 billion in all funds for the 2008-09 biennium. An additional $14.2 billion was appropriated to fund property tax relief. Education funding represents the largest portion of the budget at nearly $61 billion, followed by health and human services at just over $51 billion, business and economic development at $20.2 billion, and public safety and criminal justice at nearly $10 billion.

Senator Seliger's Legislative Accomplishments

Injury to a Child. Senate Bill 877 will ensure that offenders who commit violent crimes against children are not granted parole until they have served not less than half of their sentences. This bill resolves the shortcomings in current law by keeping the most violent criminals who target our children behind bars.

Groundwater. Senate Bill 1383 clarifies existing laws to ensure that groundwater districts have the opportunity to fully investigate allegations of groundwater violations. A 90-day period of investigation will now be required before the aggrieved party is allowed to file suit against the alleged violator.

Drug Courts. House Bill 530 assesses a court fee of $50 on convictions of certain intoxication or drug offenses to help fund drug courts. Counties that operate a drug court will keep 50% of the funds generated to be used exclusively for the development and maintenance of their drug court programs. The bill also mandates drug courts in 12 additional counties, increasing the number of mandated drug courts in Texas to 21. This Helpful Links legislation will help to divert low-level, non-violent offenders from prison, promote Online employment by enabling participants to www.capitol.state.tx.us avoid a criminal record, and reduce recidivism. Texas Senate www.senate.state.tx.us FutureGen. Senate Bill 1461 will enhance Texas' bid to host the FutureGen project, a public-private partnership to

construct and operate a near zero-emissions carbon-based Texas House of Representatives electric generation facility. The bill grants the Governor of www.house.state.tx.us Texas the authority to contract with the FutureGen Industrial Alliance (Alliance) upon awarding the project to the state, Office of Governor allows the Attorney General to represent the state in any www.governor.state.tx.us related legal matters, and allows the Governor and State Comptroller to award a margins tax credit to the Alliance to Comptroller of Public Accounts mitigate the high cost of electric generation related to these www.window.state.tx.us experimental processes.

Non-Resident Commercial Driver License. If non-resident workers are able to provide their worker's visas, passports, I-94 documentation and social security numbers, Senate Bill 1260 will allow them to receive a non-resident commercial driver license. The license will have "non-resident" printed on its face and will only be valid for the length of the visa or I-94, whichever expires first. This legislation will greatly benefit the agriculture industry, which depends heavily on the ability to use legally admitted non-resident workers.

Looking Forward

Please be watching for information on upcoming town hall meetings in each of the 26 counties throughout Senate District 31. In the meantime, I encourage you to sign-up to serve on my Regional Citizen Advisory Committee (RCAC). To do so, please visit my website and send an e-mail request with "RCAC" in the subject-line.