More good news: Last week’s committee hearings went well. Thank you to those who came to testify.
Coming up: Senate Bill 2370 by Hughes, related to the procedure for approval of certain land development applications by a political subdivision, will be heard on Tuesday, in the Senate Business & Commerce Committee, at 8 a.m., in Room E1.012. Please join us to testify on behalf of the bill if you are able.
Issues of concern: Senate Bill 1510 by Schwertner, relating to the apportionment of infrastructure costs in regard to certain property development projects, was voted out of Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee, by a vote of 6-0, however, was stripped of electrical coops. The bill is set for the intent calendar on Monday.
Its companion, House Bill 2839, was referred to the House Committee on Land & Resource Management. To avoid the same fate against the Texas Electric Cooperatives Lobby, we are asking for your help to reach out to committee members ASAP to express your support of HB 2839 AS IS. Contact information for committee members is listed below, along with a script for phone calls to members’ offices:
- Sergio Muñoz: 512-463-0704 for authoring HB 2839 and standing strong with Texas landowners and developers
- Please call each office below (email if you prefer) and let them know who you are and that you support HB 2839 please also specify the necessity of Electric Cooperatives being held accountable to Rough Proportionality rules as stated in the bill. Below the contacts I have included an example script in case you would like to use it, or give it to family members, friends etc.
- Ina Minjarez: 512-463-0634 – – ask to speak with or leave a message for the person who handles policy or bills for the Land and Resources committee. Or email Nar: nar.dorrycot@texas.house.gov
- Shawn Thierry: 512-463-0518 – ask to speak with or leave a message for the person who handles policy or bills for the Land and Resources committee. Or email Angela:angela.beam@house.texas.gov
- Jonathan Stickland: 512-463-0522 – ask to speak with or leave a message for the person who handles policy or bills for the Land and Resources committee. Or email Andrew:andrew.mcveigh@house.texas.gov
- Ben Leman: 512-463-0600 – ask to speak with or leave a message for the person who handles policy or bills for the Land and Resources committee. Or email Ruth:Ruth.Mesta@house.texas.gov
- Kyle Biederman: 512-463-0325 – ask to speak with or leave a message for the person who handles policy or bills for the Land and Resources committee. Or email Jonathan:jonathan.silva@house.texas.gov
- Tom Craddick: 512-463-0500 / – ask to speak with or leave a message for the person who handles policy or bills for the Land and Resources committee
- Terry Canales: 512-463-0426 – ask to speak with or leave a message for the person who handles policy or bills for the Land and Resources committee. Or email Noah:noah.clark@house.texas.gov
- Cecil Bell: 512-463-0650 / District3.Bell@house.texas.gov – ask to speak with or leave a message for the person who handles policy or bills for the Land and Resources committee
Hello, my name is_____________. Representative___________ will be seeing HB 2839 in the Land and Resources committee soon and I would like to let the Representative know that Texans across the state support this fairness bill. I especially want to be certain the Representative understands the importance of Electrical cooperatives being included in this bill.
Especially in the rural areas of the state, electrical utilities provide the majority of the services. If they are exempted from the statute, we will only fix a portion of the problem. This bill provides for the developer to pay for what is the fair share that is applicable to the subdivision being developed. If the electrical utility cooperatives want additional improvements to service neighboring areas the utility will be required to pay for those improvements that are unrelated to the subdivision. Otherwise, not only is the developer paying more that his fair share, he is also subsidizing his competitor.
The electrical cooperatives are a major culprit in forcing Texas landowners and developers across the state to pay for infrastructure that is disproportionate to their developmental impact. HB 2839 expands the Texas local government code which already ensures that cities follow rough proportionality rules and simply requires that counties and electrical cooperatives play under those same rough proportionality rules.
More updates: House Bill 3417 by Toth, relating to the applicability of certain municipal ordinances in the municipality’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, was reported favorably from the House Committee on Land & Resource Management.
House Bill 3167 by Oliverson, relating to the procedure for approval of certain land development applications by a political subdivision, was left pending in the House Committee on Land & Resource Management.
