On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Texas Legislature will begin its 89th Regular Session, which will last 140 days. There will be a variety of issues that will be presented, and from these issues approximately 7,000-8,000 bills will be filed.
As a county official, you need to form relationships with your representative and senator so you can express to them how you feel about matters that affect your county. You may be called upon to contact your legislators by phone, email, or personally by traveling to Austin to testify “for” or “against” a bill. Please, when you are called upon to help, be willing to get involved. It is very important that all of us participate in the legislative process.
Members of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas (CJCAT) Legislative Committee will be at the Capitol every day fighting for your county. This committee includes Legislative Chairman Rick Bailey, Johnson County Commissioner; the CJCAT State Officers and Executive Board; Program Director Rick Thompson; Senior General Counsel Jim Allison; General Counsel Eric Magee; and other County Judges and Commissioners.
I will be going to the Capitol often to help communicate with our legislators including personal one-on-one visits and live testimony. Please stay on top of the issues that concern you and your county so you will be able to defend your position if asked to do so.
There are 254 counties in Texas, and it is crucial that we all work together on important issues. When united we can accomplish a great deal, but divided we will fail. We need to work hard and smart to let our legislators know how we really feel about these issues so hopefully we can achieve a positive outcome.
As you can see, it is very important that you get involved in the Texas Legislature and the legislative process, as our lawmakers need to know how proposed laws or changes to laws will affect counties in Texas. As county officials and legislators, we have a job to do, so let’s work together to accomplish common goals. To learn more about specific ways you can get involved, go to https://countyprogress.com/89th-texas-legislature/