We hope you've had a pleasant September. The last few weeks have been extremely busy for us around District 122. I've spoken at several meetings recently, including the Northside Neighborhoods for Organized Development (NNOD), San Antonio Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Real Estate Council of San Antonio, Alamo Pachyderm Club, San Antonio Chapter of the Society of Association Executives, and Bexar County Republican Women. Please let us know if you'd like me to speak at your organization's meeting!
The role of the Edwards Aquifer Authority
Several of you have contacted my office about the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) pursuing fee increases and expanded regulatory powers. We held a meeting last week with a board member and senior staffer from the EAA to understand their point of view and to share your concerns with them. It's clear the EAA is concerned about the environmental impacts of stormwater runoff and preventing contamination of our drinking water. They certainly have pure intentions, however, with several government agencies providing oversight of water quality (Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ), San Antonio Water System (SAWS), and Bexar County), it doesn't seem necessary to have an additional bureaucracy duplicating the work of several others. Additionally, after speaking with several folks involved in crafting the legislation that created the EAA, it's clear the legislative intent never included these activities. We will remain engaged in this process and will keep an ongoing dialogue with the EAA and stakeholders who will be affected by the proposed changes.
BexarMet Water District Update
Last week, Speaker Straus appointed Rep. Jose Menendez and myself as Co-Chairs of the Bexar Metropolitan Water District Oversight Committee. In just a few weeks, many of you will have the opportunity to vote whether to remain a BexarMet customer, or to receive water from the San Antonio Water System. The BexarMet dissolution issue will be on the same ballot as the 10 constitutional amendments. Historically, turnout is extremely low at these elections, so please be sure to make time to vote. Early Voting begins October 24th and Election Day is November 8th. Click here to find out more about the election and to determine where you can vote.
Texas in the Spotlight
With Governor Perry running for president, many of the decisions made by the Texas Legislature over the last decade have received a lot of attention. While I wasn't a member of the Legislature in 2001 when the Texas DREAM Act passed, my office received several emails and phone calls in opposition to it after last week's Republican Primary presidential debate. The Texas DREAM Act, which provides in-state tuition to illegal immigrants who have attended a Texas high school for at least three years, has understandably become a challenge for Governor Perry as folks across the nation try to understand his position on illegal immigration. We'd like to know what you think about the Texas DREAM Act, 10 years after it became law. Please take a moment to fill out this survey about this law and this survey to share your viewpoint on the Republican Party presidential hopefuls.
Gaming in Texas
As the constitutional amendment election approaches, we've received a number of calls and emails from folks asking why they will not have the opportunity to vote on whether to allow various types of gambling in Texas. Several bills were filed last session that would have allowed different types of gaming, including allowing slot machines in racetracks, or authorizing casino gambling in resorts, but none of them were voted out of committee to allow for debate on the House floor. We anticipate another sizable budget shortfall next session, so we expect to revisit the gambling discussion, possibly with much more interest as annual revenue projections from gambling are between $1 and $2 billion. We want to know what you think about gambling in Texas. Please take this survey to share your opinion!
Constitutional Amendment Election
As you may know, unlike our U.S. Constitution, the Texas Constitution is an extremely lengthy document that is rather easy to amend. As a result, after the Legislature meets each session, there are usually a few changes made to the constitution that need to be ratified by Texas voters. We'd like to provide you with all the information you'll need about the proposed amendments before you go to the polls. Click here for a thorough explanation of the propositions and the actual ballot language.
National Night Out is October 4th. We plan to attend several neighborhood events as part of National Night Out. We hope to see you in your neighborhood!
The role of the Edwards Aquifer Authority
Several of you have contacted my office about the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) pursuing fee increases and expanded regulatory powers. We held a meeting last week with a board member and senior staffer from the EAA to understand their point of view and to share your concerns with them. It's clear the EAA is concerned about the environmental impacts of stormwater runoff and preventing contamination of our drinking water. They certainly have pure intentions, however, with several government agencies providing oversight of water quality (Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ), San Antonio Water System (SAWS), and Bexar County), it doesn't seem necessary to have an additional bureaucracy duplicating the work of several others. Additionally, after speaking with several folks involved in crafting the legislation that created the EAA, it's clear the legislative intent never included these activities. We will remain engaged in this process and will keep an ongoing dialogue with the EAA and stakeholders who will be affected by the proposed changes.
BexarMet Water District Update
Last week, Speaker Straus appointed Rep. Jose Menendez and myself as Co-Chairs of the Bexar Metropolitan Water District Oversight Committee. In just a few weeks, many of you will have the opportunity to vote whether to remain a BexarMet customer, or to receive water from the San Antonio Water System. The BexarMet dissolution issue will be on the same ballot as the 10 constitutional amendments. Historically, turnout is extremely low at these elections, so please be sure to make time to vote. Early Voting begins October 24th and Election Day is November 8th. Click here to find out more about the election and to determine where you can vote.
Texas in the Spotlight
With Governor Perry running for president, many of the decisions made by the Texas Legislature over the last decade have received a lot of attention. While I wasn't a member of the Legislature in 2001 when the Texas DREAM Act passed, my office received several emails and phone calls in opposition to it after last week's Republican Primary presidential debate. The Texas DREAM Act, which provides in-state tuition to illegal immigrants who have attended a Texas high school for at least three years, has understandably become a challenge for Governor Perry as folks across the nation try to understand his position on illegal immigration. We'd like to know what you think about the Texas DREAM Act, 10 years after it became law. Please take a moment to fill out this survey about this law and this survey to share your viewpoint on the Republican Party presidential hopefuls.
Gaming in Texas
As the constitutional amendment election approaches, we've received a number of calls and emails from folks asking why they will not have the opportunity to vote on whether to allow various types of gambling in Texas. Several bills were filed last session that would have allowed different types of gaming, including allowing slot machines in racetracks, or authorizing casino gambling in resorts, but none of them were voted out of committee to allow for debate on the House floor. We anticipate another sizable budget shortfall next session, so we expect to revisit the gambling discussion, possibly with much more interest as annual revenue projections from gambling are between $1 and $2 billion. We want to know what you think about gambling in Texas. Please take this survey to share your opinion!
Constitutional Amendment Election
As you may know, unlike our U.S. Constitution, the Texas Constitution is an extremely lengthy document that is rather easy to amend. As a result, after the Legislature meets each session, there are usually a few changes made to the constitution that need to be ratified by Texas voters. We'd like to provide you with all the information you'll need about the proposed amendments before you go to the polls. Click here for a thorough explanation of the propositions and the actual ballot language.
National Night Out is October 4th. We plan to attend several neighborhood events as part of National Night Out. We hope to see you in your neighborhood!
With Rep. Jose Menendez and members of the Real Estate Council of San Antonio
Speaking before the Alamo Pachyderm Club
Please feel free to contact me if I may ever be of assistance to you by phone at (210) 402-5402 or by email at lyle.larson@house.state.tx.us.
Best,
Lyle
Best,
Lyle
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