AUSTIN-- State Representative Allen Vaught (Dallas) was appointed to serve on two key committees for the 81st Legislative Session. Rep. Vaught was named Vice-Chair to the House Committee on Defense and Veterans’ Affairs and to the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be asked to serve on these two House Committees. I appreciate the confidence Speaker Straus places in me with this appointment as Vice-Chair,” said Rep. Vaught. “I am excited to be selected once again to serve on the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee and welcome the opportunity to take a leadership role on the Defense and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.”
Rep. Vaught said that his committee assignments allow him to work closely on issues that affect his constituents.
The Defense and Veterans’ Affairs Committee is responsible for the defense of the state, emergency preparedness, and veterans issues. The Committee also oversees the realignment and closure of military bases. “The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is home to over 420,000 veterans, and as a veteran myself, I look forward to working with our community leaders to improve the quality of life for our veterans,” said Rep. Vaught.
Rep. Vaught first took office in 2007 and is in his second term representing House District 107. He is the managing attorney of the Dallas office of Franklin, Cardwell, & Jones, P.C. Rep. Vaught also served as a U.S. Army Reserve Captain and fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
District 107 covers the area in east Dallas surrounding White Rock Lake--including Lakewood and part of Lake Highlands. The eastern portion of the district covers parts of Garland and Mesquite. He lives with his wife, Donna, their son Jonathan, and daughter Morgan in Lakewood.
For more information on committees or any other issue, Rep. Vaught encourages interested individuals to contact his office at (512) 463-0244, e-mail him at Allen.Vaught@house.state.tx.us or visit the Texas House of Representatives website at www.house.state.tx.us.
February 12, 2009
Calloway's Timely Tips for March Gardeners
Create Instant Color!
Container gardens are fun and easy to create. They can be as simple as three small flowers potted together or as elaborate as a small tree or shrub planted in the center of pot with annual color planted around. Follow these simple steps when planting or plan on attending one of our FREE Container Garden Clinics in March.
First select a container appropriately sized for the job. Make sure it has drainage holes and is large enough for making an impact. Second, choose a well blended potting soil that drains well. Third, choose plants that require the same lighting and water needs. The fourth step is to start planting. Fill the container half way with soil, position the plants, and start filling in with the rest of the potting soil. You can also add a fertilizer such as Calloway’s Professional Flower Food into the soil. Last, add a top dressing of decorative bark or mulch. This adds the finishing touch, plus it will keep the soil cooler and prevent it from drying out as quickly.
After you have completed your masterpiece, sit back and watch it grow! Now you are ready to start planning your next one! Enjoy!
Check our website for Calloway’s/ Cornelius upcoming clinics: http://www.calloways.com/clinics.pdf
Container gardens are fun and easy to create. They can be as simple as three small flowers potted together or as elaborate as a small tree or shrub planted in the center of pot with annual color planted around. Follow these simple steps when planting or plan on attending one of our FREE Container Garden Clinics in March.
First select a container appropriately sized for the job. Make sure it has drainage holes and is large enough for making an impact. Second, choose a well blended potting soil that drains well. Third, choose plants that require the same lighting and water needs. The fourth step is to start planting. Fill the container half way with soil, position the plants, and start filling in with the rest of the potting soil. You can also add a fertilizer such as Calloway’s Professional Flower Food into the soil. Last, add a top dressing of decorative bark or mulch. This adds the finishing touch, plus it will keep the soil cooler and prevent it from drying out as quickly.
After you have completed your masterpiece, sit back and watch it grow! Now you are ready to start planning your next one! Enjoy!
Check our website for Calloway’s/ Cornelius upcoming clinics: http://www.calloways.com/clinics.pdf
February 4, 2009
From the desk of Allen Vaught
Hot Topics for the 81st Legislative Session – Part 3
This article is the third in a three part series discussing legislative “hot topics” that will most likely take center stage during our current legislative session. In this article, I will cover transportation issues.
Transportation
I expect that transportation will be a prominent issue this session. Transportation is a broad subject. The areas you are probably most familiar with are licensing of private passenger and commercial motor vehicles and the regulation and control of traffic on highways. However, transportation in Texas also includes the maintenance of roads, bridges, ferries, railroads, street railway lines and interurban railway lines; regulating steamship companies, water transportation, aviation, airports, metropolitan transit; and the oversight of the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Transportation Commission.
When you put all of these areas of transportation on the table and you understand that a large chunk of funding comes from the federal and state gas tax, you can see the writing on the wall. There is a funding crisis for our Texas roads. The move toward more fuel efficient vehicles means less gasoline consumption. Less consumption creates less revenue from the gas tax. One proposal already filed this session will index the gas tax to an indicator. The figurative and literal million dollar question is which individual or combination of indexes gives the best result to meet our funding needs. Other states have tried similar approaches tying any increase in the gas tax to the consumer price index, the rate of inflation. In other states the index is paired with the price of oil. Fortunately for those residents there was a cap which unfortunately was reached within in a month as oil prices rose this summer.
Another major issue during the session will address ending the diversion of the gas tax from non-transportation related spending. The Texas Department of Transportation is currently under sunset review, and one recommendation is to create a transportation commissioner. Other recommendations can be read through this report http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/81streports/txdot/txdot_dec.pdf.
We will also be looking at funding options for a regional rail plan. A proposal by the Regional Transportation Commission would like to give each county the local option to raise revenue for transportation through various means listed on page 15 of this resolution http://www.nctcog.org/trans/committees/rtc/Ref.Itm_5.1.hndt.rtc121108.pdf.
Finally, I will be working with others on legislation this session that will begin to change the perspective for our transportation needs. The problems we are facing in transportation are a regional issue. We will need to work on addressing the inequity issues between cities incorporated in a mass transit authority (MTA) and those regions that are not currently contributing to an MTA. We need to address funding that is quickly declining for our roads and work on reducing traffic while cleaning our air.
Again, in no way are these articles meant to be a final list of legislation that will be introduced, but rather an overview of possible ideas that may be considered this session.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas regarding issues for the 81st legislative session. If there is something specific you would like to see addressed, please email my office at District107.Vaught@house.state.tx.us with the subject line 81st Legislative Session Topics.
As always, please feel free to contact my office at (214) 370-8305 with any questions regarding these or other state issues. I look forward to hearing from you.
This article is the third in a three part series discussing legislative “hot topics” that will most likely take center stage during our current legislative session. In this article, I will cover transportation issues.
Transportation
I expect that transportation will be a prominent issue this session. Transportation is a broad subject. The areas you are probably most familiar with are licensing of private passenger and commercial motor vehicles and the regulation and control of traffic on highways. However, transportation in Texas also includes the maintenance of roads, bridges, ferries, railroads, street railway lines and interurban railway lines; regulating steamship companies, water transportation, aviation, airports, metropolitan transit; and the oversight of the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Transportation Commission.
When you put all of these areas of transportation on the table and you understand that a large chunk of funding comes from the federal and state gas tax, you can see the writing on the wall. There is a funding crisis for our Texas roads. The move toward more fuel efficient vehicles means less gasoline consumption. Less consumption creates less revenue from the gas tax. One proposal already filed this session will index the gas tax to an indicator. The figurative and literal million dollar question is which individual or combination of indexes gives the best result to meet our funding needs. Other states have tried similar approaches tying any increase in the gas tax to the consumer price index, the rate of inflation. In other states the index is paired with the price of oil. Fortunately for those residents there was a cap which unfortunately was reached within in a month as oil prices rose this summer.
Another major issue during the session will address ending the diversion of the gas tax from non-transportation related spending. The Texas Department of Transportation is currently under sunset review, and one recommendation is to create a transportation commissioner. Other recommendations can be read through this report http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/81streports/txdot/txdot_dec.pdf.
We will also be looking at funding options for a regional rail plan. A proposal by the Regional Transportation Commission would like to give each county the local option to raise revenue for transportation through various means listed on page 15 of this resolution http://www.nctcog.org/trans/committees/rtc/Ref.Itm_5.1.hndt.rtc121108.pdf.
Finally, I will be working with others on legislation this session that will begin to change the perspective for our transportation needs. The problems we are facing in transportation are a regional issue. We will need to work on addressing the inequity issues between cities incorporated in a mass transit authority (MTA) and those regions that are not currently contributing to an MTA. We need to address funding that is quickly declining for our roads and work on reducing traffic while cleaning our air.
Again, in no way are these articles meant to be a final list of legislation that will be introduced, but rather an overview of possible ideas that may be considered this session.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas regarding issues for the 81st legislative session. If there is something specific you would like to see addressed, please email my office at District107.Vaught@house.state.tx.us with the subject line 81st Legislative Session Topics.
As always, please feel free to contact my office at (214) 370-8305 with any questions regarding these or other state issues. I look forward to hearing from you.
January 22, 2009
From the desk of Allen Vaught
Hot Topics for the 81st Legislative Session – Part 2
This article is the second in a three part series discussing legislative “hot topics” that will most likely take center stage during our current legislative session. In this article, I will cover the Texas Youth Commission and Health Care.
Texas Youth Commission
The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) is the state agency which operates the juvenile correctional facilities in the state of Texas. They are charged with balancing public safety with rehabilitation and prevention. More information may be obtained at their website: http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/.
You may remember the scandals that plagued the TYC around the time of the 2007 legislative session. The legislature took action that year and made a number of changes to the commission including creating an executive commissioner post and mandating at least 300 hours of training for TYC staff. These changes took effect in June of 2007 and have greatly improved the system; however, the TYC will be under Sunset Review this year. The Sunset Review Commission’s report may be found here http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/81streports/tyc/tyc_dm.pdf. Their suggestions may ultimately determine what future changes are needed for the TYC’s success.
The Sunset Review Commission recommends restructuring TYC and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission by abolishing them and creating one agency, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Additionally, the legislature may push for a system of smaller, regional facilities, similar to what has been successful in Missouri.
Health Care
During the 2007 legislative session, we changed eligibility requirements for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) so that eligibility was based on net family income instead of gross family income. We also changed the enrollment period back to 12 months from 6 months.
This program is meant to help those children whose parents or guardians make too much to be eligible for Medicaid, but too little to afford to purchase their own health insurance.
This legislative session we may see revisions to CHIP including increasing outreach and education funding to enroll more eligible children. By improving our enrollment of currently-eligible children in CHIP, we can ensure receipt of much needed federal bonus funds. Other proposals include permitting parents to “buy in” to CHIP if they do not have other affordable coverage options for their children, and restoring eligibility for the Medicaid Medically Needy program to those that were cut in 2003.
We may also consider increasing provider reimbursement rates for CHIP and Medicaid, and consider implementing a “health insurance exchange” that helps consumers and employers select and purchase appropriate health coverage. The Texas Department of Insurance is also under Sunset Review, which could allow legislators to revise rate regulations and monitor how financial data influences premiums charged by health insurers.
In the last and final article, I will cover the areas of transportation and public safety. Again, in no way are these articles meant to be a final list of legislation that will be introduced, but rather an overview of possible ideas that may be considered this session.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas regarding issues for the 81st legislative session. If there is something specific you would like to see addressed, please email my office at District107.Vaught@house.state.tx.us with the subject line 81st Legislative Session Topics.
As always, please feel free to contact my office at (214) 370-8305 with any questions regarding these or other state issues. I look forward to hearing from you.
This article is the second in a three part series discussing legislative “hot topics” that will most likely take center stage during our current legislative session. In this article, I will cover the Texas Youth Commission and Health Care.
Texas Youth Commission
The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) is the state agency which operates the juvenile correctional facilities in the state of Texas. They are charged with balancing public safety with rehabilitation and prevention. More information may be obtained at their website: http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/.
You may remember the scandals that plagued the TYC around the time of the 2007 legislative session. The legislature took action that year and made a number of changes to the commission including creating an executive commissioner post and mandating at least 300 hours of training for TYC staff. These changes took effect in June of 2007 and have greatly improved the system; however, the TYC will be under Sunset Review this year. The Sunset Review Commission’s report may be found here http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/81streports/tyc/tyc_dm.pdf. Their suggestions may ultimately determine what future changes are needed for the TYC’s success.
The Sunset Review Commission recommends restructuring TYC and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission by abolishing them and creating one agency, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Additionally, the legislature may push for a system of smaller, regional facilities, similar to what has been successful in Missouri.
Health Care
During the 2007 legislative session, we changed eligibility requirements for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) so that eligibility was based on net family income instead of gross family income. We also changed the enrollment period back to 12 months from 6 months.
This program is meant to help those children whose parents or guardians make too much to be eligible for Medicaid, but too little to afford to purchase their own health insurance.
This legislative session we may see revisions to CHIP including increasing outreach and education funding to enroll more eligible children. By improving our enrollment of currently-eligible children in CHIP, we can ensure receipt of much needed federal bonus funds. Other proposals include permitting parents to “buy in” to CHIP if they do not have other affordable coverage options for their children, and restoring eligibility for the Medicaid Medically Needy program to those that were cut in 2003.
We may also consider increasing provider reimbursement rates for CHIP and Medicaid, and consider implementing a “health insurance exchange” that helps consumers and employers select and purchase appropriate health coverage. The Texas Department of Insurance is also under Sunset Review, which could allow legislators to revise rate regulations and monitor how financial data influences premiums charged by health insurers.
In the last and final article, I will cover the areas of transportation and public safety. Again, in no way are these articles meant to be a final list of legislation that will be introduced, but rather an overview of possible ideas that may be considered this session.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas regarding issues for the 81st legislative session. If there is something specific you would like to see addressed, please email my office at District107.Vaught@house.state.tx.us with the subject line 81st Legislative Session Topics.
As always, please feel free to contact my office at (214) 370-8305 with any questions regarding these or other state issues. I look forward to hearing from you.
January 7, 2009
From the desk of Allen Vaught
Hot Topics for the 81st Legislative Session
As we draw closer to the start of the 81st legislative session, I want to discuss some of the upcoming issues and topics that are sure to draw people’s attention. This will be a three part series discussing legislative “hot topics” with this first article looking at public and higher education and property taxes.
Public Education
Public education will once again be at the forefront as the legislature convenes in 2009. Student accountability, school finance, and how to attract and retain the most qualified teachers are a few of the topics that will be considered. Legislators will again look at replacing TAKS testing with end-of-course exams for all grade levels while trying to incorporate the academic growth of individual students as well. There will also be discussion of how to better align the state accountability system with No Child Left Behind and federal accountability measures.
In regard to school finance, legislators will most likely look at the current effects of the 2006 school finance bill. While the entire system will probably not be reworked, there will be a serious discussion as to how funding needs have changed due to inflation and to an ever-changing student population. In terms of actual school funding, there may be an increase of funds for transportation and technology use, along with a conversation about the amount of funds subject to recapture (Robin Hood) for each school district.
Texas will also be looking at how to attract and retain the most qualified teachers during the next session. Some of the ideas include increasing funding for teacher grant and awards programs such as the Texas Educator Excellence Grant, improving teacher training, and revisiting the incentive/merit pay program for teachers.
Higher Education
Higher education is another hot topic that will be heavily addressed this legislative session. While tuition deregulation has received much recent media attention, the extent to which it will be addressed is still up in the air. Additionally, the “Top Ten Percent” law is another area that will probably be debated. Current proposals include amending the law so that a cap is placed on the number of students automatically admitted in each freshman class and revising how the law is actually calculated.
Furthermore, there will be a push to create an additional National Emerging Research University or “Tier One University” in Texas, specifically in North Texas. Right now Texas has only two public and one private Tier One schools, whereas other large states, such as New York and California, have at least seven. The University of Texas-Arlington, the University of Texas-Dallas, and the University of North Texas are the top three contenders in North Texas to become a Tier One university.
Property Taxes
Almost every legislative session includes a discussion on property taxes. This year is no different and several ideas are already on the table. Current proposals include limiting the local taxing entities on how much they can increase their rates before triggering a “rollback” election and reducing the appraisal cap from no more than 10% annually to 3-5% annually. If the appraisal cap reduction is passed by the legislature, it would then go before the voters as a constitutional amendment. Another proposal would limit property tax appraisals to once every two years and restrict appraised value increases between appraisals.
In no way is this article meant to be an entire list of legislation and issues for public and higher education and property taxes, but instead is a brief overview of what legislation might be filed and discussed in the coming months. In the next two articles, I will also look at transportation, insurance, health care, and other issues that are important to the residents of District 107.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas regarding issues for the 81st legislative session. If there is something specific you would like to see addressed, please email my office at District107.Vaught@house.state.tx.us with the subject line 81st Legislative Session Topics.
As always, please feel free to contact my office at (214) 370-8305 with any questions regarding these or other state issues. I look forward to hearing from you.
As we draw closer to the start of the 81st legislative session, I want to discuss some of the upcoming issues and topics that are sure to draw people’s attention. This will be a three part series discussing legislative “hot topics” with this first article looking at public and higher education and property taxes.
Public Education
Public education will once again be at the forefront as the legislature convenes in 2009. Student accountability, school finance, and how to attract and retain the most qualified teachers are a few of the topics that will be considered. Legislators will again look at replacing TAKS testing with end-of-course exams for all grade levels while trying to incorporate the academic growth of individual students as well. There will also be discussion of how to better align the state accountability system with No Child Left Behind and federal accountability measures.
In regard to school finance, legislators will most likely look at the current effects of the 2006 school finance bill. While the entire system will probably not be reworked, there will be a serious discussion as to how funding needs have changed due to inflation and to an ever-changing student population. In terms of actual school funding, there may be an increase of funds for transportation and technology use, along with a conversation about the amount of funds subject to recapture (Robin Hood) for each school district.
Texas will also be looking at how to attract and retain the most qualified teachers during the next session. Some of the ideas include increasing funding for teacher grant and awards programs such as the Texas Educator Excellence Grant, improving teacher training, and revisiting the incentive/merit pay program for teachers.
Higher Education
Higher education is another hot topic that will be heavily addressed this legislative session. While tuition deregulation has received much recent media attention, the extent to which it will be addressed is still up in the air. Additionally, the “Top Ten Percent” law is another area that will probably be debated. Current proposals include amending the law so that a cap is placed on the number of students automatically admitted in each freshman class and revising how the law is actually calculated.
Furthermore, there will be a push to create an additional National Emerging Research University or “Tier One University” in Texas, specifically in North Texas. Right now Texas has only two public and one private Tier One schools, whereas other large states, such as New York and California, have at least seven. The University of Texas-Arlington, the University of Texas-Dallas, and the University of North Texas are the top three contenders in North Texas to become a Tier One university.
Property Taxes
Almost every legislative session includes a discussion on property taxes. This year is no different and several ideas are already on the table. Current proposals include limiting the local taxing entities on how much they can increase their rates before triggering a “rollback” election and reducing the appraisal cap from no more than 10% annually to 3-5% annually. If the appraisal cap reduction is passed by the legislature, it would then go before the voters as a constitutional amendment. Another proposal would limit property tax appraisals to once every two years and restrict appraised value increases between appraisals.
In no way is this article meant to be an entire list of legislation and issues for public and higher education and property taxes, but instead is a brief overview of what legislation might be filed and discussed in the coming months. In the next two articles, I will also look at transportation, insurance, health care, and other issues that are important to the residents of District 107.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas regarding issues for the 81st legislative session. If there is something specific you would like to see addressed, please email my office at District107.Vaught@house.state.tx.us with the subject line 81st Legislative Session Topics.
As always, please feel free to contact my office at (214) 370-8305 with any questions regarding these or other state issues. I look forward to hearing from you.
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