Friends,
Thank you for reading. As always, feel free to call my office by phone (512-463-0661) or email District130.Oliverson@house.
Here is what we have been up to these past few weeks in Austin and House District 130.
Governor Abbott calls special session on July 8, 2021, but where are the Democrats?
Shortly after wrapping up the 87th session, Governor Abbott has called us back to work on several priority issues that were left on the table during regular session. Many of the legislative items placed on the call by Governor Abbott will benefit folks in Northwest Harris County and across the State of Texas. Unfortunately, at the end of session, the House Democrats walked out of the Capitol and killed important election and bail reforms. Those items were placed back on the call by the Governor to be passed in a special session, but the Democrats once again broke quorum and left the state. As I write this, the Texas House Democrats continue to fail their constituents, having fled to Washington DC. If the Democrats do not return to the State, we will not be able to pass important legislation that Texans need, including the following:
Special Session agenda items:
Election Integrity: Legislation to strengthen and ensure fair voting in Texas. Makes it easier to vote, harder to cheat.
Bail Reform: Legislation to reform the bail system to better protect the public from dangerous criminals being let back out on our streets.
Border Security: Legislation to provide funding to secure the Texas border from the failures of the Biden/Harris administration.
Social Media Censorship: Legislation protecting people from being censored by social media companies based on the user’s expressed viewpoints.
Youth Sports: Legislation identical to SB 29, which prohibits a student from competing in UIL athletic competitions designated for the sex opposite to the student’s sex at birth. This bill protects the integrity of women’s sports.
Family Violence Prevention: Legislation requiring schools to provided education to middle and high school students about dating violence, domestic violence, and child abuse. A parent has the right to opt their child out of this instruction.
Abortion-inducing Drugs: Legislation which prohibits people from providing abortion-inducing drugs by mail or another delivery service.
Critical Race Theory: Legislation ending the leftist teachings of critical race theory in our public schools.
Only two days into special session, my Democratic colleagues again decided to break quorum and flee to Washington DC on a chartered jet, booze in tow, masks nowhere to be seen. This action was unnecessary and detrimental to the constituents of our great state. I have called on them to return soon so that we can get back to doing the people’s work.
A “13th Check” for retired teachers
One of our main priorities this special session is providing our retired teachers with a “13th Check”. This authorizes a one-time payment to retired teachers of up to $2,400. We sat down with leadership from the Texas Retired Teachers Association to let them know our commitment to pass this legislation. As the husband of a teacher and with countless family members who are educators, this issue is especially important to me. I am hoping that our Democratic colleagues can come back to join us soon so we can pass this crucial, bipartisan legislation.
Visitors from the district
As always, my staff and I welcome our constituents to visit our capitol office anytime. We enjoy hearing from and learning what we can do for the people of House District 130. These folks were voicing their opinions and testifying in the Texas Senate! Happy they had a chance to stop by afterward, and thank you for making sure your voice was heard. Next time you plan to visit your Texas State Capitol, please do not hesitate to swing by and say hello.
Sincerely,
