WACO Legislative Update

Well the good news first, two of our priority bills, SB 5187 (the Auditors’ clean up bill), and HB 1283 (The Treasurers’ advance tax bill) have cleared the legislature and are on the way to the Governor’s desk! Additionally, the Coroners’ bill (HB 1794) has hit the Senate floor calendar for a potential vote, and we are told that the Clerks’ clean up bill (SB 5327) ought to leave Rules for the floor possibly tonight; while the Assessors’ current use bill we are told is still very much in play for the negotiated budget. I want to thank our legislative team, Monty, Mike, Brynn, and Timothy for all their hard work. Our success rests in their long hours of work.
 
Of course, not every battle leads to victory, and the ballot box bill passed the legislature and is going to the Governor’s desk for signature. We spent long hours defending against this bill, including several meetings with the bill sponsors. The impact of this bill will be far reaching among our counties – and I want to tell you that though it has passed the legislature, the fight is not over. We will be exploring several options to remove or reduce the impacts of this passage.

Priority Bills

Assessors: (SB 5188) The Assessors' current use bill we are told is very much in play for a negotiated budget.

Auditors: (SB 5187) the Auditors' cleanup bill passed both houses of legislature and is on the way to the Governor's desk for signature.

Clerks: (SB 5327) The Clerks' cleanup bill is in House Rules, we are told it may hit the floor calendar as early as tonight.

Coroners: (HB 1794) The Coroners' bill concerning the death investigations account is currently on the Senate floor calendar for a potential vote. The provisions of this bill are covered in the Senate budget proposal.

Treasurers: (HB 1283) The Treasurers’ anticipated tax bill passed both houses of legislature and is on the way to the Governor's desk for signature.

Other Bills of Interest

 
The following bills of interest were discussed by the Legislative Committee, who then voted to take a position on the bills. 

Support: (HB 1594) This bill concerns training and consultation regarding public disclosure. The bill is currently in Senate Rules.

Support: (HB 1595) This bill concerns the costs associated with public records, allowing governments to collect a modest fee for electronic records gathered. The bill is currently in Senate Rules.