The Legislative session ended today, sine die. A record number of bills were filed and another record may have been set for bills that did not pass.
 
I sent a lot more e-mails this session than any before urging support or opposition to different bills.
 
I advocated giving our region the ability to fund more of its transportation needs through local option elections that might have approved higher fees and taxes on certain transportation-related items, like gas and drivers licenses. We need taxes to fund certain things in society, like police and armies and fire fighters, and we need taxes to fund certain types of infrastructure, like roads and transit and court houses.
 
Maneuvering like crazy, the local option language was tacked onto the transportation sunset bill. Then it was stripped out in conference committee. Then the whole bill failed. One other provision, that would have terminated red light cameras when the current contract with suppliers expired, died with the bill. Council held a special meeting last Friday to authorize the city manager to extend Garland's contract in the event the bill did pass.
 
I was very involved opposing an omnibus bill that would have threatened homeowner associations, especially those that are small or self-managed. In that one, the bill's author made some deals with the property management companies but shut-out the boards and members of the associations. If failed to be passed but it got uncomfortably further in the process than it should have.
 
As an omnibus bill, it covered a lot of issues. Many were good and would have improved HOA governance and expanded members' rights. An amendment from Rep Vickie Truitt (Southlake) would have spared some homeowners from having to pay state franchise taxes, certainly an unintended consequence from the previous session. Other points were just the opposite and would have potentially killed many associations before they could have benefited from the good items.
 
I've been around the Texas legislative process starting in college when I was a lobbyist for the Texas Student Association (that was statewide, not just UT). Still, the more I know about it, the more chaotic it becomes. This year was no exception.
 
I am especially grateful to those legislative members that represent District 1: Sen John Carona, Rep Angie Chen Button, Rep Joe Driver, and Rep Jerry Madden (there is a slight overlap along the Collin County line).
 
An email from Rep Madden gave me the heads-up Saturday that the conference committee had dropped the local option provisions. During the session, I received calls from Rep Button and from Rep Carol Kent (west Garland) while they were on the floor. Technology enabled our representatives to communicate during the session unlike ever before. Rep Button sent weekly updates to constituents; Sen Carona sent regular updates, and I received updates from Rep Kent. Rep Linda Harper-Brown (Irving) sent updates even more often on Facebook.
 
In the end, a number of records were set. Some of them were even good.