Lubbock state lawmakers pleased with productive, hard session

June 03--It was a tall order to try to pack everything into 140 days, but Lubbock-area state lawmakers came home this week after a tension-filled session saying Texas is in good shape going forward.

If they need to head back to Austin anytime soon is still up in the air. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to make an announcement soon on whether he'll call a special session to take up any bills left unturned. Among notable issues that could be addressed in a special session are property tax reform and transgender bathroom policy, although it's up to Abbott to decide.

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Lawmakers filed more than 10,000 bills and resolutions to be considered this session. More than 4,600 of those got through both chambers -- the bulk of those were congratulatory or memorial measures. The Austin American Statesman reported roughly 1,200 actual pieces of legislation were passed.

Some lawmakers had a better batting average than others, but each area lawmaker told A-J Media this past week they're pleased with their accomplishments.

"Personally, it was probably my most productive session, but probably my hardest session -- everything was hard," said Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. "Just a lot of different issues; everything was contentious ... you take on religious liberties and you take on the sanctuary cities debate -- you just have hours and hours of testimony and prep time."

Reps. John Frullo and Dustin Burrows echoed this thought, saying it was a strenuous few months. The Lubbock Republicans believe they got necessary actions and a budget passed that accomplishes much of what it could.

The big priority each session is the two-year budget, and while Perry said they were limited on funds, some key priorities were addressed.

In the House

Burrows and Frullo applauded their colleagues in getting an additional $508 million for Child Protective Services and $300 million for added capacity for state mental health facilities -- both key priorities in the beginning.

"I think we've made significant, positive investments in the right direction for CPS," said Burrows. "It needed to be reformed, so I'm proud of what the House, Senate and governor signed into law to reform that system. ... If you talk with all our local sheriffs and county judges, that (mental health initiative) will help them out tremendously, especially with some telehealth stuff, but also it'll save the taxpayers money because we're spending a lot of county budgets on mental health care right now."

In the House, Frullo said, about 20 of his bills either made it through the process or were attached to a bill that did. One that he's now working to inform people about was a bill aimed at synchronization of prescription drugs -- where people can synchronize their prescription drugs to reduce pharmacy visits.

Another Frullo bill that passed aims to improve consumer protections related to surprise medical bills. Frullo was also crucial in getting funding for Texas Tech's proposed Amarillo veterinary school in the budget, getting land transferred for a proposed Veterans Administration clinic across the from the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, and getting a bill passed easing restrictions on large knives.

"It was a good session," said Frullo "There were some good things that happened and a number of large bills. From a personal perspective, I was able to get several accounting issues, a child possession bill that's part of my continued effort on human trafficking, a number of insurance bills ... these were big bills."

Burrows authored three bills that passed through both chambers. A measure that's been praised by first responders will create an ombudsman within the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation to serve injured first responders by assisting them through the claims process and, if applicable, with any disputes that may arise.

"I'm proud of this bill," said Burrows. "I think it's a much-needed bill after hearing from dozens of injured law enforcement and first responders in the area."

As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Burrows also passed a producer protection bill that he said, in a quantity contract where a producer delivers what was agreed to on a set amount of acres, the producer won't get sued for making bad estimates.

Burrows came into the session having introduced numerous pieces of legislation he said were aimed at tackling health care costs, but those came up short. Burrows said when there's special interests and others fixed in their ways fighting against you it makes for a difficult fight. He said he'll have to double-down and better convince his colleagues going forward.

In the Senate

Perry authored the hotly contested sanctuary cities bill, but he said that's not the issue he thinks of most often. He said his "pride and joy" is an amendment he attached to a bill that allows potential adoptive parents access to the medical history of the child before they adopt. He said other bills that stand out are ones that funded rural telecommunications, and those about religious liberties: extending additional legal protection to adoption and foster care agencies to turn away prospective parents based on their "sincerely held religious beliefs" and a bill prohibiting dismemberment abortions, which is a method typically used in the second trimester.

"Senate Bill 4 was something that needed to be done -- it's a task that we needed," Perry said of the sanctuary cities bill. "It's unfortunate that we have times where you've got to make laws to tell somebody they've got to apply the laws they swore to. I was privileged, or now, depending what side you look at it, to carry it. It was a heavy lift, it was a big job and it took a lot out of you. I had DPS escorts for several weeks around the Capitol because of it. But I got it done."

Perry was in the mix on many of the highly debated bills that made it out of the Senate. He voted for school vouchers after getting a carve-out for smaller counties and a property tax bill that triggers automatic rollback elections when government revenue reaches a certain point year-over-year. These were bills that critics say hurt rural counties, and Perry said he considered that heavily in his decision. But Perry said he believes these are good policies. Urban Republicans want school vouchers and the state can never go wrong with letting voters have more of a say on property taxes, he said.

"You try to represent your district, but as a senator, you've got to look at 28 million people (in the state) rather than a House member's 170,000 (in their district)," said Perry. "(School vouchers) was an agenda item that the lieutenant governor and governor believe is relevant to urbans, so you do your best for your district and carve them out. That doesn't make my superintendents happy, but you don't get the luxury of having perfection on every level. You have to play it. If I went against every senator that was pro-voucher without any solutions of carving my district out, then when I need those guys to come to the table for me over stuff that's important to my district ... it's about relationships."

Although the bill never went to the House floor during the regular session, both Frullo and Burrows said they support the property tax bill with a carve -ut for smaller counties.

Much of the discussion surrounding the session focused on friction between House and Senate leaders. Area lawmakers downplayed this friction, saying it's what comes with the territory. Frullo and Burrows spoke favorably of House Speaker Joe Straus, and Perry spoke the same way of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Frullo said there's a difference of opinion between the two chambers each session, which he argued is how it's supposed to be. In the Senate there's a leader who's elected statewide with senators representing areas roughly five times bigger than House districts. Then there are members of the House, who Frullo said represent a smaller pocket and are therefore supposed to be more responsive to the people they represent.

As for the possible special session, area lawmakers simply say it's up to the governor.

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