Texas Eagle Forum
State Legislative Alert #6 (March 21, 1999)
by Cathie Adams, president, cathieadams@texaseagle.org
IN THIS ISSUE:

Legislative Handbook

E-mail your request for a copy of our Texas Legislative Handbook and send $5 by snail mail to PO Box 795354, Dallas, TX 75379.

Contact your State Legislator

Capitol switchboard: 512-463-4630

Legislator’s e-mail:

    House member: firstname.lastname@house.state.tx.us
    Senate member: firstname.lastname@senate.state.tx.us

STATE BILLS:
The deadline for filing bills for the Texas Legislature was March 12th. I have categorically assembled most of the issues TEF is following and because they are extensive, I’m sending them in individual reports. You can obtain the full text of the bills at www.capitol.state.tx.us
Thank you for your interest and involvement; together we CAN make a difference!

Blood Tests
HB 14 by Goolsby relates to mandatory pre-marital blood tests and was left pending in committee after a public hearing in February. TEF supports confidential pre-marital blood tests that are revealed only to the couple about to be married.
HB 1371 by Burnam and SB 567 by Moncrief relate to a penalty for disclosing a person’s HIV status. TEF believes that HIV should be treated as any other sexually transmitted disease that allows tracing sexual contacts so that those at risk can receive proper medical attention; therefore, we oppose these bills.

Judicial Elections
HB 10 by Gallego attempts to make statewide judicial elections non-partisan.
SB 59 by Duncan relates to the appointment and non-partisan retention or rejection of judges and eliminates a straight-party vote for judges.
SB 78 by Gallegos relates to judicial appointments and creation of judicial districts.
SJR 9 by Duncan/Ellis & 11 by Gallegos are constitutional amendments necessary to make the above changes. SJR 9 was originally filed by Duncan, R-Lubbock, but substituted on 2-24-99 by Ellis, D-Houston. The final floor passage vote was on March 18th with a vote of 9 Nays and 22 Yeas. Wentworth, R-San Antonio, changed his vote on the final vote to Yea after voting against it on the previous vote. TEF opposes removing the right of citizens to vote for judges.

Y2K
HB 9 by McCall and SB 598 by Duncan relates to actions regarding computer date failures.
HB 40 by Pitts attempts to limit liability for damages arising from Y2K.

 Education Bills
There are more bills filed dealing with education than any other issue. You can obtain the full text of the bills at www.capitol.state.tx.us
Committee members are:
Paul Sadler,
Harold Dutton,
Jim Dunnam,
Kent Grusendorf,
Scott Hochberg,
David Lengefeld,
Rene Oliveira,
Dora Olivo and
Todd Smith.
Your calls and e-mails would be MOST effective to your own House and Senate members. Thank you for your interest and involvement!

House Public Education Committee:
PUBLIC HEARING, Monday, March 22nd, Room E2.036, 2 PM HB 1849 by Lengefeld would lower the age of compulsory attendance. TEF opposes this bill.
HB 363 and HB 364, both by Harryette Ehrhardt, deal with discrimination of homosexual students and employment discrimination of homosexual teachers. TEF opposes these bills.

Education bills filed (partial listing)
HB 17 by Goolsby would require community service for public high school students,
HB 171 by Garcia would make school districts liable to parents for student failure of the TAAS,
HB 240 by Krusee would increase the number of charter schools,
HB 481 by Woolley relates to bi-lingual education programs,
HB 646 by Howard relates to textbook selection,
HB 685 by Oliveira relates to intensive English teaching,
HB 686 by Oliveira would require that every student study Spanish,
HB 698 by Wilson relates to the TAAS,
HB 760 by Dutton would establish basic skills academies,
HB 1044 by Talton relates to bi-lingual education,
HB 1046 by Sadler relates to social promotion,
HB 1113 by Farabee relates to the TAAS,
HB 1122 by Coleman relates to school advisory councils for health education instruction,
HB 1129 by Longoria relates to curriculum based on scientific research,
HB 1180 by Rangel relates to State Board for Educator Certification,
HB 1241 by Grusendorf and SB 103 by Bivins relate to the TAAS,
HB 1418 by Seaman relates to STW,
HB 1470 by Hilbert relates to remedial education,
HB 1849 by Lengefeld relates to compulsory school attendance age to 5 years,
HB 1964, 1965 and 1966 all by Howard relate to the TAAS, reading in public schools and teacher certification,
HB 1992 by Davis relates to the Commissioner of Education,
HB 2011 by Cuellar relates to the TASP,
HB 2133 by Dutton would provide full-day pre-K and K,
HB 2282 by Garcia relates to funding bi-lingual education,
HB 2401 by Keffer relates to STW,
HB 2552 by Hochberg relates to the TAAS,
HB 2608 by Greenberg and SB 955 by Bivins relates to pre-reading instruction,
HB 2713 by Dutton relates to accelerated education,
HB 2727 by Solis and SB 1027 by Lucio relate to STW,
HB 2797 by Delisi relates to abstinence education,
HB 2908 by Olivo relates to National Board for Professional Teaching Standards,
HB 2923 by Dunnam relates to charter school governing,
HB 2982 by Culberson relates to federal control of Texas schools,
HB 2983 by Cluberson relates to the TAAS performance measurements,
HB 3012 by Shapleigh relates to sanctions on low-performing schools,
HB 3013 by Shapleigh relates to curriculum requirements,
HB 3043 relates to pre-K funding,
HB 3109 by Longoria and SB 980 by Barrientos creates multicultural math and science education,
HB 3239 by Denny relates to parental access to school board meetings,
HB 3379 by George is a bill of rights for public school teachers,
HB 3395 by Culberson relates to federal laws affecting state education,
HB 3396 by Culberson relates to parental rights in public schools,
HB 3519 by Madden would require parental notification and consent before children are put into experimental programs,
HB 3643 by Krusee relates to charter schools,
HB 3644 by Krusee relates to university charter schools,
HB 3646 by Krusee relates to charter schools,
HB 3653 by Oliveira relates to accelerated education,
HB 3675 by Garcia relates to the TAAS,
HB 3754 by Krusee creates a Charter School Commission,
HB 3756 by Giddings relates to school discipline,
HCR 117 by Keffer encourages STW,
HJR 91 by Heflin is a constitutional amendment to provide the inalienable rights of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children,
SB 423 by Harris relates to the operation, funding and administration of STW,
SB 622 by Luna would fund extended year programs,
SB 1455 by West relates accelerated education,
SB 1472 by Bivins relates to the age of compulsory attendance,
SB 1561 by Barrientos relates to student drop outs,
SB 1562 by Barrientos relates to students at-risk of dropping out of school,
SB 1616 by Cain relates to financing preparation of public school teachers,
SB 1724 by Ellis relates to school campus plans and performance reports,
SB 1780 by Fraser relates to STW and
SB 1819 by Luna relates to STW.

Part II of this Alert


Legislative Advertising, Texas Eagle Forum, Cathie Adams, P.O. Box 795354, Dallas, TX 75379.

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