On January 25, 1839 the Lone Star flag was adopted by the Third Congress of the Republic of Texas as the national flag since Texas was an independent nation at that time. When Texas joined the United States as the 28th state six years later, the national flag became the state flag.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. Senate Redistricting Committee to begin hearings

The Senate Committee on Redistricting will begin the important work of meeting to hear testimony from around the state regarding the redrawing of State House, Senate, State Board of Education, and US Congressional maps. Testimony will be open to the public, but will be virtual to adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines and ensure Texans all over the state have an opportunity to participate. Redistricting happens once every ten years. It follows the completion of the US Census. Though the Census was delayed this year due to the ongoing pandemic, we are looking forward to working on redrawing maps when we get the data. It’s my honor to serve on the SenateRedistricting Committee and I look forward to being a strong voice for East Texas during this process.

2. NRA to move to Texas

The National Rifle Association announced it is filing for bankruptcy in New York last week and said they plan to reincorporate in Texas. The Association had been incorporated in New York for approximately 150 years. The decision to leave comes due to what they call a corrupt political and regulatory environment in New York. Meanwhile, Texas is home to over 400,000 NRA members and will host the NRA’s Annual Meeting in Houston this year. The association will continue their work of promoting firearm safety and training, challenging anti-Second Amendment activity, and advancing public programs across the US. As a member of the NRA and a proud defender of Second Amendment rights, I’m happy to welcome the NRA to Texas.

3. Palestine Economic Development Corporation and Etex Communications partner to expand fiber broadband access

The Palestine Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) has partnered with Etex Communications to bring fiber broadband to Palestine and Anderson County. PEDC identified broadband as a key economic development issue and has worked over the last several months to study current internet access and plans to improve it. Part of the plan is to pull fiber, on Etex’s network, from Jacksonville to Palestine. To do that, PEDC committed $1.1 million to fund a portion of the cost of construction. They are focused on bringing broadband to local businesses which is vital for creating jobs, supporting economic growth, and generating revenue to do additional broadband expansion into residential communities. The goal is for PEDC and Etex to reinvest revenue to expand the network as more customers come on board. If you’re interested in learning more, PEDC and Etex encourages you to contact Etex Communications at (903) 797-1036.

4. Don’t Mess with Texas Scholarship Contest Opens

The Texas Department of Transportation in partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful announced the opening of the Don’t Mess with Texas Scholarship contest on January 4. The contest is open to any Texas high school senior currently attending public, private, or home school and planning to attend college in the fall. This contest recognizes Texas high school seniors who are taking a leadership role in litter prevention in their school or community. One $5,000 Grand Prize scholarship will be awarded and two $2,000 scholarships will be awarded in May. Applications must be received by 5pm on March 31st to be considered. Sponsors for this year’s contest are Buc-ee’s and iHeart Media.

To enter the contest, visit https://www.dontmesswithtexas.org/.

5. US Dept of Labor issues guidance for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance continuation program

The US Department of Labor issued guidelines to assist the Texas Workforce Commission in continuing to implement Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Unemployment Compensation. Congress passed the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020 at the end of last year. The bill authorized up to 11 additional benefits weeks to Texans on unemployment due to the pandemic. The bill also extends CARES Act benefits through March 13 and includes an extra $300 per week for eligible claimants. TWC announced they will automatically enroll all Texans who are eligible for benefits under the act. There is no need for anyone to call or reapply. Importantly, this does not impact work search requirements. Most Texans will still be required to conduct work searches. The list of searches by county can be found at https://www.twc.texas.gov/jobseekers/required-number-work-search-activities-county.

AUSTIN – Today the Senate Redistricting Committee announced they will hold a series of regional hearings to solicit testimony from the public about the upcoming redistricting process. These regional hearings will allow members of the public to testify before the Committee remotely via Zoom videoconference.

Next Friday, January 29, 2021 at 9 am the Committee will hold a hearing specifically tailored to the East Texas region. I want to encourage the public to sign up and participate in this process. Registration is now open to those who would like to testify and it will close 24 hours prior to the start of the hearing. Once registration is closed, witnesses will no longer be able to sign up to testify at that hearing but may sign up for future regional hearings. Although this hearing is focused on East Texas, the committee will hear testimony about any region of the State at any hearing.

To provide testimony by videoconference, witnesses will need access to a computer or other device with an internet connection and audio/video capability, like a smartphone or tablet. If you don’t have access to such a device, please visit your local public library.

To sign up to testify at the East Texas regional hearing, please complete the witness registration form at this address: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpcumrrzsoG9QaGcXoD0ez7rlNlbfFpHlm. That address can also be found on the hearing posting on the Senate Committee on Redistricting website. Witnesses must complete all fields including the witness affirmation to complete registration. After completing this form, witnesses will receive a registration confirmation email with a link to join the videoconference and other important information.

On the day of the hearing, participants will need to sign in to the Zoom meeting 30 minutes before it begins via the link that was emailed to them in their confirmation email. You will be prompted for a password, which is also in the confirmation email. Once you have entered your passcode, you will be placed in a virtual waiting room where you will remain until it is your turn to testify. Please watch the hearing livestream at https://senate.texas.gov/events.php to know when it will be your turn to testify.

When it is your turn to testify, the Chair will ask you to state your name and who you represent. If you’re not representing an organization, you are welcome to just say yourself. Please remember to unmute your microphone before you begin speaking.

Here is a complete list of all the regional hearings, the days they will be on, and the times they will start at. If you’d like to sign up for any other day to testify, please go to the Senate Redistricting Committee website and use the links in the hearing postings.

– 1/25 at 9 am – West Texas

– 1/26 at 9 am – South Texas

– 1/27 at 1 pm – North Texas

– 1/28 at 9 am – Central Texas

– 1/29 at 9 am – East Texas

– 2/2 at 9 am – Brownsville/Harlingen/McAllen

– 2/3 at 1 pm – San Antonio

– 2/4 at 9 am – Dallas/Ft. Worth

– 2/12 at 9 am – Houston

– 2/19 at 10 am – El Paso

– 2/26 at 9 am – Any Region

– 2/27 at 9 am – Any Region

We look forward to hearing from East Texans about this process and throughout this process. If you have any further questions about how to sign up to testify or the Redistricting process in general, please feel free to contact our office at 512-463-0103.

Last week, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced committee assignments for the 87th Legislative Session. I am honored to once again chair the Senate Transportation Committee and look forward to working with my fellow members on transportation legislation. The Lt. Governor also appointed me as the Vice Chair of the Senate Business and Commerce committee and a member of the Senate committees on Criminal Justice, Finance, Local Government (formerly known as Intergovernmental Relations), and the Select Committee on Redistricting. 

The Senate Finance Committee serves an important role in forming the state’s budget for the next two years. Though the budget this year will be tight due to COVID-19, I want to make sure that the progress we made in school finance last session is a priority. Additionally, serving on the Redistricting Committee is also of particular importance to me. Redistricting only comes once every ten years. I want to ensure it is a fair process and I will be a strong voice that speaks up for rural Texas. 

It’s been my honor to chair the Transportation Committee since 2011. As a former Texas Department of Transportation Commissioner, I have a unique perspective and understanding of transportation issues facing the state of Texas. I look forward to making a positive impact on all the committees I’ve been assigned to and working hard for Senate District 3. 

To see all the committee assignments, please visit https://www.ltgov.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-Senate-Committees.pdf. 

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By Robert Nichols

The Legislature has ended its first week of session. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Senate has decided to recess until January 26th. However, we will still be working hard in the meantime on legislation for Senate District 3. 

Here are five things happening around your state: 

 1. The Texas Legislature begins the 87th Legislative Session

This week, the 87th legislature gaveled in for session. Though opening day looked a bit different than usual, with fewer guests in the gallery, on the floor, and throughout the building, we’re excited to start the important work on behalf of Senate District 3.

The Texas Senate also decided on the rules that will govern the chamber for at least the first 60 days. There are several changes due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 precautions include mandatory testing for anyone going onto the floor of the senate or to a committee hearing and twice weekly testing for all staff. The Senate also changed the number of votes required to bring a bill up for a vote on the floor. Instead of requiring 3/5ths of the membership to bring a bill up, the body will now require 5/9ths of the members to vote to bring up a bill.

2. Texas was the top corporate move destination in 2020

Texas ranked number one in corporate relocations last year, according to Allied Van Lines, a major moving firm. Houston and Austin were the top two cities in Texas that businesses were relocating to. The top locations businesses were coming from were California, Chicago, Phoenix, and Washington, DC. Some major companies that recently moved their headquarters to Texas include Oracle, Hewlett Packard, and CBRE. Texas’ business-friendly climate is one reason many companies cited for their moves and I hope to see that continue.

3. Timeline for Session

As the Texas Constitution requires, the legislature has convened for the next 140 days. The reason we meet every other year is because the framers of our state constitution envisioned a citizen legislature that could not infringe too much on citizens’ lives by meeting more frequently. Though many years have passed since our founding, our framers vision lives on.

Several provisions in our state constitution are related to ensuring we value the time we are given to legislate and focus our attention on only the most pressing issues. One such provision is that no legislation can be fully passed in the first 60 days of session. The only exception is if the Governor designates a specific bill as emergency legislation. If there’s a piece of legislation you feel strongly about, please be sure to contact us. Our office phone number is (512) 463-0103.

Here are some important dates to keep in mind as we move through session:

• March 12th – This is the last day bills can be filed in the House and Senate.
• May 31st – This is the last day of regular session, which also happens to be Memorial Day.
• June 20th – This is the last day the Governor can sign or veto bills passed during the regular legislative session.

4. Vaccine Hubs and vaccine rollout

The Department of State Health Services has announced 28 vaccination hubs that are meant to streamline a large-scale vaccination effort currently being undertaken by the state. These vaccination hubs will have the capability to vaccinate 100,000 people. The state is set to receive almost 200,000 doses of the vaccine. A little over 158,000 doses of the vaccine will go to these hubs, the other roughly 38,000 doses will go to providers across the state. Currently, the hubs are prioritizing frontline healthcare workers, people who are 65 and older, and those with certain health conditions. The state of Texas has vaccinated more people than any other state in the nation and will begin receiving a larger allotment of doses starting in February. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine provider information please visit https://tdem.texas.gov/covid-19/.

5. Comptroller announces the Biennial Revenue Estimate

The Comptroller has released his Biennial Revenue Estimate. The BRE projects an estimate of the state’s revenue over the next two years. The BRE projected that the state will have $112.5 billion available for general-purpose spending. That’s down 0.4% from the last biennium. It also outlined the closing balance of the last two-year budget. While the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on our economy, the impact was not as severe as originally thought. The ending balance for the 2020-2021 balance will be close to a negative $1 billion.

By Robert Nichols

With the beginning of the 87th legislative session fast approaching, my staff and I are gearing up to do the work of the people at your Texas Capitol. Though this session will certainly look different than past sessions, we are prepared to do this important work on behalf of Senate District 3.

Here are five things happening around your state:

1. FCC announces $362 million in funds to expand broadband in rural Texas

The Federal Communications Commission announced last month a $362 million investment in expanding rural broadband in Texas. Of those funds, over $138 million has been allocated to businesses in Senate District 3. Jasper County received the most funds of any county in the state at over $13 million. These funds are intended to support businesses who are expanding broadband access and infrastructure in their communities. The goal is to connect an estimated 670,000 Texans to high-speed internet over the next 10 years.

2. HHSC launches 24/7 mental health support line to help Texans during COVID-19 pandemic

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission launched a 24/7 statewide mental health support line specifically designed to support Texans experiencing anxiety, stress or emotional challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Counseling services are absolutely confidential and free of charge to anyone who calls. The support line is being operated by the Harris Center for Mental Health and offers trauma-informed support and psychological first aid. It’s important to recognize the toll the pandemic has taken on Texans mental health and offer support in any way we can. The toll-free number is 833-986-1919.

3. Lt. Governor Patrick announces guidelines for opening day of the 87th legislative session

Following the Governor’s announcement re-opening the Texas State Capitol to the public, the Lt. Governor announced guidelines for the Texas Senate’s opening day ceremonies. Each Senator will receive a COVID-19 test before entering the Capitol. Guests of each senator will also be tested. No personal data will be collected or kept regarding the results. The testing is free and will yield results in 15 minutes. The day itself will also look different, with a shorter ceremony and less time gathered in the chamber. The senators have agreed to reduce ceremonial events and gatherings this session to decrease the risk of spreading COVID-19. In the Capitol building itself, masks will be required in all public spaces. Fifteen-minute COVID-19 rapid testing will be offered outside of the building. If you’re planning to visit the Capitol during session this year, please call our office ahead of time to let us know you’re coming. Our Capitol office phone number is 512-463-0103.

4. Judicial Selection Commission releases report, recommendations

Last month the Texas Commission on Judicial Selection released its recommendations on changing the election system for judges in the state. In an 8-7 vote, the commission recommended the state end the current system of selecting judges via partisan elections. I was appointed to serve on the commission by the Lieutenant Governor and was one of the 7 members of the commission who voted against the recommendation to change the current method of electing judges in our state. I firmly believe that Texans should have the right to choose their judges and will protect my constituent’s right to do so. However, I did agree to consider raising qualifications for judges. Currently, Texas Supreme Court justices must be 35 years old, licensed to practice law in Texas, and have at least 10 years of legal experience. District court judges have no age requirement but are required to have been practicing in Texas for at least four years.

5. TEA announces a pause on A-F grading for school districts, campuses

In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Texas Education Agency announced it will pause A-F ratings for the 2020-2021 school year. The pandemic disrupted this school year in major ways, and pausing these ratings is the right thing to do. During my superintendent tour, this was brought up in every school district and with every superintendent I talked with. I’m glad to see TEA has listened to their input. The annual STAAR test will be conducted, however, as it’s an important baseline to determine where our students are and help them grow. For schools that use STAAR testing as part of teacher evaluations, TEA is offering flexibility to allow them to remove that component this year. These decisions will make it easier for teachers, superintendents, and all other support staff to focus on what is most important: educating Texas children.