Friends,
April was full of legislative milestones as we passed our first bills out of the House, voted for a transformational school finance bill, and held our first legislative Town Hall. This edition of the monthly Bucy Bulletin will cover that as well as showcase community events, discuss legislative updates, and highlight our Artist of the Month.
I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve you, HD 136, and the people of Texas. Please do not ever hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or comments or if there is anything my office can do for you.
All the best,
John Bucy III State Representative Texas House District 136
REP. BUCY’S FIRST BILL PASSES HOUSE
On Tuesday, April 2 I was proud to bring my first bill to the House Floor! By requiring that polling place notices include the street address HB 1241 provides critical information to Texas voters, especially first-time voters, younger voters, and people who are new to the county. This bill was passed unanimously out of the House and is now making its way through the Senate. I want to thank my colleagues for their support!
COMMUNITY EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
HD 136 Town Hall: We kicked off April with a Town Hall in Cedar Park, providing an update on legislation and taking questions from the audience. I am grateful to Leander Mayor Troy Hill and Austin City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan for taking the time and sharing updates about their communities as well as to Austin Community College for hosting us. We will have more events after session.
Cedar Park HS Cheerleaders: I visited with the Cedar Park High School Cheerleading Team to congratulate them for successfully defending their 5A Division 1 Title at the 2019 UIL Spirit State Championship and present them with resolutions in their honor.
CAB Lobby Day: Our Community Advisory Board for the Environment held their Lobby Day this month. They had great meetings about various legislation with different representatives and senators’ offices, including a flooding bill, and were able to participate in the committee process.
HCBC engage! Class: I visited with the Hill Country Bible Church – Austin engage! Class. I want to thank Donna Chatham for inviting me to speak with folks about my background, civic engagement, and the key issues of this legislative session.
Westwood HS Team Tennis: Congratulations are in order for the Westwood High School Tennis Team for being the 2018 UIL 6A Team Tennis Champions! They have done an excellent job and made HD 136, Round ISD, and the State of Texas proud.
Northwest Austin Rotary Club: I spent Friday morning at the monthly meeting of the Northwest Austin Rotary Club. I’m always grateful for the opportunity to get out in the community and listen to residents about their concerns.
HD 136 ARTIST OF THE MONTH
Each month at our Capitol Office we are so proud to display and feature work from local artists. Our March Artist of the April was Mattie Wesoloski, a Sophomore studying Studio Art at Southwestern University.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
First bills passed to the Senate
We have now sent three bills out of the House to the Senate. H.B. 1241 requires street addresses to be included as part of polling place notices. It’s been voted out of Senate State Affairs. H.B. 2551 adds persons with Power of Attorney to the list of cosigners for minor’s drivers license applications. It’s been referred to the Senate Committee on Transportation. H.B. 933 requires contact information for county elections offices, polling locations, Voter ID info, and a variety of required election notices to be posted on the Secretary of State or the Counties’ Elections websites as appropriate. It has been referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee. We look forward to working with Senate sponsors to get these bills into law.
Texas House passes transformative school finance legislation
In early April the Texas House debated and passed H.B. 3, the most transformative school finance bill in decades. I was proud to co-author this legislation to invest $9 Billion in our schools, provide true property tax relief to all Texans, and keep our tax dollars in our local community. Under this measure, Leander ISD would be removed from recapture for 2020 and 2021, while Round Rock ISD would see a $97 million recapture payment savings for the next two years. In addition, H.B. 3 provides for full-day Pre-K, increases funding for special education, and includes pay raises for all full-time district employees.
Bucy Legislative Agenda Update
Our office filed 30 pieces of legislation ranging from criminal justice reform and making it easier for Texans to vote, to local economic development and traffic solutions. So far 17 have been heard in committee in a public hearing, 7 of those have been voted favorably out of committee so far, and 3 of those have been passed by the House. You can learn more about our legislative agenda and track its progress here.