Dade Phelan represents District 21 in the Texas State Legislature.  He currently serves on both the House Appropriations Committee and the Calendars Committee, two of the most powerful committees in the Texas House.  Representative Phelan began his talk by stating that all committee appointments could change as there will be a new Speaker of the House elected for the upcoming session.  He hoped to be able to continue to serve Southeast Texas on these and other important committees.  Representative Phelan gave a summary of results from the last session.  He explained that in order to balance the state budget (required by law) every state agency had funding cut at least 4%, with one agency receiving a 33% cut.  They were able to maintain funding to public schools that matched the enrollment growth.  The House passed HB (House Bill) 21, which added 2 billion to public school funding, but after the Senate added stipulations for charter schools and vouchers, the measure died.  Both Houses were able to pass a measure adding 1.9 billion for Pre-K funding, to help give kids a head start on reading.

 

The Senate wanted to cut out 1 billion in funding for higher education.  Passage of that measure would have forced Lamar and LIT to cut a combined 14 current programs.  The House was able to find a way to maintain the budget for higher education and not force those program cuts.  Representative Phelan stated that this session the budgeting process starts in the House and he hopes that fact, along with an expected state surplus, will enable the legislature to accomplish more for education at all levels.

 

Representative Phelan spoke about border security, and how much of the burden the State is having to bear when this is actually a constitutional obligation of the federal government.  He said that Texans footed the bill and that has to change.  He also spoke about the importance of funding for mental health, and how it needs to be included in any health discussion.  He was able to secure $350,000 in funding for Spindletop Center to add pediatric beds.  Prior to this, the closest mental health facility for children was in Austin.  There was also funding added for local law enforcement to have a trained mental health professional on staff who can assist and determine the proper course of action for a mental health issue so that jail is not the only option.

 

The representative informed us that work must be done in CPS (Child Protective Services)  reform.  He said they currently have a 60% turnover rate among caseworkers due to the caseload and stress of the job.  He tried to pass a kinship bill that would allow a qualified relative to take a child in and place a restraining order on the parent, so that the child could be in a place of safety among family.

 

TRS Care – healthcare for retired teachers – is effectively bankrupt and must be changed.  It was designed as a supplement to Medicare after age 65 and is woefully insufficient to be the primary care for teachers who retire early.  There also needs to be significant school finance reform.  There is a big push by some to cut property taxes, but schools cannot be properly funded if their main funding source is cut.  Another way must be found to properly and equitably fund our public schools.

 

He spoke about TWIA (Texas Windstorm Insurance Association) reform and how the entire state must share in the cost of windstorm insurance, just as every coastal resident shares in the cost of hail, wildfire, and tornado damage that routinely occurs in non-coastal regions of the state.  He also said that he tried to sneak a line in the budget to implement a truck-driving school at LIT (Lamar Institute of Technology), but it was discovered and eliminated at the last minute.  He will try again this session.

 

Lastly, Representative Phelan stated that he was proud to say he was able to successfully pass a bill requiring seat belts on all new school buses.  That bill was brought to him by Rotarian Brad Brown, and he was honored to have been able to push it through.