In case you missed it… as of Monday, March 29, 2021, everyone age 16 and older is now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Texas. All vaccines are authorized for people age 18 and older. The Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people 16 and older. For more information regarding COVID-19 vaccines, you may visit the Texas Department of State Health Services Vaccine Information page or my COVID-19 Vaccine Information Blog page.
April 6, 2021 Newsletter
Representative Michelle Beckley
Howdy, House District 65!
Where do I begin? The 87th Texas Legislative Session has proved both challenging and rewarding - I have been fighting for Texans’ right to vote as a member of the Elections Committee, while simultaneously focusing my efforts on other matters that are pertinent to the constituents of House District 65. I am the type of legislator that seeks to solve prevailing issues, rather than focusing on non-existing problems. I will continue to be the voice for those who are silenced! I aim to create a better state for us ALL.
Our Bills
Two of my bills were heard in Committees last week.
HB 1038 would simply repeal the Texas statue which states that homosexual conduct is not an acceptable lifestyle and is a criminal offense. This is a bipartisan effort; over 60% of Texans are in support of equality for the LGBTQ+ community, and this number continues to grow. HB 1038 would give LGBTQ+ Texans a greater sense of acceptance and inclusivity in their state, which would have invaluable impacts on their mental health and their contribution to Texas. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that homosexual conduct is constitutional. However, Texas code still claims that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense, which is unenforceable due to federal law.
We heard testimony from three individuals during the committee hearing; two witnesses were FOR the bill, and one witness was AGAINST the bill. The person testifying against the bill received constructive criticism from members of the State Affairs Committee; many, if not all, members were in support of HB 1038. HB 1038 was left pending at this time, in the Committee.
HB 3136: Relating to allowing the governing bodies of certain political subdivisions to call for a local option election relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages. House Bill 3136 simply provides an option to motion directly for a local option election versus requiring a petition to institute the election. HB 3136 poses the option for the commissioner’s court of a county to order a local election in a county or justice precinct to determine which types of alcohol will be allowed in the given area. Additionally, the governing body may order a local election to determine the legality of the sale of various types of alcohol for that municipality.
We heard testimony from one witness who testified ON the bill. HB 3136 was left pending in the Committee, at this time.
Our Committees
International Relations & Economic Development Committee
The International Relations & Economic Development Committee met to hear HB 190, HB 1048, HB 2390, HB 3271, and HB 3938 on Wednesday, March 31st. Testimony was heard from multiple witnesses for these bills. All were left pending in the Committee. For more details, follow the links provided on each of the listed bill numbers! You may also watch an archive of the meeting’s live broadcast.
Elections Committee
Now for an update on the Elections Committee… on Thursday, April 1st, we re-heard House Bill 6. This bill is a shameless assault on voting rights. After Texans came out to vote in record numbers in 2020, Republicans are trying to put an end to every way our election officials made voting slightly more convenient for us - including making it harder to vote by mail. The bill is so broad that it could inhibit political parties, candidates and civic organizations from sending our voters key voting resources, such as mail ballot applications. In 2020, the Texas Democratic Party (TDP) mailed 1 million Texas senior citizens applications for vote by mail to help them vote safely during the pandemic -- and the Trump campaign sent these applications to their voters, too. That could be criminal if the Republicans have their way. At the same time, they would ban local election officials from proactively sending these applications to voters, leaving seniors and voters with disabilities with few options to get a mail ballot.
The bill was left pending in the Committee. We heard testimony from over 150 people - consequently, the Committee hearing went on for over 20 hours. You may watch an archive of the Elections Committee hearing by following the links below.
General Updates
Electricity Reform
Now, on to some good news! After the State of Texas experienced a catastrophic failure of its electric grid during Winter Storm Uri, the TX House passed 6 bills that prioritize consumers & make our state’s electric grid more resilient and reliable for the future. I proposed an amendment to House Bill 12, which was adopted. The amendment would require notice to elected officials of a widespread power, water, or natural gas outage or emergency.
Team Beckley also held a Facebook Live meeting with Oncor & CoServ on Tuesday, March 31, 2021. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss what happened and why during Winter Storm Uri. The opportunity to hear directly from these electric utility providers was an insightful experience, to say the least. If you’re interested in watching, visit this link.
I am honored to serve as your House District 65 elected official. It has been a pleasure serving my constituents!
Sincerely,
State Representative Michelle Beckley (HD-65)
Uncover the impact voucher programs have had on public schools in Texas and how defunding these institutions would be detrimental to student success.
The city council of Carrollton, Texas provided comments regarding House Bill 4072 , which was proposed during the 87th Texas Legislative Session. The city council of Carrollton, Texas expressed their opposition for HB 4072 . HB 4072 sought to simplify and clarify local sales and use tax administration by establishing as the state’s default sourcing method a destination-based method under which sales are sourced to the location where the item is shipped or delivered or where the purchaser takes possession. HB 4072 requires that local sales taxes be collected and reported based on an item’s final destination as opposed to the transaction location. The city council of Carrollton voiced that the proposed changes would have disproportionally impacted cities with large commercial bases, placed undue burden on businesses, and caused unintended consequences. Our office also reviewed the potential impact of HB 4072 on the City of Lewisville. If HB 4072 had been passed, the changes would have resulted in an annual loss of more than $10 million in sales tax for Lewisville. Lewisville would have likely faced reduced services and employee layoffs across all city departments, including police and fire departments. The Office of State Representative Beckley proudly represented the interests of Carrollton and Lewisville, by opposing this piece of legislation. HB 4072 intended to address a perceived inequity that results from the misuse of Chapter 380 agreements, but the Comptroller already has the authority to invalidate these types of agreements. Cities use Chapter 380 agreements to grow their economies and benefit their communities. HB 4072 was unsuccessful during the 87th Legislative Regular Session; it was voted out of the Ways & Means House Committee but did not make its way to the House Floor. HB 4072 was left pending in the Calendars Committee; the Calendars Committee has jurisdiction over the placement of bills and resolutions on appropriate calendars. The 87th Regular Session ended on May 31, 2021. Sincerely, State Representative Michelle Beckley
Are you or a loved one heading to college this Fall? Does he/she/they need financial help? The Office of Representative Michelle Beckley is asking for submissions for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship. The Texas Armed Services Scholarship (TASSP) has been created to assist promising students from the State of Texas who are committed to education and service. It encourages young leaders to participate in the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, the Texas State Guard, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Merchant Marine, or to become commissioned officers in any branch of the armed services of the United States. Each year the governor and the lieutenant governor may each appoint two students, and each state senator and each state representative may appoint one student to receive an initial conditional scholarship award. The amount of the award will be up to $10,000 and cannot exceed the student’s cost of attendance. Eligibility for Nomination: Students selected must meet two of these four academic criteria: Be on track to graduate or have graduated high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP), the distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School program, or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program Have a high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale Achieved a college readiness score on the SAT (1020) or ACT (23) Be ranked in the top one-third of the prospective high school graduating class Eligibility for Award: To receive a scholarship, an appointed student must: Be registered with Selective Service or be exempt Be enrolled an in good standing in a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program or another undergraduate officer commissioning program as certified by the institution Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as indicated by the financial aid office at the recipient’s institution of higher education Enter into a written agreement with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Complete school-initiated Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program application by October 15, 2021 Repay the scholarship if requirements are not met If you’re interested in the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program, please send your resume and a short essay (300-500 words) explaining your interest in the program to Michelle.Beckley@house.texas.gov . You will receive an update to your nomination status by July 9, 2021. Feel free to reach out to our District Director , Ariana Johnson, if you have any questions about the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. Thanks and good luck! Please note: The scholarship applicant should be a House District 65 constituent. If you are unsure of who represents you in Texas, find out here . Best wishes, State Representative Michelle Beckley