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Monday, February 14, 2005 AUSTIN - The 79th Legislative Session began just over a month ago, and legislators in Austin have been moving full speed ahead to find solutions for Texas' toughest problems, such as high property taxes, a broken school finance system, and a failing worker's compensation system. Representative Martha Wong (Houston) started her work on these and other important issues long before the legislative session began, and has been drafting legislation, meeting with constituents, and working with other House members to build coalitions. "I am excited that this legislative session is moving along so quickly, and I believe we will do what Texans have sent us here to do. This week, the House Committee on Public Education will begin tweaking House Bill 2. I, along with other representatives, will be working with the committee every step of the way, providing amendments and input. I look forward to working on school reform so that every child in Texas may have a superior education that is funded in a way that imposes less of a burden on homeowners," says Representative Wong. Representative Wong has been appointed to three House committees. She is serving as Vice Chair of the House Urban Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over nearly all matters pertaining to cities. Representative Wong was also selected, once again, to serve as Vice-Chair of the House Rules and Resolutions Committee. In addition, Speaker Craddick selected Representative Wong to serve as a member of the powerful House State Affairs Committee, which is given the task of hearing bills relating to a wide variety of state policy. So far this session, bills relating to a ban on human cloning, conscientious objection by pharmacists, and a ban on cell phone use while driving have all been referred to the State Affairs Committee. When Representative Wong is not busy with her committee work, she is spending much of her time on her own legislation. Representative Wong has once again filed a bill to limit appraisal caps on real property. HB 108 would establish a cap of 5% on appraisals of all real property. Should this bill pass the House and Senate, voters will be asked to vote on a constitutional amendment next fall. Representative Wong also hopes to shine a light on school district superintendents, junior college administrators and others who may have interests that conflict with their positions by requiring full disclosure of financial transactions that may influence an administrative decision. Representative Wong has filed a total of seven bills so far, and has plans to file a few more before next month's filing deadline. |
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| Pol. Adv. Pd. for by Martha Wong Campaign, 415 East Gaywood Dr. Houston TX 77079, Fred Zeidman, Treasurer Copyright © 2008 - Texas State Representative Martha Wong Technology by Advarion Incorporated - 0|313 | |||||||||