Austin - State Representative Jim Pitts (R-Ellis County), along with other state and national leaders, participated in a Secure the Border Summit held at the Texas State Capitol and hosted by Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples. The goal of this event was to discuss a study conducted by retired four-star Army General Barry McCaffrey and retired Army Major-General Robert Scales.
General Barry McCaffrey is the former Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Bill Clinton and former Commander of all U.S. troops in Central and South America. Major-General Robert Scales is the former Commandant of the United States Army War College.
The report, “Texas Border Security: A Strategic Military Assessment”, offers a military perspective on how to best incorporate strategic, operational, and tactical measures to secure the increasingly hostile border regions along the Rio Grande River. It was jointly commissioned by the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas Department of Public Safety, and accomplished a legislative directive requiring an assessment of this issue that was contained in House Bill 4, passed during the 82nd session of the Texas Legislature.
Texas’ farmers, ranchers, and landowners along the border are becoming the target of escalated violence and intimidation on their own property by armed trespassers tied to the Mexican drug cartels.
“I know it is essential that we devote the necessary resources to protect Texas citizens, their property, and their livelihoods”, said Chairman Pitts. “Despite facing unprecedented state budgetary conditions, I worked hard to secure the appropriation of $221.6 million for border security in 2012-13, an amount that represents a $110 million, or 99.6%, increase for border security above the 2010-11 spending levels. This report illustrates how important it is that we deploy adequate resources to this problem before it is allowed to escalate further.”
September 27th, 2011
Veteran Texas State Representative Jim Pitts (R-Ellis County) announced today that he will run for re-election to the Texas House in House District 10. Pitts currently serves as Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, a title he has held for the past two legislative sessions. In this leadership role, Pitts guided the state of Texas through two of the most challenging budget cycles in the state’s history while staying true to his promise to balance the budget without raising taxes. Pitts was first elected to represent House District 10, comprised of Ellis and Hill counties, in 1992.
Under the Texas House redistricting map passed by the legislature this session, and due to the explosive population growth in the region, District 10 no longer contains Hill County. The 10th District will now be comprised of Ellis County and a portion of Henderson County.
“When I see how Texas is thriving as compared with the rest of the country, I am proud of what we were able to accomplish with the Texas budget,” said Pitts. “When you talk about creating more jobs and continuing to improve our economy, I know it starts with lower taxes and controlling government spending. We have accomplished here in Texas what many states consider impossible, and I remain dedicated to the principles that got us to where we are today.”
“I am thankful to residents of the 10th District for trusting me with this important position and allowing me to be their voice in the Texas Legislature,” said Pitts. “Serving on their behalf has been my passion for the past 18 years. We have accomplished much in that time, and the future for the great State of Texas has never been brighter. I hope that the voters of District 10 will give me the chance to continue working to make Texas the perfect place to live, work, and to raise a family.”
Jim is a Waxahachie attorney and business owner. He and his late wife Evelyn have three children, Duffy, Ashley and Ryan.
September 26th, 2011
During the First Called Special session of the 82nd Legislature, I expended a tremendous amount of effort working on Senate Bill 1, which I sponsored in the House. SB1 encompassed a broad range of cost-saving measures for the State of Texas as well as other much needed provisions that ranged from protecting small businesses to ensuring the integrity of state issued IDs. I worked closely with my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to secure passage of this necessary piece of legislation, and applaud the Governor for promptly signing the bill into law. Below are some of the highlights of Senate Bill 1, which goes into effect on September 28th, 2011.
- An amendment I added onto SB1 enables Texas companies with less than $1 million in annual revenues to continue to be exempted from the state business tax for another two years. The exemption on the business tax was set to be reduced to $600,000 or less of income in 2012. The $1 million exemption now will expire in 2014. This is great news for Texas small business owners.
- I also amended SB1 to include a provision stating that the Texas Department of Public Safety shall maintain indexes that contain the citizenship status of applicants for a driver’s license or personal ID card. For citizens who last renewed their licenses before 2008, it means a birth certificate or passport should be taken to the Department of Public Safety the next time they renew a driver’s license or state ID.
- With the broad use of computers in today’s society, one large cost-saving measure is to post reports online for public viewing. Provisions in SB 1 allow State offices like the Comptroller and the Secretary of State to publish these reports online, saving money on printing supplies as well as becoming more environmentally friendly.
- We also worked hard for the veterans in SB 1. One provision allows a surviving spouse of a veteran to pay property taxes in installments, lessening their financial burden. Another provision allows the Veterans Assistance Fund to be used to identify additional federal benefits that may be available for Texas veterans.
- The always-popular Sales Tax Holiday that falls before the first week of school has been moved to that spot permanently to match up with the uniform school start date we previously established.
- In 1977, the Texas Legislature created the Sunset Advisory Commission to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and inefficiency in government agencies. The bill includes provisions that implement selected Sunset recommendations for agencies including the Railroad Commission, Department of Information Resources, and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
- The Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) is now allowed to use certain tobacco settlement funds to pay off debt services on bonds. This would increase the funding available for cancer research grants. This provision also allows CPRIT to issue bonds as needed to pay for research project costs. By issuing these bonds on a pay-as-you-go method, the state is able to save even more money while still conducting the necessary research.
- Another provision in SB 1 relates to sales tax resulting from online sales. It establishes that online sales merchants must collect state and local sales taxes from Texas customers if the company owns at least 50 percent of a business in Texas.
August 30th, 2011
Greetings from the Capitol! While things have settled down around here since the end of session, there are some important updates that I would like to share with you. Many of the bills that were passed during the 82nd session of the Texas Legislature went into effect September 1. Below is a list of some of these new laws that took effect on September 1.
- House Bill 1 was the budget for the State of Texas for the 2012-2013 fiscal years, which run from September 1 – August 31. I authored this bill and worked tirelessly all session to get it passed. Despite beginning the session facing an unprecedented shortfall, we were able to pass a balanced budget that funds our schools, universities, and state agencies without imposing any new taxes on the citizens of Texas.
- Senate Bill 18 overhauled the process of eminent domain in Texas. This law created a statutory prohibition against a government or private entity taking land that was not for a public use. Government entities are now required to make a reasonable offer for property, to allow a land owner to buy the property back at the government’s purchase price if the land is left unused, and to pay relocation expenses for displaced property owners. I have always been a strong advocate of private property rights (I authored a similar Eminent Domain reform bill last session) and am proud we were able to take action to protect the freedom and rights of property owners in Texas.
- Senate Bill 332 dealt with vested ownership interest in groundwater beneath the surface of land, the right to produce that groundwater, and the management of groundwater in this state. In 1904 the Supreme Court of Texas ruled that a landowner has an ownership interest in the groundwater beneath their property. Recently, landowners’ interest in groundwater below the surface has come into question in the courts. These changes clearly define that a landowner owns the groundwater below the surface of the landowner’s land as real property. This is another example of protecting private property owner’s rights here in Texas.
- House Bill 274 enacted a modified loser-pays rule that allows winning parties to recover litigation costs in breach of contract suits or if a judge grants a motion to dismiss. The Texas Supreme Court shall also create a procedure for the early dismissal of certain civil claims and expedites the discovery process for cases with claims between $500 and $100,000. This will help decrease the number of frivolous lawsuits and free up Texas courts to tackle more important issues.
- Senate Bill 321 ensured that an employer may not prohibit an employee who lawfully possesses a firearm or ammunition from transporting or storing the firearm or ammunition in a locked, privately owned motor vehicle in a parking area the employer provides for employees. The new law excludes the lots of private or charter schools, non-employer owned gas or mineral leases, and company-owned vehicles unless the firearm is necessary for employee’s duties.
- House Bill 33 sought to increase textbook affordability at higher education institutions. Both public and private colleges and universities are now required to provide a list of the retail price of all texts for each course offered, and to get the list to students no less than a month before the semester. This allows students to find the best deals on the required and recommended texts and helps make college more affordable for all Texans.
- House Bill 451 created the “Don’t Mess with Texas Water” program to place signs on major highway water crossings that provide a toll-free hotline to report illegal dumping. The program provides a method for combating the rising incidence of illegal dumping in Texas’ waters, but is optional for local governments to participate, allowing for financial flexibility and local control.
- House Bill 675 amended current law relating to football helmet safety requirements in public schools. Previously, the University Interscholastic League did not have any rules regarding the age of a helmet or how often it must be reconditioned. The new law bans the use of helmets that are 16 years old or older and requires helmets older than 10 years to be reconditioned at least every two years. This law strikes a delicate balance between local control and ensuring the health and safety of high school football players statewide.
State Representative Jim Pitts, House District 10.
