What we conservatives achieved in Austin

Republican Raul Torres is the state representative for District 33 in Corpus Christi.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

 http://www.caller.com/news/2011/dec/04/what-we-conservatives-achieved-in-austin/

CORPUS CHRISTI -
Before the Texas Legislature convened in Austin last January, I joined
nearly 80 other conservative state lawmakers, Gov. Rick Perry and
Comptroller Susan Combs in signing the Texas Conservative Coalition's
"Pledge with Texans," a conservative reform agenda for the 82nd
Legislature.

Throughout the 140-day regular session and a special session that
followed, my co-signers and I remained true to the tenets of the pledge,
passing bills supporting its every plank, upholding conservative
principles and laying the foundation for our long-term goals for Texas.
Many of the measures we sponsored and supported have now been signed
into law.

The five planks of the pledge obligated signers to advance, support
and vote for legislation to (1.) balance the budget without raising
taxes; (2.) limit federal intrusion; (3.) improve election integrity;
(4.) cut taxes and encourage the free market; and (5.) secure the Texas
border. In committing to the pledge, we promised to support and advance
all of its planks during the 82nd Legislature and agreed to have our
voting records reviewed and compiled into a score card to be made public
at the end of the session.

Our most important accomplishment was balancing the state budget
without raising taxes.We also passed numerous other measures that will
generate savings for the state, such as Senate Bill 7, which will
improve the efficiency and quality of health care in Texas by reforming
the way health and human services programs and agencies deliver service.
Another bill signed into law increases school districts' flexibility
over their work forces and payrolls so that quality instruction can be
prioritized over non-classroom expenditures.

My conservative colleagues and I also took strong steps to limit
federal intrusion into state policy matters. In addition to saving on
health care costs, SB 7 also proposed that Texas join an interstate
health care compact, giving member states flexibility in spending
federal funds on health care apportioned under the Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act. Another measure signed by the governor, HCR 18,
calls on the Congress to pass a balanced-budget amendment to the U.S.
Constitution.

We improved election integrity by passing SB 14, the Voter I.D. bill.
This will require individuals to show photo identification before
voting.

In efforts to secure the Texas border, we devoted $87.8 million in
the next two-year state budget to fund border and homeland security
initiatives, including more than $50 million in capital equipment items
such as border security vehicles and fiber optic scopes to help law
enforcement agents do their jobs.

Finally, we encouraged the free market by passing HB 274, a "Loser
Pays" lawsuit reform measure that improves the Texas civil justice
system so that courts can award equitable and just costs and reasonable
and necessary attorney fees to the prevailing party when a cases is
found to be frivolous.

I am proud to have been a part of the coalition of conservative
lawmakers who stood together to uphold conservative principles. Each of
the measures we passed will have a lasting, positive impact on the Texas
economy, enrich our state's social fabric, and secure greater
opportunities for every Texan.

Effective state leadership takes courage, commitment and political
will. With more than 30 freshman members this past session, Texas voters
spoke loud and clear about the leadership they expected, and I believe
we delivered.