As the session draws to a close, our HD 52 Representative Diana Maldonado has issued a legislative round-up.
She said, "I am proud to have moved several key pieces of legislation through the House that will benefit District 52." She passed a bill to fund the Eastern Williamson County Higher Education Center in Taylor. She also passed legislation to help schools get electronic materials returned by students.
Rep. Maldonado passed a bill to allow Taylor and Hutto to use money from their hotel-motel tax revenues to fund recreational facilities, including the Eastern Williamson County Park in Taylor. She also succeeded in passing a "green" bill, that would require TxDOT to use recycled glass in new road projects. She said, "This will help reduce the amount of glass that goes into our landfills, and provide contractors with an environmentally friendly alternative."
She coauthored several bills to benefit especially her rural constituents. She was a coauthor on HB 11 to repeal the Trans-Texas Corridor. It was left pending in committee, but a similar measure made it into the TxDOT Sunset Bill, which passed the House and is before the Senate.
She also coauthored HB 13, which would have prevented free land to toll lane conversions, which was left pending. She was a coauthor on HB 1483 which provided greater protection from eminent domain. HB 1483 was left pending, but a similar Senate bill is still under consideration
Rep. Maldonado has achieved a large body of work this session, especially for a freshman legislator. She said, "I greatly appreciate all of the input and suggestions that have come in from thousands of constituents during this session. Your correspondence keeps me informed on your views and helps me to make decisions each day."
To see more information about legislation or to contact her office, go to her House website at
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist52/maldonado.php
Showing posts with label Diana Maldonado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diana Maldonado. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Burka asks: What does killing the Trans-Texas Corridor mean?--ACRE answers
Paul Burka has posted and received comments about HB 300, the TxDOT Sunset Bill.
http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/?p=3792
I commented that one of the things that should be kept in HB 300 is killing the Trans-Texas Corridor. Burka asked what did people mean by killing the TTC. Below is my reply to his question:
I would say that killing the Trans-Texas Corridor is what is intended by HB 11 by Rep. Leibowitz, which is the “repeal of authority for the establishment and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor.” I don’t know if this is the language of the amendment that was added to HB 300. It is my understanding that the amendment to HB 300 would be something like HB 11. The purpose would be to take away the authority to create and operate the TTC that was given to TxDOT by HB 3588 in 2003.
As long as this authority to create an entity with the name of TTC is still in statute and still in other official documents such as the Environmental Impact Statement (which is still stuck at the Federal Highway Administration), there is the danger that the project will be resurrected.
The project itself is as described in the document “Crossroads of the Americas” which lays out the design of the TTC as a multi-modal, almost quarter-mile wide swath of routes in a network that criss-crosses Texas—ten vehicular lanes, six rail lines, pipelines, and utility zone, with all concessions within the TTC boundaries—that would sweep through the state, bypassing cities, thus depriving them of trade as well as tax base, because of all the acreage taken out of the local taxing districts.
As it unfolded, it was intended that the TTC be a public-private partnership, giving Cintra (a Spanish corporation) the right to profit from land taken from Texas landowners through eminent domain by the state and turned over to Cintra.
For years, our family and our neighbors have been fighting the TTC. Considering all our efforts added to the efforts of other grass-roots groups along the Corridor routes, there is no telling how many hours, days, years of time and energy we have had to take away from other endeavors to spend in the effort to save our land. These efforts required our time and money, while the people who have been trying to take our land away from us have been well-paid with our own tax money.
Over the years, those of us working against the TTC have had gradual and hard-won success. Not that it was totally due to anti-Corridor efforts, but one instance that I would like to point out is that it was “our Representative” Mike Krusee who authored HB 3588 to create the TTC. Now, our current Representative Diana Maldonado is a coauthor of HB 11 that would abolish the Corridor.
We have made progress, and the TTC name has been disavowed, but the TTC is not dead. So many Texans have spent so many hours fighting the Corridor—hours that could have been put to more productive use—it would be great if this burden could be lifted from the shoulders of rural Texans once and for all, either by HB 11 being voted out of committee and being passed by the Legislature or by keeping language totally repealing the authority for the TTC in HB 300 as it is passed by the Legislature.
http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/?p=3792
I commented that one of the things that should be kept in HB 300 is killing the Trans-Texas Corridor. Burka asked what did people mean by killing the TTC. Below is my reply to his question:
I would say that killing the Trans-Texas Corridor is what is intended by HB 11 by Rep. Leibowitz, which is the “repeal of authority for the establishment and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor.” I don’t know if this is the language of the amendment that was added to HB 300. It is my understanding that the amendment to HB 300 would be something like HB 11. The purpose would be to take away the authority to create and operate the TTC that was given to TxDOT by HB 3588 in 2003.
As long as this authority to create an entity with the name of TTC is still in statute and still in other official documents such as the Environmental Impact Statement (which is still stuck at the Federal Highway Administration), there is the danger that the project will be resurrected.
The project itself is as described in the document “Crossroads of the Americas” which lays out the design of the TTC as a multi-modal, almost quarter-mile wide swath of routes in a network that criss-crosses Texas—ten vehicular lanes, six rail lines, pipelines, and utility zone, with all concessions within the TTC boundaries—that would sweep through the state, bypassing cities, thus depriving them of trade as well as tax base, because of all the acreage taken out of the local taxing districts.
As it unfolded, it was intended that the TTC be a public-private partnership, giving Cintra (a Spanish corporation) the right to profit from land taken from Texas landowners through eminent domain by the state and turned over to Cintra.
For years, our family and our neighbors have been fighting the TTC. Considering all our efforts added to the efforts of other grass-roots groups along the Corridor routes, there is no telling how many hours, days, years of time and energy we have had to take away from other endeavors to spend in the effort to save our land. These efforts required our time and money, while the people who have been trying to take our land away from us have been well-paid with our own tax money.
Over the years, those of us working against the TTC have had gradual and hard-won success. Not that it was totally due to anti-Corridor efforts, but one instance that I would like to point out is that it was “our Representative” Mike Krusee who authored HB 3588 to create the TTC. Now, our current Representative Diana Maldonado is a coauthor of HB 11 that would abolish the Corridor.
We have made progress, and the TTC name has been disavowed, but the TTC is not dead. So many Texans have spent so many hours fighting the Corridor—hours that could have been put to more productive use—it would be great if this burden could be lifted from the shoulders of rural Texans once and for all, either by HB 11 being voted out of committee and being passed by the Legislature or by keeping language totally repealing the authority for the TTC in HB 300 as it is passed by the Legislature.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Amendment to override governor's veto has passed the House, will be heard in Senate
HJR 29, by Rep. Gary Elkins (Republican of Houston), would place a constitutional amendment before the voters in November "to allow the legislature to override a veto of the governor following a legislative session." This measure would fix the problem of the governor waiting to veto legislation until after the session is over, thus making it impossible for the Legislature to override his veto, even if the votes are there.
HJR 29 has already passed the House with only token opposition: 131 Yeas, 16 Nays, 1 Present, not voting. Our HD 52 Rep. Diana Maldonado voted yes. HJR 29 now will be heard in the Senate State Affairs Committee on Thursday, April 30, in the Senate Chamber at 1 p.m. or upon adjournment of the full Senate.
Gov. 39% has used this tactic in the past to veto popular legislation that had overwhelming support of the legislators and their constituents, such as the strong eminent domain bill in 2007. Organizations like the Texas Farm Bureau worked hard on this bill all during the session, and it was greatly desired by property owners such as those threatened by the Trans-Texas Corridor. It passed the House 143-0 and the Senate 29-1. After the legislators went home, Perry vetoed it.
The progress of HJR 29 to authorize a way to override late vetoes is the result of Perry's past vetoes that annoyed enough legislators to bring things to this point. In other words, his past actions might come back to bite not only him, but future governors, who will have lost this power of their office due to Perry's abuse of it.
HJR 29 has already passed the House with only token opposition: 131 Yeas, 16 Nays, 1 Present, not voting. Our HD 52 Rep. Diana Maldonado voted yes. HJR 29 now will be heard in the Senate State Affairs Committee on Thursday, April 30, in the Senate Chamber at 1 p.m. or upon adjournment of the full Senate.
Gov. 39% has used this tactic in the past to veto popular legislation that had overwhelming support of the legislators and their constituents, such as the strong eminent domain bill in 2007. Organizations like the Texas Farm Bureau worked hard on this bill all during the session, and it was greatly desired by property owners such as those threatened by the Trans-Texas Corridor. It passed the House 143-0 and the Senate 29-1. After the legislators went home, Perry vetoed it.
The progress of HJR 29 to authorize a way to override late vetoes is the result of Perry's past vetoes that annoyed enough legislators to bring things to this point. In other words, his past actions might come back to bite not only him, but future governors, who will have lost this power of their office due to Perry's abuse of it.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
BILL to KILL the TTC gets hearing
A landmark event occurred yesterday. Rep. Leibowitz’s (D-San Antonio) HB 11 to totally kill the Trans-Texas Corridor was heard in the House Transportation Committee. HB 11 may not make it past this point this session, but after fighting the Corridor for years, it is very encouraging to me, and an important symbol of how far we have come, to witness this bill given a hearing and to hear every single witness testify in favor of this bill, with no one who cared or dared to publicly oppose the Corridor-killing bill.
Corridor must be wiped from the books
As we know, the pronouncements during the last few months that the Corridor is dead may reflect the reality that the Corridor is very sick, that the people of Texas don’t want it, and that it has become more and more politically risky. However, Gov. 39% declared that the name might have changed, but that his “vision” of the almost quarter-mile wide, multi-modal network criss-crossing Texas would continue by segments. The name was changed to protect the guilty, but the essence of the project would continue piece by piece.
Rep. Leibowitz said, “Rural land will still be taken by cross-state tollways if we don’t repeal the authority to create the TTC. [with the passage of HB 11] If the state leadership wants to come up with a new multi-modal transportation corridor, they will need to start from scratch.”
Krusee creates Corridor, Maldonado tries to kill it
An ironic twist--we must observe that our previous HD 52 representative Mike Krusee was the author and prime mover behind HB 3588 that created the Corridor in the 2003 session. Our current Representative Diana Maldonado is a coauthor of HB 11 to destroy the Corridor.
Testimony in favor of HB 11
The hearing room was almost full, and Chairman Pickett announced that overflow capacity was available in another room. Many testified in favor of HB 11 and many more handed in testimony forms supporting HB 11. Staffers kept running out of witness forms and had to go out to get more.
Leading off the testimony was the president of the Texas Farm Bureau, Kenneth Dierschke, who, representing 425,000 member families, testified in favor of HB 11.
Representing other groups around the state were Terri Hall of TURF; Hank Gilbert of TURF and former Democratic nominee for Ag Commissioner; Beki Halpin, Fix 290; Margaret Green, Blackland Coalition; Bruce Burton, Texans Against Tolls; and citizens representing themselves and their families. Mary Anderson. Texans Against Tolls, did not speak publicly, but was all around the hearing room, supplying information and helping others get their witness forms. Citizens from all over the state testified to the committee and handed in witness forms.
About his HB 11 to kill the Corridor and HB 13 to prohibit the conversion of free lanes to tolled lanes, Rep. Leibowitz observed, “Nobody testified against them.” He said that HB 11 “takes TTC off the books. TTC is sucking the very life blood out of the heart and soul of Texas. We need to drive a stake through its heart—if it has a heart.”
Status of HB 11
Chairman Pickett left HB 11 and HB 13 pending. This means that the Transportation Committee may or may not vote these bills out to go to the full House. We will try to get an idea of what is going on with HB 11 in the committee and see if the anti-Corridor groups need to mount a campaign to communicate with the legislators to get HB 11 out of committee and to the House floor.
Filming the proceedings
Making a complete record of the proceedings was Bill Molina of Storm Productions. Bill has produced two award-winning documentaries against the Corridor—the “Truth Be Tolled” films. When history decides to go back and look at all the meetings and hearings around the state and at the Capitol on the Corridor, the entire record will be there in the work of Bill Molina. The Coupland Civic Organization hosted a showing of his first Corridor film two years ago—just one of the community groups around the state that have done so. Both of Bill’s films can be seen for free now on YouTube. Go to truthbetolled.com and click on YouTube on the top line.
Corridor must be wiped from the books
As we know, the pronouncements during the last few months that the Corridor is dead may reflect the reality that the Corridor is very sick, that the people of Texas don’t want it, and that it has become more and more politically risky. However, Gov. 39% declared that the name might have changed, but that his “vision” of the almost quarter-mile wide, multi-modal network criss-crossing Texas would continue by segments. The name was changed to protect the guilty, but the essence of the project would continue piece by piece.
Rep. Leibowitz said, “Rural land will still be taken by cross-state tollways if we don’t repeal the authority to create the TTC. [with the passage of HB 11] If the state leadership wants to come up with a new multi-modal transportation corridor, they will need to start from scratch.”
Krusee creates Corridor, Maldonado tries to kill it
An ironic twist--we must observe that our previous HD 52 representative Mike Krusee was the author and prime mover behind HB 3588 that created the Corridor in the 2003 session. Our current Representative Diana Maldonado is a coauthor of HB 11 to destroy the Corridor.
Testimony in favor of HB 11
The hearing room was almost full, and Chairman Pickett announced that overflow capacity was available in another room. Many testified in favor of HB 11 and many more handed in testimony forms supporting HB 11. Staffers kept running out of witness forms and had to go out to get more.
Leading off the testimony was the president of the Texas Farm Bureau, Kenneth Dierschke, who, representing 425,000 member families, testified in favor of HB 11.
Representing other groups around the state were Terri Hall of TURF; Hank Gilbert of TURF and former Democratic nominee for Ag Commissioner; Beki Halpin, Fix 290; Margaret Green, Blackland Coalition; Bruce Burton, Texans Against Tolls; and citizens representing themselves and their families. Mary Anderson. Texans Against Tolls, did not speak publicly, but was all around the hearing room, supplying information and helping others get their witness forms. Citizens from all over the state testified to the committee and handed in witness forms.
About his HB 11 to kill the Corridor and HB 13 to prohibit the conversion of free lanes to tolled lanes, Rep. Leibowitz observed, “Nobody testified against them.” He said that HB 11 “takes TTC off the books. TTC is sucking the very life blood out of the heart and soul of Texas. We need to drive a stake through its heart—if it has a heart.”
Status of HB 11
Chairman Pickett left HB 11 and HB 13 pending. This means that the Transportation Committee may or may not vote these bills out to go to the full House. We will try to get an idea of what is going on with HB 11 in the committee and see if the anti-Corridor groups need to mount a campaign to communicate with the legislators to get HB 11 out of committee and to the House floor.
Filming the proceedings
Making a complete record of the proceedings was Bill Molina of Storm Productions. Bill has produced two award-winning documentaries against the Corridor—the “Truth Be Tolled” films. When history decides to go back and look at all the meetings and hearings around the state and at the Capitol on the Corridor, the entire record will be there in the work of Bill Molina. The Coupland Civic Organization hosted a showing of his first Corridor film two years ago—just one of the community groups around the state that have done so. Both of Bill’s films can be seen for free now on YouTube. Go to truthbetolled.com and click on YouTube on the top line.
Friday, April 17, 2009
HB 11 to abolish TTC set for hearing April 21--also HB 13 re free lane to toll lane conversion
Two of the bills that we have been following this session have been scheduled for a public hearing before the House Transportation Committee on April 21. Here is the link to the hearing announcement:
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/schedules/html/C4702009042108001.HTM
HB 11 by Leibowitz is intended to abolish the Trans-Texas Corridor once and for all. Its official description is “Relating to repeal of authority for the establishment and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor.” It would take away TxDOT’s authority to create the Corridor. One of its coauthors is our HD 52 Representative Diana Maldonado.
HB 13 is also by Leibowitz; our Representative Diana Maldonado also is a coauthor on this bill. HB 13 is “Relating to the operation of a state highway or segment of a state highway as a toll project.” TURF, an anti-Corridor anti-toll group, praises HB 13 as “the RIGHT bill to truly STOP freeway to tollway conversions. Contact your State Representative and ask them to vote NO on SB 220 and YES on HB 13!” SB 220 by Nichols will not stop some free lane to toll lane conversions, including tolling 290 E, because of its exceptions or loopholes. The better bill HB 13 by Leibowitz does not contain these loopholes.
Maldonado says that HB 13 “should prevent some of the problems we face with the Trans-Texas Corridor.”
Transportation Committee Hearing on April 21
HB 11 and HB 13 will both be heard by the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday, April 21, in Rm. E2.014 in the Capitol Extension. The hearing begins at 8 a.m. The committee chair is Rep. Joe Pickett. Vice Chair is Rep. Larry Phillips.
Comment to the Committee on One or Both of These Bills
If you wish give either written or oral comments to the committee during the hearing, you must fill out a witness affirmation form when you arrive. You may write your comments on the form and hand it in without speaking to the committee. If you want to testify before the committee, you must indicate that on the witness affirmation form.
You can mail comments to the committee at:
Texas House of Representatives
Transportation Committee
Ext. E2.122
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
or call the committee office at 512-463-0818. You may email comments to Jonathan Sierra-Ortega in the committee clerk’s office at jonathan.sierra_ortega_hc@house.state.tx.us,
but handing in a form at the hearing or sending a written letter will have more impact than an email.
Thank Rep. Maldonado for Coauthoring These Bills
If you want to let our Representative Diana Maldonado know that you support her coauthoring one or both of these bills, you can email her by going to her webpage
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist52/maldonado.php
and clicking on “send email.”
Or you can reach her office at:
Room E2.802 Capitol Extension
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-0670
(512) 463-1469 Fax
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/schedules/html/C4702009042108001.HTM
HB 11 by Leibowitz is intended to abolish the Trans-Texas Corridor once and for all. Its official description is “Relating to repeal of authority for the establishment and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor.” It would take away TxDOT’s authority to create the Corridor. One of its coauthors is our HD 52 Representative Diana Maldonado.
HB 13 is also by Leibowitz; our Representative Diana Maldonado also is a coauthor on this bill. HB 13 is “Relating to the operation of a state highway or segment of a state highway as a toll project.” TURF, an anti-Corridor anti-toll group, praises HB 13 as “the RIGHT bill to truly STOP freeway to tollway conversions. Contact your State Representative and ask them to vote NO on SB 220 and YES on HB 13!” SB 220 by Nichols will not stop some free lane to toll lane conversions, including tolling 290 E, because of its exceptions or loopholes. The better bill HB 13 by Leibowitz does not contain these loopholes.
Maldonado says that HB 13 “should prevent some of the problems we face with the Trans-Texas Corridor.”
Transportation Committee Hearing on April 21
HB 11 and HB 13 will both be heard by the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday, April 21, in Rm. E2.014 in the Capitol Extension. The hearing begins at 8 a.m. The committee chair is Rep. Joe Pickett. Vice Chair is Rep. Larry Phillips.
Comment to the Committee on One or Both of These Bills
If you wish give either written or oral comments to the committee during the hearing, you must fill out a witness affirmation form when you arrive. You may write your comments on the form and hand it in without speaking to the committee. If you want to testify before the committee, you must indicate that on the witness affirmation form.
You can mail comments to the committee at:
Texas House of Representatives
Transportation Committee
Ext. E2.122
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
or call the committee office at 512-463-0818. You may email comments to Jonathan Sierra-Ortega in the committee clerk’s office at jonathan.sierra_ortega_hc@house.state.tx.us,
but handing in a form at the hearing or sending a written letter will have more impact than an email.
Thank Rep. Maldonado for Coauthoring These Bills
If you want to let our Representative Diana Maldonado know that you support her coauthoring one or both of these bills, you can email her by going to her webpage
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist52/maldonado.php
and clicking on “send email.”
Or you can reach her office at:
Room E2.802 Capitol Extension
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-0670
(512) 463-1469 Fax
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