With Election Day behind us, I want to convey my sincere appreciation to all of the people in House District 57 that have entrusted me to once again serve as your State Representative. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as a voice at our Texas Capitol for those of us who are blessed to call this area home. Our state faces lots of challenges in the upcoming legislative session, and I look forward to working every day to promote and protect the interests of our region and our state.
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol. . .
House Interim Charge: General Investigating & Ethics
This week, we’ll be diving into the interim work of the Texas House Committee on General Ethics & Investigating. This seven-member procedural committee has jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to the ethical conduct of state and local officials – whether they’re elected, appointed, or employed. And while the General Ethics and Investigating Committee does not have oversight over any state agencies, they are in charge of maintaining transparency standards for the financial reporting of government officials.
Specifically this interim, the committee plans to review the conflict of interest standards for government officials. While they search for adequacy within the law, their main goal will be to ensure that our government is never self-serving. Another issue I expect to hear more about in their committee report is maintaining the integrity of the legislative process by having an appropriate amount of regulation over the lobbying profession. As an elected official, it is very important to me that we maintain the highest level of ethical standards as we do the work of our constituents.
The committee, like all others, will also spend some time dealing with Hurricane Harvey. More to the point, they’ll monitor how charitable funds were used in response to the disaster. In a situation such as this, the state has a responsibility to ensure these charitable donations were spent helping folks get back on their feet and not for other purposes that could be considered nefarious or wasteful.
Reminders
The mobile office is on the road this month and looks forward to seeing you on the following dates, in the following locations: November 14th at the Houston County Courthouse Annex in Crockett from 9-11am, or at the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton from 1:30-3:30pm; November 28th at the San Augustine County Courthouse in San Augustine from 9-11am.
