HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda_Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee_04.06.2021Notice of Meeting for the
I ntergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
of the City of Georgetown
April 6, 2021 at 9:00 AM
at Virtual
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Regular Session
(T his R egular S ession may, at any time, be recessed to convene an Executive S ession for any purpose authorized by the O pen Meetings Act, Texas G overnment Code 551.)
A R oll Call --Mayra C antu, Management Analyst
B C all to O rder --Mayra C antu, Management Analyst
C Presentation and Discussion R egarding the 87th S ession of the Texas S tate Legislature - S napper C arr, F ocused Advocacy
Adjournment
Adjourn
Page 1 of 12
Ce rtificate of Posting
I, R obyn Densmore, C ity S ecretary for the C ity of G eorgetown, Texas, do hereby certify that this Notice of Meeting was posted at C ity Hall, 808 Martin Luther King Jr. S treet,
G eorgetown, T X 78626, a place readily accessible to the general public as required by law, on the _____ day of _________________, 2021, at __________, and remained so
posted for at least 72 continuous hours preceding the scheduled time of said meeting.
__________________________________
Robyn Densmore, City S ecretary
Page 2 of 12
City of Georgetown, Texas
I ntergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
April 6, 2021
S UB J E C T:
P res entation and Dis cus s io n R egarding the 87th S es s io n o f the Texas S tate Legis lature - S napper C arr,
F o cus ed Advo c ac y
IT E M S UMMARY:
During the Intergo vernmental R elatio ns S ubc ommittee meeting, the C ity of G eo rgeto wn legis lative
cons ultants will p ro vide an update on the 87th Texas Legislative S es s io n. T he up d ate will inc lude:
G overno r Ab b o tt’s emergenc y items
S tate Bud get
Ho use/S enate C o mmittee As s ignments
S ummary o f bills filed -to-date that are relevant to the C ity of G eorgeto wn
F IN AN C IAL IMPAC T:
N/A
S UB MIT T E D B Y:
S hirley R inn on behalf of Mayra C antu, Management Analys t
AT TAC H ME N T S:
D escription Type
Pres entation Backup Material
Page 3 of 12
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE
APRIL 6, 2021
Page 4 of 12
LEGISLATIVE
TIMELINES
2
November
9th
Bill filing for
the 87th
Legislature
begins
January
12th
87th
Legislature
convenes
Late
January
Committees
are named
March
12th
Bill filing
deadline
March
Appropriati
on bills are
brought to
the floor
March –
May
Committee
and floor
debates
May 31st
Sine Die
(Governor
has until
June 20th to
sign or veto
bills)
Page 5 of 12
MAY CALENDAR
DEADLINES
3
Page 6 of 12
GOVERNORS
EMERGENCY ITEMS
•On February 1, Governor Abbott declared the following emergency items:
–Rural broadband: SB 5 (Nichols)
–Public safety budgets (i.e., punishing cities who “defund” law enforcement):
SB 23 (Huffman)
–Bail reform
–Election integrity: HB 6 (Cain), SB 7 (Hughes)
–Liability protection from COVID-19 related lawsuits
•Following the winter weather event, the Governor declared additional
emergency items:
–ERCOT reform: HB 10 (Paddie)
–Mandating winterization for Texas’ power system (as well as ensuring the
necessary funding): HB 11 (Paddie), SB 3 (Schwertner)
4
Page 7 of 12
COMMUNITY
ADVOCACY
•SB 10 (Bettencourt)
–Prohibits political subdivisions from spending public funds to advocate before the legislature
–Prohibits political subdivisions from joining associations that employ lobbyists, or employ in -
house, salaried staff whose job is to monitor legislation
–Applies only to cities and counties
–Scheduled for hearing today in Senate Local Government (Georgetown submitting written
testimony)
•HB 749 (Middleton)
–Prohibit political subdivisions from spending public funds to advocate before the legislature
–Prohibit political subdivisions from joining associations that employ lobbyists, or employ in-
house, salaried staff whose job is to monitor legislation
–Applies to cities, counties, school districts, public hospital boards, community colleges, ESDs,
special districts, and regional economic development coalitions
–Left pending in House State Affairs
5
Page 8 of 12
DEBT
HB 1869 (Burrows)
•would modify the definition of “debt” for purposes of the debt service property
tax rate calculation to only include debt approved at an election
•If passed, debt obligations like certificates of obligation, time warrants,
anticipation notes, and lease-purchase agreements would have to be financed
through a city’s maintenance and operations tax rate if payable solely through
property tax revenue
•Language was originally included in SB 2 last session but then stripped out
•Currently pending in House Ways & Means (Georgetown submitted written
testimony)
6
Page 9 of 12
LAW
ENFORCEMENT FUNDING
SB 23 (Huffman)
•City must get voter approval if proposed budget reduces:
–police budget as a percentage of entire budget
–number of police officer positions
–amount of funding per peace officer for recruitment and training
•Unnecessarily oversteps city budgeting authority and “catches” more than just
defunding cities
•Doesn’t take into consideration cost savings that do not decrease public safety (e.g.,
changing vendors for body cameras)
•Doesn’t allow cities to reallocate funds from one department to another (e.g., creating
a stand-alone 911 center)
•Doesn’t allow for decreases that are a result of the terms of a collective bargaining
agreement
•Voted out of Senate Jurisprudence, will soon be considered by full Senate
7
Page 10 of 12
ELECTIONS
•SB 7 (Hughes)
–Restrict counties’ efforts to expand access to voting (prohibit the use of a stadium,
convention center, drive-through voting)
–Place new requirements on volunteers assisting and transporting voters
–Require voters applying for an absentee ballot on the basis of a disability to affirm that
they qualify
–Permit the video recording of voting and vote counting
–Add various new criminal penalties while enhancing others
–Passed the Senate on party-line vote, awaiting committee referral in the House
•HB 6 (Cain)
–Addresses a number of issues contained in SB 7, including constraints on county election
officials, increases on documentation requirements for volunteers assisting voters, and
establishes new criminal penalties
–Pending in House Elections Committee
8
Page 11 of 12
THANK YOU
QUESTIONS?
Page 12 of 12