The 82nd Legislative Session is Up and Running

February 11, 2011

Dear Friends,

This week was an eventful one in Austin.  While the Senate debated eminent domain and heard testimony on the budget,  Speaker Straus announced House committee assignments and referred the first round of House bills for the 82nd Legislature.

I have been selected to serve on the Criminal Jurisprudence  and  Energy Resources Committees.  As a former prosecutor, I hope that my experience will be an asset to the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.  The role of this committee is to ensure that penalties are fair,  and effective at reducing crime in our communities.  The energy industry continues to be a significant part of our community, and I’m very excited to serve in this most important role.  I look forward to advocating better energy solutions that promote job growth in north Texas and across the state.

Representative Carter joins members on the floor wearing red in honor of the American Heart Association day at the Capitol.

Some of the legislation that I have recently authored and co-authored is:

  • HB 579: helps small businesses by retaining the  million total revenue exemption for the franchise tax
  • HB 698: allows superintendents and school board members who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon to do so during school board meetings.HB 976:  enables police officers to appear before a judge through electronic means, such as videoconferencing.
  • HB 1029: reduces the strain on our prisons by allowing judges to order ankle monitoring devices in lieu of prison time for certain property crime offenders.

Recently, I have had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Dallas-area branch of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Dallas-area March of Dimes, and the President and staff of Methodist Richardson Medical Center.  We were able to discuss their legislative priorities in light of this session’s budget constraints and explore potential solutions.  I have also met with many of you- members of our community who have stopped by my Capitol office.

As always, I appreciate your continued input and encourage you to stop by my office when you are in Austin.  I’m honored to be your voice in Austin.

Sincerely,
Stefani Carter