666 BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW IN TEXAS DURING 87TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION
AUSTIN – The 87th Legislative Regular Session has concluded with two special sessions having been called to date. As of September 1 however, there were 666 bills signed into law following the ended session back in May.
While some politicians and media outlets skirted the actual number due to its biblical significance, either way Texas’ 666 new laws seemed to have left some on both sides of the aisle concerned.
For Christians it might be an eyebrow turner to pay attention to over the next months.
Ellis County’s former State Representative Jake Ellzey managed to get not only a co-authorship on the controversial Texas Heartbeat Act before he split for his new seat in DC, but he had three bills signed into law of the 666 bills that were signed by the governor. These bills included one that is relating to the enforcement of commercial motor vehicle safety standards in certain municipalities, one relating to the enforcement of commercial motor vehicle safety standards in certain counties, and a bill relating to the creation of the Sterrett Road Municipal Management District.
Ellzey also joint authored a number of bills one relating to measures taken to facilitate the award of postsecondary course credit leading to workforce credentialing based on military experience, education, and training and to prepare veterans for employment in certain industries, a bill relating to the requirements for a junior college district to receive approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer baccalaureate degree programs, a bill relating to the establishment of a Texas Police Service Animals Memorial Monument in the Capitol Complex, a bill regarding the prosecution of the criminal offense of an improper relationship between educator and student, another that relates to the criminal conduct that endangers law enforcement and he took part in joint-authoring a bill designating a portion of State Highway 198 in Henderson County as the Deputy Sheriff Tony Ogburn and Deputy Sheriff Paul Habelt Memorial Highway and a bill relating to the establishment of a Texas Police Service Animals Memorial Monument in the Capitol Complex.
District 109’s Carl O. Sherman saw five of his authored bills signed into law including his “Bo’s Law” relating to law enforcement policies and procedures regarding body worn cameras, a bill relating to the authority of a county to require electronic bids or proposals for competitive bidding, a bill for the issuance of a driver’s license to certain persons that includes an alternative to the license holder’s residence address a requirement to include information relating to street racing in the curriculum of driver education courses and driving safety courses and another also titled SB 112 in relation to the installation and use of tracking equipment and for access to certain communications and location information by law enforcement and the admissibility of certain evidence.
Sherman joint authored four bills signed into law. One is relating to notifying an alleged perpetrator of child abuse or neglect of certain rights in an investigation by the Department of Family and Protective Services; another for the continuation and functions of the Commission on Jail Standards, a third relating to a grant program for law enforcement agencies to defray the cost of data storage for recordings created with body worn cameras and a bill concerning quarantine leave for fire fighters, peace officers, detention officers, and emergency medical technicians employed by, appointed by, or elected for a political subdivision.
In addition to those bills Sherman co-authored 50 bills and said of all the laws he took part in authoring, joint and co-authoring “I am proud these bills were signed into law and look forward to the work ahead that still needs to be done.”
Other bills to pay attention coming out of Austin this month are the permit less carry law, a medical marijuana expansion law, the “Star Spangled Banner Protection Act” requiring professional sports teams with state funding be required to play the national anthem before a game, a reduction of the size of a pre-K class - to no more than 22 – and there is an active shooter alert system bill to notify Texans in the vicinity of an active shooting scene through their phones.
A final bill to mention here as some scratching their head. This bill would make homeless camping in unapproved public places a misdemeanor crime with a fine up to $500 with cities not being allowed to opt out. Only question here is how a camping homeless person can pay the necessary fine. After all, if he could, wouldn’t this render him not having to sleep in a tent at all since he could afford a real roof over the head.