Friday, May 22: Friends — since the message below was posted last night, we won on this one round. Now, Rep. Larson is attempting to attach Gridzilla to another bill that could be voted on this weekend. Therefore, please keep your calls going to your State Representative — that you just want Gridzilla, to go away!
This message went out on Thursday, May 21: Gridzilla (HB 3298/SB 1907) is back! Yes, that’s right. We told you yesterday that the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Lyle Larson (San Antonio) and Sen. Charles Perry (Lubbock), had taken some of our concerns and revamped Gridzilla. This was apparently a “prevarication” — a fancy word for lie.We just got this letter from enduring grassroots activist from Waller County, Martha Estes, to her State Representative, Cecil Bell:
Dear TX Representative Bell:TODAY Representative Larson (R-San Antonio) used a BAIT and SWITCH tactic in “adding an amendment” to Senate Bill 1301, which transforms it into a study of a statewide water marketing and transfer system at a time when so many bills are being heard in the House facing an imminent deadline. It had been a simple bill to reduce the number of directors of the Texas Water Resources Finance Authority from 6 to 3. Apparently many representatives didn’t even realize what the amendment was, and it passed overwhelmingly!! My request of you, when this comes up for a final vote in the HOUSE tomorrow, is to refuse to approve it unless Representative Larson’s amendment is stripped out.As a body I believe that you should resent Rep. Larson’s attempt to “pull a fast one” on the TX House members and slip this by you.If he cannot do it in a forthright manner he should not resort to trickery! It represents an insult to the process of deliberating the serious mandates before the members of the Texas House.At my age, having observed many generations of Texas legislators at work, I have no respect for such actions when the results can impact generations to come.Honorable behavior matters! Hold him accountable to a higher standard.Cut him off at the pass!! Matha Estes, Hempstead, TX
TAKE ACTION Y’ALL. Write your own letter or call your Rep & Senator tonight (you can leave a message anytime) or tomorrow before high noon!
Find your State Representative and Senator here. Call your State Representative and your Senator to urge him or her to vote NO on SB 1301 unless the water marketing amendment is stripped out. If you prefer email to phone calls, you can email your legislators using this formula: Representative: Firstname.Lastname@house.state.tx.us Senator: Firstname.Lastname@senate.state.tx.us If you use email, keep your subject line short and clear: “Oppose SB 1301’s water marketing amendment”
Got questions? Call us. Don’t let them get away with it — and your water or your affordability, Texans!
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