September 1, 2000
We hope to see many of you in Austin at our upcoming
Texas Farm Bureau Legislative Seminar. The seminar, Sept. 13-14, features
important legislative panel discussions on water, redistricting, taxes,
and Texas politics. In addition, several statewide officeholders will
address our group, including Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, House
Speaker Pete Laney and House Agriculture and Livestock Committee chairman
David Swinford. Lieutenant Governor Rick Perry is also expected to stop
by.
Our meeting promises to give everyone in attendance a nice primer for
the 77th Legislature that convenes in January. We anticipate a very active
session for agriculture and rural Texas. Come and be a part of an exciting
time in shaping the long-term agricultural policy of our state. We look
forward to seeing you at the Radisson Hotel, Sept. 13-14.
• • •
Most of the Regional Water Planning Groups created by S.B. 1 in 1997
have completed their “initially prepared” regional water plans.
Now is a critical period to become involved in the process.
The Texas Water Code requires each region to conduct at least one public
hearing on the plan before it is submitted to the Texas Water Development
Board on October 1, 2000. And copies of the plan have to be available
for public review at least 30 days before the public hearing. The law
requires a copy of the plan to be filed with the county clerk’s office
and at least one public library in each county with land in the region.
Several regions are holding multiple public hearings.
The TWDB is assisting in this process by providing a list of upcoming
public hearings and copies of the “initially prepared” regional
plans on its website at the following address: http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/assistance/rwpg/main-docs/reg-plan-index.htm.
It is very important that our organization’s membership be active
in reviewing and commenting on these plans. With 16 regions holding public
hearings in the next month, there is no time to waste.
Of particular interest to our Austin legislative office is Chapter 6 of
the regional plans. This chapter includes the legislative recommendations
of the regional planning groups on changes to the Texas Water Code. For
example, the Lower Colorado Regional Water Planning Group has a recommendation
in Chapter 6 that the Texas Legislature repeal all the groundwater well
permitting exemptions in Groundwater Conservation Districts. TFB policy
currently supports retaining the exemption for domestic and livestock
wells incapable of producing more than 25,000 gallons per day. It is important
for our members to tell these planning groups that TFB will oppose their
legislative recommendations that conflict with our state policy.
• • •
The House Ways and Means Committee was asked during the
interim to study changes to the tax code that would most benefit agriculture
and oil production. TFB offered its testimony at a public hearing of the
committee on August 30. Several TFB policy positions were outlined.
One of the issues raised at the hearing was the repeal of the state inheritance
tax. The Legislative Budget Board has recently advised that no legislation
is needed to eliminate the Texas inheritance tax if Congress repeals the
federal estate tax. If federal law required a phase-out of the estate
tax, then Texas’ inheritance tax would phase-out over the same time
period, each ending simultaneously.
If Austin lawmakers wanted to reinstate a state inheritance tax afterwards,
they would have to do so through legislation. TFB voiced strong opposition
to this idea at the Ways and Means Committee hearing.
This information is compiled by the TFB legislative staff in Austin—Gary
Joiner and Billy Howe. They may be reached at 512/472-8288.
